Last night in Collin County, Dallas Sake Week kicked off in Fairview with a pairing dinner at Profound Foods, which sources some of the best restaurants in North Texas. There were some terrific sakes on hand — a preview for the week to come.
Hosted by Sake Brewers Association of North America and The National Tax Agency of Japan, the dinner was led by sake educator Timothy Sullivan, who flew in from New York for the event. Several years back, I appeared on Sullivan and Sullivan and co-host John Puma's Sake Revolution podcast to discuss my award-winning book The Sake Bible — which Sullivan kindly recommended during the dinner.
An Exclusive Experience
Guests got a short masterclass in sake from Sullivan, who dispelled common misconceptions about the drink and set the stage for an enjoyable evening of food and drink.
Sullivan paired and poured sakes from Dassai, Hakkaisan, Uka, Origami and Yano.
- Dassai and Hakkaisan are famous for their elegant premium sakes, with Dassai being on the sweeter side and Hakkaisan being emblematic of its native Niigata's kurakuchi (dry) style of sake.
- Uka is a fascinating and unusual expression: The sake is brewed in Japan from California-grown rice, which is different from traditional Japanese sake rice — and the result was nuanced and delicious.
- Origami Sake is made in Arkansas from locally-grown Yamada Nishiki sake rice — their junmai daiginjo was sweet with a touch of tart: green apples in a glass.
- And the Yano sake was a chewy, aged sake, which was served chilled, but would have performed brilliantly warmed, bringing out more umami goodness.
All the sakes complemented the dishes served at Profound Foods, which ranged from an octopus and cucumber, and meatballs to grits and donuts. Sake is great with Japanese food (of course!), but it pairs well with a variety of dishes.
Participating Restaurants And An Insider’s Recommendations
All of the sakes offered are fantastic, and you cannot go wrong with any. I've added a "must-try" recommendation for some of my favs.
(Note: Junmai means "pure rice," so it doesn't have any added alcohol. Ginjo and daiginjo refer to premium sakes that use highly polished (or milled) rice to create elegant, delicate flavors. Nigori is a style of cloudy sake that uses less filtration (all commercial sake in Japan is filtered in some way). Yamahai and kimoto refer to fermentation methods that typically create a robust sakes.)
- Asian Mint, with locations in Dallas and Richardson, will serve Gekkeikan Black and Gold junmai, Manotsuru Countless Visions nigori and Heavensake SAKE BABY! junmai ginjo. Must try: Manotsuru Countless Visions nigori (tropical and sweet).
- Dee Lincoln Prime in Frisco will serve Horin junmai daiginjo, Homage honjozu, Negaibito "Whispers of Ash" yamahai junmai and Origami White Lotus. Must try: Negaibito "Whispers of Ash" yamahai junmai (complex and deep).
- Ebesu in Plano will serve Dassai Blue 35, Hachidori junmai ginjo, Masumi Sanka and Kubota junmai daiginjo. Must try: Masumi Sanka (floral, fruity and fresh).
- Hamm's in McKinney will serve Uka Dry organic junmai daiginjo, Dassai 23 junmai daiginjo, Uka sparkling sake and Brooklyn Kura Occidental dry-hopped junmai. Must try: Brooklyn Kura Occidental dry-hopped junmai (unconventional, iconoclastic and delicious) and Uka Dry (suprisingly sweet and round, with dryness making an appearance the more you drink).
- Ladylove in Dallas will serve Uka Sparkling Sake, Manotsuru Countless Visions nigori and Chibi Zumo Little Sumo sake. Must try: Uka Sparkling Sake (low alcohol percentage, endlessly drinkable).
- Local Yocal in McKinney will serve Gekkeikan Black and Gold Junmai, Hakutsuru junmai daiginjo, Hana Fuji Apple and Ono junmai daiginjo. Must try: Ono junmai daiginjo (bright, crisp and dry).
- Musume in Dallas will serve Dassai Blue 35, Mana 1751 tokubetsu yamahai junmai "True Vision," Heiwa Shuzo Ichigo sake and Ryujin Kakushi Namachozo Ginjo "Dragon Gold." Must try: Mana 1751 (yogurt, mushrooms and fruit — good, balanced acidity).
- Namo in Dallas will serve Aizu Chujo junmai, Hourai junmai ginjo and Lady Killer junmai daiginjo. Must try: Hourai junmai ginjo (tropical and creamy).
- Nikko in Southlake will serve Origami A Thousand Cranes junmai, Origami White Lotus and Jozen Aqua. Must try: Origami A Thousand Cranes (fruity with desirable vegetable nuances).
- Rakkan Ramen in Coppell will serve Suigei Drunken Whale tokubetsu junmai, Kinushiro junmai nigori and Dassai 45. Must try: Dassai 45 (fruity, velvety and elegant — as easy drinking as they come).
- Uchiko in Plano will serve Yamada Shoten "Everlasting Roots," Mantensei Kinoko, Blue Hue Tsukinowa Kinen and Yuki no Bosha "Cabin in the Snow." Must try: Yamada Shoten "Everlasting Roots" (creamy and earthy with a touch of cloves and citrus).
This year’s Dallas Sake Week runs until March 23, 2025. We’re already looking forward to next year!
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