Sake Bar Shigure, New York City, April, 2015
Sake Bar Shigure came very highly recommended by just about everyone I had spoken to about it. This Tribeca sake bar’s atmosphere is very relaxed with light jazz filling its exposed brick walls. Shigure features around 40 types of sake, as well as a generous selection of shochu, whiskey and beer. Among their sake selections I found some very hard to find brews such as Hayashi Honten’s Hyakujuro Junmai and Yamahai Junmai Daiginjo (a personal favorite of mine that I almost never see in New York). We found the staff to be very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and eager to give recommendations.
Hi-Collar, New York City, April 2014
I recently upgraded to the new Sony A6000 and I’ve been pleased with the results so far. I had previously been making use of the NEX-6 (i’m a sucker for mirrorless) and was really looking forward to the upgraded sensor and autofocus features that the new unit promised. For a test run, we took it down to Hi-Collar for a round of photos, a few glasses of Azuma Rikishi Junmai Ginjo, one very interesting looking dessert, and a special appearance by new favorite, Kudoki Jozu Junmai Ginjo.
Sakamai, New York, April 2014
Daiginjo Monday is a new weekly event at Sakamai. Each week, three interesting, not typically menu item Daiginjos are selected to be a part of the tasting. This particular week featured an interesting, if eclectic selection. Notable was the Tanatogawa Dakuryu Junmai Daiginjo Spakling Nigori Nama (yes, it it all of those things, all at once). I found that the notes from the nama interacted with the texture of the nigori in a very interesting way, while the overall taste was vaguely sour in nature. Rounding out the set was the very familiar and fantstic Amabuki Daiginjo and a rare bottle of the rather full bodied Kubota Senshin. Daiginjo Mondays are a great way for people to try new, ultra premium sake and I highly recommend making a trip down to Sakamai for the occasion.
New York Sake Photowalk, March 2014
Blessed by a sudden (and unfortunately brief) reprieve from what had been an absolutely brutal winter, we went for a stroll around Manhattan in mid March and took a few photos along the way. We started our travels with a glass of Shinpaku at the recently opened Izakaya Lucky Cat in midtown. Lucky Cat’s sake menu is quite interesting, and their food menu features some interesting western influenced takes on izakaya standbys, as well as a selection of surprisingly good ramen options. We also made stops the very sake friendly and always excellent Tomi Jazz, legendary Sake Bar Hagi, and the outstanding bar at midtown’s Soba Totto.
Sakamai, New York, March, 2014
Sakamai is a “sake lounge” located in New York’s Lower East Side featuring a very respectable sake selection as well as a nice array of shochu and an assortment of signature cocktails. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Sakamai a few times in the past year and have consistently been been pleased with their offerings as well as level of service.
General Manager, Jaime Graves shows off a bottle of Isojiman Omachi Tokubetsu Junmai, a very pleasant surprise.
Preparing Aoi, Sakamai’s Gibson martini.
Daiginjo tasting set featuring Kagatobi, Tenryo, and Nanbu Bijin.
Sakamai
157 Ludlow St
New York, NY 10002
telephone: 646.590.0684
email: info@sakamai.com
Twitter: @sakamai