JFOODO (The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center) has announced that their nationwide promotional campaign is growing, with the launch of two new partnerships with restaurants in New York and Los Angeles. In New York, they’ve teamed up with The Golden Swan restaurant, owned by Matthew Abramcyk and Chef Doug Brixton. In Los Angeles, they’ve partnered with Son of a Gun restaurant, owned by chefs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. These collaborations will showcase the harmony between seafood and sake until February 29, 2024.
Sake, a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage, has been gaining popularity worldwide. According to the Global Information Corporation Global Sake Market Research Report, the global sake market reached US$9.1 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow to $12.9 billion by 2030. More and more restaurants are highlighting sake’s versatility, especially with seafood, offering new and innovative pairings.
At The Golden Swan, they’re pairing an arctic char dish with Kubota Junmai Daiginjo sake from Asahi-Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. Chef Doug Brixton commented, “The sake is very aromatic, with distinctive notes like plum and loquat. It pairs well with the Arctic Char, especially with the sweet floral beets on the dish.”
Son of a Gun restaurant in Los Angeles is offering sake and seafood pairings, such as Hawaiian amberjack paired with “Jewel Brocade” by Dewazakura, Junmai Ginjo. Chef de cuisine Greg Inga described the pairing as having “smooth, floral, and honey notes that complement the fattiness of the amberjack, the smokiness of the tosa soy, sweetness of the pears, and herbal shisho.”
Throughout the campaign, JFOODO has partnered with esteemed restaurants across the U.S., including Michelin-starred Kali in Los Angeles, Angler in San Francisco, Ungrafted in San Francisco, and Claud in New York. These partnerships aim to introduce sake to discerning diners, showcasing its potential in the American culinary scene. Chefs, wine directors, and sommeliers are enthusiastic about pairing sake with seafood, marking a significant milestone for sake in the U.S.
For more information about sake and seafood collaborations and sake-related events, visit https://sake-jfoodo.jetro.go.jp/us.