The other day, I had the opportunity to visit Kanazawa by myself for two days and one night for work.
This time it wasn't about the sake business, but in the end, I realized that the meeting place I visited at night would lead to the sake business.
Luckily, I miraculously managed to get a reservation at a yakitori restaurant called Hamagusaka Maekawa, a one-star Michelin restaurant that is known to be a restaurant where you can never get a reservation.
I contacted Mr. Maekawa, the owner of the restaurant, who I have known for a long time, and after a while, one seat was canceled!
Then, when I asked Mr. Maekawa about the local izakaya situation and asked him about a restaurant with a good atmosphere, I was able to meet the wonderful restaurant "Fuwari", which is also connected to New York. And even though it was the day before, I was able to secure one seat at the counter for a limited time by phone reservation.
Of course, there is no doubt that the ingredients, including seafood, are first-class, but what I felt strongly about this time was that the chefs and craftsmen who can bring out the charm of these wonderful ingredients to the fullest. I was attracted to the many people who came and how they were working hard.
I think that considerable effort is required in order to grow in Kanazawa, a gourmet district where competition is fierce even from a national perspective, and that is why there are so many attractive restaurants. .
Finally, I would like to tell you that I have opened up a whole new world to Japanese sake from Ishikawa Prefecture, which I have been keeping my distance from until now.In particular, I thought that the presence of the Yamahai sake (Kano Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. in Kaga City) with a brand name of “Jokigen” was shining.
It was a gourmet box-like place that I would like to visit again in the near future.Even though Japan is a small country, it's very big when you look at it from the world of sake and cuisine.
Takami Liquor Store, treasured sake
Manager: Sommelier Hiroyuki Takami
