Sake at Kizuna!

Kizuna turns 5 this year and they've got a number of events lined up to celebrate it. I can't believe we've been hanging out at Kizuna for so many years, from its time as a cafe to its current iteration as an izakaya. 

Popped into Kizuna for first of their special anniversary events. It was a night of sake tasting and food pairing. The izakaya created five courses to be paired with four glasses of sake and one highball, in partnership with Tōji Rumiko Moriki of 'Rumiko no Sake' from Moriki Sake Brewery (森喜酒造 株式会社) and organized by Whistler Wine & Spirits. 

The izakaya suspended their usual menu, and presented a five-course menu to pair with the bottles of sake brought out. Marinated amela tomatoes were paired with ankimo on a toasted base. The usual negitoro canapés had a fancier tart base instead of seaweed, and included a topper of raw quail egg! Then there was a gyu-don in the form of Kagoshima M4 wagyu squares. I gave most of my beef to the friends. 

There were desserts of melon and ham on cream cheese, and sasa mochi (with custard) wrapped in a bamboo leaf. Heh. There was sake tasting right? But there was also a complimentary glass of highball, and we continued having a few more highballs to go with the food. Highballs are simply refreshing! 

We tasted four types of sake tonight, including an aged sake at the end. I gained a slight understanding of this new-to-me brewery and their styles. I really liked the first two expressions. I enjoyed the 'Riestyle', created by Tōji Rie Toyomoto of Moriki Shuzo. 

What stood out for me was the Suppin Rumiko no Sake Tokubetsu Junmaishu Namagenshu. I think they change the colors of the label every year. But it is this line under the brand that I prefer the flavors of — the entire line of 'Rumiko no Sake'.

Rumiko-san was present too. She took the trouble to come all the way here to do this in an izakaya that's not even a big restaurant! I'm in all of her achievements, her knowledge and her demeanor. She was the loveliest. Choya was absolutely stoked to hang out with her. The little floof was very happy tonight too. She walked around, checked out everyone and then went back to her corner to snooze and calmly observed all the going-ons.