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Sake Night in Canada
Four stops on the cocktail tour By James Chatto
Cold play: Rice Bar's sparkling sake
Image credit: Christopher Stevenson
It’s a brilliant aperitif that sharpens rather than numbs the palate— the obvious accompaniment to pan-Asian menus. At long last—from creamy, sweet unfiltered treats to ethereally fragrant collector’s items—sake is getting the respect it deserves. Blowfish (668 King St. W., 416-860-0606) was one of the first to bring premium sakes and cute saketinis to town. Sip a glass of chilled “Demon Slayer” Wakatake Shizuoka junmai daiginjo (150 mL, $22.50) before dinner: the bouquet of fresh pear and banana carries into an extravagantly long finish. Post-prandial cocktails include the Minami Geisha, a people-pleaser of sake, Southern Comfort and amaretto that tastes less sweet than it sounds. When Claudio Aprile starts offering tasting menus at Colborne Lane (45 Colborne St., 416-368-9009), he intends to work sakes into the evening. Delicate, fragrant “Wandering Poet” Rihaku junmai ginjo (300 mL, $60) is already on the list, its aroma whispering white flowers and coconut, its taste adding lemon grass and a gentle, sherbet-like spritz. Kaiseki-Sakura (556 Church St., 416-923-1010) presents imaginative saketinis, but it’s the pure sakes that shine. Catch the elusive scent of Tenzan jizake junmai genshu (90 mL, $13)—like leaning over a bowl of uncut lemons, apples and cantaloupe. At Rice Bar (319 Augusta Ave., 416-922-7423), where ace mixologist Brock Shepherd plays with liquid nitrogen margaritas, the short sake list features a sparkler called Umenoyado Blue Moon (330 mL, $20): tangy and refreshing, with a bouquet of melon, yellow plum, elderflower and fennel.
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