Sushi and Sake; that most natural, elegant of pairings, but also perhaps the one, at first glance, most alien to a domestic kitchen. Dirty burgers, elaborate milkshakes, BBQ; these recent food crazes I’m more than happy to whip up at home in my kitchen. I’ll even make a stab at pairing it with something from a vine. But face me with preparing sushi, pairing it with sake? It might as well be nuclear physics.
But, hoorah, no longer! Inamo, St James, through Lime & Tonic is offering a series of Sushi Sake Masterclasses to the general public, costing scant 29 pounds and including 3 pieces of nigiri, 5 maki and four sake pairings. I went down last week to check it out…
Inamo itself is an interesting place, set just on Lower Regent Street, it boasts a distinctive form of ordering. Instead of menus each table has a projector suspended above it, projecting the menu, plus between-course games, onto your laps. Kind of snazzy, right? The sake tasting itself is set in a private room off the back, complete with sliding bamboo door and handsome, young (and surprisingly French) sake sommelier.
But, hoorah, no longer! Inamo, St James, through Lime & Tonic is offering a series of Sushi Sake Masterclasses to the general public, costing scant 29 pounds and including 3 pieces of nigiri, 5 maki and four sake pairings. I went down last week to check it out…
Inamo itself is an interesting place, set just on Lower Regent Street, it boasts a distinctive form of ordering. Instead of menus each table has a projector suspended above it, projecting the menu, plus between-course games, onto your laps. Kind of snazzy, right? The sake tasting itself is set in a private room off the back, complete with sliding bamboo door and handsome, young (and surprisingly French) sake sommelier.
Sake was not something I’d had much prior knowledge of before. I mean, being honest, that’s putting it lightly. Frankly, I had thought it was ghastly. That vile stuff my Dad used to make me drink at Yo! Sushi! But no – our guide cast it for me in a whole new and moreish light. Like wine, the qualities and styles of sake are defined by regions, grains and the local water; for example, sake from the North of Japan with its hard water having a flavour distinct to the soft waters of the South. Made from milled rice, water and, queerly, mushrooms, its quality is defined by the treatment of the rice and the skill of its artisans. Our guide took us through its production, types and history, then led us through the tasting of 4 unique and high grade sakes. Highlights included a fabulous plum sake – akin to a dessert wine – and a delightful sparkling sake. This latter one isn’t due for release into the market until 2015 and so, drinking it, I felt more than a little smug.
Next, sushi! Dodging between fraught chefs we headed into the working kitchen, mid busy service, for our masterclass. Led by the Head Chef, we were taken through the ins and outs of making your own Nigiri & Maki rolls, plus what cuts and types of fish are best for each. Apart from the inevitability of getting sushi rice glued up to your elbows, it wasn’t as difficult as it might appear; a statement which undoubtedly could not be made similarly of the aforementioned nuclear physics.
Next, sushi! Dodging between fraught chefs we headed into the working kitchen, mid busy service, for our masterclass. Led by the Head Chef, we were taken through the ins and outs of making your own Nigiri & Maki rolls, plus what cuts and types of fish are best for each. Apart from the inevitability of getting sushi rice glued up to your elbows, it wasn’t as difficult as it might appear; a statement which undoubtedly could not be made similarly of the aforementioned nuclear physics.
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The evening was finished by gorging down our creations and feeling terribly clever at how good it was. Less Yo!, more ‘A jolly good day to you, old boy’, if you know what I mean. An excellent evening and one which banished my fears of serving sushi. Just call me Sensei! Thanks, Inamo!
Inamo St James
4-12 Regent St London, Greater London SW1Y 4PE
020 7484 0500
www.inamo-stjames.com/
£29 on Lime & Tonic – http://www.limeandtonic.com - Next class: August 27th
Inamo St James
4-12 Regent St London, Greater London SW1Y 4PE
020 7484 0500
www.inamo-stjames.com/
£29 on Lime & Tonic – http://www.limeandtonic.com - Next class: August 27th
