The Gourmez

Last time in this Minneapolis series, we strolled through Northeast Minneapolis, stopping for a sausage at a great Polish deli, had a fabulous lunch at Masa downtown then made our way through Loring Park, stopping to ogle at the dandelion fountain and the birds. Right across the Friendship Bridge from Loring Park is the Sculpture [...]

Yamazushi 4711 Hope Valley Road Woodcroft, Durham Website Yamazushi is a Japanese restaurant that’s been in the Woodcroft Shopping Center since 1986, owned by the same husband and wife pair, George and Mayumi Yamazawa. I’ve been once before, at least four years ago, and it struck me then as your standard sushi and teriyaki restaurant [...]

Hiko’s Premium Ka No Izumi Junmai Daigingo Koga Shiga, Japan   This is a fantastic sake. I lost my tasting notes on it right after I tried it, so this is a loose, loose remembrance of the flavors. Normally, I wouldn’t bother writing up a post when that happens, but I wanted to make sure [...]

Saketini Shiki Sushi Southwest Durham Website $8 This is a very simple martini, consisting of vodka and Gekkeikan nigori sake, which is the creamy type for those of you not up on your sake terminology. Frankly, there’s no need to have a martini this simple; you might as well drink vodka or sake on their [...]

Karen “Coy” Junmai Sake Niigata, Japan Note: In no way, shape, or form are those quote marks of my generation. The rose-colored bottle is very pretty, which counts for automatic bonus points—I’m not afraid to admit it. As the bottle description says, it smells like lychee, with a bit of cream in the nose, too. [...]

Once upon a time, three little tweeps named @demandycom, @thegourmez, and @BCwritr decided to meet up for dinner at a new restaurant by the locally famed David Mao. This was fated, because all three loved food and hanging out with others who also loved food. A date was set and other tweeps of the same [...]

Momokawa Pearl Sake Junmai Ginjo Nigori Genshu Oregon This sake is nigori, so it’s unfiltered, and I’m happy to report that it doesn’t taste like sour milk like the Snow Maiden nigori sake did. Instead, it’s got a delicious creamy flavor of banana, breadfruit, and a bit of kiwi. There’s a strong floral element also, [...]

Trader Joe-san’s Junmai Ginji Premium Sake I haven’t developed a sake nose yet, because I can only say that Trader Joe-San’s sake smells like . . . sake. It tastes clean and crisp, and of rice, of course, but it’s also densely creamy, without actually being an unfiltered sake. It’s like drinking toasted marshmallow cream [...]

Tozai Snow Maiden Kyoto, Japan Snow Maiden is a junmai nigori sake; in other words, it’s sake made with no added alcohol, only pure rice water with yeast, and is unfiltered. I’ve enjoyed unfiltered sake before, so figured why not try a more creamy one?  I think that was a mistake for me. You, of [...]