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Izakaya Tanoshimi

Recommended for your sake debut! We ask the owner of “Izakaya Tanoshimi” about the world of raw unprocessed sake!

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“I want to drink sake, but I don’t know where to drink it.” If you are a sake beginner, we recommend “Izakaya Tanoshimi” located in the middle of Kyoto.
The ``Nama Genshu'' proposed this time is an alcoholic beverage that is neither pasteurized nor added with water during the manufacturing process, allowing you to enjoy the original rich flavor of Japanese sake.
Therefore, it is recommended for sake beginners.
The passionate owner, who loves sake, will guide you into the profound world of sake.

Click here for the person introducing this article

“Izakaya Tanoshimi” owner Satoshi Maruyama
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After gaining experience at about 10 popular Japanese sake restaurants, including ``Chisso Inaseya'', he opened ``Izakaya Tanoshimi'' in 2019.He visits sake brewing and farming sites and conveys the thoughts of producers.

It's been 15 years since I asked a close brewer to help me make sake at the brewery.The passion for sake is extraordinary. "There's a big difference between seeing it and trying it. I want to experience first-hand who and how it's made, and then recommend it to customers."This idea applies to cooking as well.The menu uses vegetables grown by themselves as well as vegetables from the farmers who help with the farm work.He often works in the warehouse or in the fields in the morning, and goes to the shop in the afternoon.Mr. Maruyama's passion for producers knows no bounds.

1. Welcome to the world of raw unprocessed sake

Because Mr. Maruyama is close to the brewery, you can enjoy rare sake that can only be found here.Among the many types of Japanese sake, we mainly handle raw unprocessed sake, and there is a large refrigerator room right at the entrance.The brewery maintains a temperature of 2,3℃ throughout the year, and stores around 200 bottles of unprocessed sake at any given time.Raw unprocessed sake is difficult to manage, so you'll want to rely on professionals.Since the drinks are aged and preserved from different years, you can enjoy comparing them to see which one you like and when it tastes best.

``Nama-genshu makes it easy to understand the true flavor of the sake. That's why it's a sake that you can't run away from or hide from, and you can't fake it,'' says Maruyama.Therefore, it is clear that it is good when paired with food.When ordering sake, please leave it to us.Depending on the dish, they will gradually select from beautiful ones to ones with a strong flavor.Mr. Maruyama has such trust that no one orders after looking at the menu.This time, he listened to the explanations of the five Nama-genshu and Nama-sake while imagining he was eating a meal.

2. XNUMX Recommended Nama Sake & Namazake

*Price is 100 yen or 550 yen per 660ml.

Naminone Ginjo “Kaze” unfiltered raw sake (Naminone Sake Brewery/Shiga Prefecture)
``Made in a sake brewery near Lake Biwa.To make the most of its smooth taste and aroma, it is best served chilled for an even more refreshing taste.It is perfect for summer.It has a pleasant taste and can be enjoyed smoothly. Why not use it at the beginning, such as during a toast?”

Junmai Ginjo Tomio unfiltered raw sake (Kitagawa Honke/Kyoto Prefecture)
"A brand that has won the gold award many times at the National New Sake Appraisal. The toji Tajima has been recognized for his achievements and has been selected as a modern master craftsman in Kyoto Prefecture. Unfiltered using 100% 'Gohyakumangoku'. Nama-genshu has a clean and simple taste and is recommended for the first half of a meal."

Usunigori Namazake Junmai Kazuhiro (Nakazawa Sake Brewery/Shiga Prefecture)
``We use ``Ginbubuki,'' a combination of Yamada Nishiki and Tamaei, as our sake rice.It has a strong acidity and is perfect as a sake to accompany meals.It is a wine that goes well with any kind of food.There is yeast in the turbidity. As time passes, the flavor becomes richer."

Junmai Yobizake Nama Sake Daijiro Unfiltered Nama Sake (Hata Sake Brewery/Shiga Prefecture)
``We purchase ``Ginfubuki'' from the same rice farmer as ``Ichihiro,'' which is located in the same sake brewery in Higashi-Omi. Even if you are just a short distance away, the water quality is different, so even the same sake rice can have a completely different taste. It goes well with fried foods from the middle of the season onwards.

Yamahai Junmai Ginjo Furozumi Unfiltered Raw Sake (Uehara Sake Brewery/Shiga Prefecture)
``7% of Sosekidaka is Yamahai.We are a very rare sake brewery where most of our brands are left to age for over half a year before being shipped.It has the robust flavor typical of Yamahai, and is the type of sake that only comes into its own after it has matured. .Enjoy it warmed to bring out the flavor.''

3. Recommended dishes that go well with sake

Dishes where you can see the producers
``Tataki Deer Fillet'' (970 yen) is made with Ezo deer from Wakkanai sent directly from a hunter I know.The fresh, smooth red meat is lightly seared on the surface and served with sashimi soy sauce.


Dishes that use plenty of homemade vegetables are popular, such as ``Various Vegetable Salad'' (750 yen) and ``Fried Eel and Seasonal Vegetables'' (800 yen).The contents change depending on the season, so enjoy the seasonal flavors.

4. Beginners to sake are welcome

As the saying goes, ``We want to spread the word about the goodness of Japanese sake,'' the never-ending variety of topics is reassuring for those new to sake.Another great point is that it embodies the creator's thoughts.
``Sake has a lot of amino acids that give it a sense of umami.I want people to enjoy it as if they were drinking dashi soup, searching for flavors that they find delicious, not just sweet or spicy,'' says Maruyama.He says he wants people who are new to sake to know how good it is.
That's why we hold live classical music and shamisen events at our store. ``I hope this will be a good opportunity for people to notice each other's attractions,'' he said, adding that he is actively promoting the store.Mr. Maruyama's love for sake connects many people.I'm looking forward to the future of the store.

Izakaya Tanoshimi

Izakaya Tanoshimi

Address
127F, Y-2 Building, 2 Horinoue-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto CityOpen with Googlemap
TEL
075-746-3309
HP
https://izakaya-tanoshimi.com/
Opening hours
16:00 ~ 23:00
Closing days
Sunday

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