The crispy, fragrant skin is filled with juicy meat juice. It's easy to eat, but it's also filling. When you want to eat something tasty, gyoza is always the first choice.

And for me, who loves alcohol, drinking alcohol during meals is a must.
Until now, I had the fixed idea that the drinks that go well with gyoza were beer or lemon sour, but when I stopped by a certain restaurant, I discovered that sake actually goes surprisingly well with it as well.

That place is Bariron, the place to go for gyoza, located inside the station building at Utsunomiya Station in Tochigi Prefecture.
The signature dish is the juicy gyoza dumplings filled with large chunks of hand-cut pork. They also offer a wide variety of other snacks, including grilled skewers.

Did you know that sake surprisingly goes well with gyoza?

One of the unique features of "Gyoza means Gyoza at Bariryu" is that instead of beer or lemon sour, they promote sake as a drink to go with the gyoza. This is because they want their customers to enjoy delicious local sake in order to become a restaurant that represents Tochigi.

In fact, 6 to 7 percent of customers order sake, and demand from foreign tourists is also increasing. Looking at the menu, I was surprised at the wide variety of sake on offer.

The restaurant is always bustling and lively. Since it was a weekday, there were many groups of people on their way home from work, but even a single person like me could casually enter the restaurant, which was appreciated.

Once we were shown to our seats, we were first able to choose our preferred appetizer.
I chose one dish from the six unique dishes on the menu. They all looked delicious so it was hard to choose, but it was fun to take the time to consider them like this.

"Fried dumplings" x "Ona special pure rice kimoto sake"

After the appetizers had cleared my stomach, I immediately ordered some gyoza and sake. First, I decided to order the classic "fried gyoza."
The sake that was paired with it was "Oona Kimoto Junmai" recommended by the waiter. It is a Japanese sake with a rich rice aroma that has been used as in-flight alcohol on first class flights on international flights.

First, I took a bite of the perfectly toasted gyoza. The filling, made with pork hand-cut by a craftsman, was very satisfying, and the more I chewed, the more flavorful it became. The chewy texture was something I'd never experienced before with gyoza.

I had heard in advance that garlic was not used, so I was worried that it might lack the junky flavor that is unique to gyoza, but the pork was quite filling.
In fact, the lack of a strong garlic flavor allowed me to taste the ingredients.

After enjoying the deliciousness of the gyoza, it was time to try the "Oona Special Junmai Kimoto Brewery". It had a clean taste with little unpleasant flavor, and was easy to drink. It went well with the gyoza, bringing out the sweetness of the pork fat while refreshing the mouth, and I kept eating it.

At this point, my common knowledge that "beer or lemon sour goes well with gyoza" seemed to be shattered.

"Shrimp Boiled Dumplings" x "Senkin Modern"

Next, we decided to try making boiled dumplings.
I ordered the "Shrimp Boiled Dumplings" and was recommended to pair it with the fruity-flavored Japanese sake "Senkin Modern."

When you take a bite of the "Shrimp Boiled Dumplings," you can see the large, plump shrimp. The filling has a strong Chinese flavor and is very tasty. The bouncy skin has a nice texture and a well-balanced, elegant flavor.

And the "Senkin Modern" is quite to my taste. It has a fruity sweetness and a pleasant aroma. The fruity flavor goes well with the Chinese-style seasoning of the "Shrimp Boiled Dumplings". To put it in perspective, it's like adding pineapple to sweet and sour pork, but the combination is even better than that.

Also, because the "Oona Kimoto Junmai" had a simple and straightforward taste, the aroma, fruitiness, and slight carbonation of the "Senkin Modern" seemed even more appealing. Not only did it pair well with the gyoza, but the order of the sakes was also excellent, and I was impressed by the sensitivity of the staff who recommended them.

"Fried coriander dumplings" x "Tentakashin Junmai Daiginjo Kimoto"

By now my stomach was full and I was starting to feel drunk.
For the final combination, I chose the "Coriander Fried Gyoza" and "Tentakashin Junmai Daiginjo Kimoto," which were also recommended by the staff. Cilantro is an ingredient that some people either love or hate, but I love it, so I chose it without hesitation.

As the name suggests, the "Coriander Fried Dumplings" are so full of coriander that you can't even see the dumplings. Combined with the sour sauce, it instantly has a Southeast Asian taste. I think it was the most punchy dish I had that day.

The paired Junmai Daiginjo Tentakashin Kimoto sake is also a powerful sake that matches the impact of the coriander dumplings.
You can really taste the rice, and while it has a clean, dry flavor, it also has a unique taste in a good way, which matches the sake perfectly.

Gyoza and sake - it's definitely worth trying!

On this day, I was able to try three different combinations of gyoza and sake, all of which offered different flavors and made for a very satisfying meal.

By the way, I always pair gyoza with beer.
Of course, it was a perfect match, but the carbonation made me feel full, so I ended up not being able to eat much of the gyoza. However, this time, by pairing it with sake, I was able to eat three servings by myself.

"Gyoza is the best at Bariryu" always has several types of sake in stock. They are particular about choosing sake that is made in Tochigi Prefecture.
Among the most popular brands are "Houou Bita" and "Ona". In addition to the combination I tried this time, it is also recommended to combine "Mala Gyoza", which is characterized by its strong and spicy mala sauce, with "Ona" or "Tentaka", which have a lighter taste.

When you eat gyoza, you probably order a beer or a lemon sour, but I want you to try pairing it with sake at least once. I guarantee you'll be hooked on the unexpected new pairing.

Writer: Kondo Sena
A freelance writer living in Tokyo. She likes sweet Junmai sake with a strong rice flavor. She is currently studying sake every day.
X: @sena_kondo