Michael Tremblay is what you’d call a sake sommelier, someone deeply versed in the art of curating inventive pairings between Japan’s national beverage and the modern twists on Japanese cuisine at Bay Street hot spot Ki. He knows the distinctions of Japan’s diverse sake-producing prefectures, whether to serve mixed or straight, and that pancetta-wrapped Unagi kushiyaki with Kozaemon “House Junmai” from Gifu Japan (served warm) is a match made in heaven.
While sake sees a resurgence in popularity in Japan, Michael is at the forefront of Toronto’s recent infatuation with this versatile rice liquor. Ki Modern Japanese + Bar boasts over 45 sake varieties, serves 100,000+ glasses of it, and is residence to 40 sake educated staff, including one who’s attended John Gauntner’s esteemed Advanced Sake Professional course in Tokyo – Michael himself.
We recently made reservations at Ki to get our own taste and were treated to an exceptional pairing experience highlighting some of the restaurant’s finer sake selections. First, though, the cocktails. We tested Head Chef Elio Zannoni’s cocktail expertise with an open order that had just one requirement: rum. He certainly delivered, crafting a Lost in Translation with a 7-year Havana Club base accented by Woodford Reserve bourbon, Drambuie and Green Chartreuse muddled with a pinch of brown sugar and Angostura bitters. Zannoni’s sake artistry really shone in his Kyoto Sour, a concoction of Tozai Living Jewel Junmai sake, yuzu juice, miring, calico, fennel seeds and honey shaken with egg whites and finished with angostura bitter.
We had just finished our cocktails when the first course arrived – an Omakase tasting plate created by Chef Otto paired with Seikyo “Takehara” Junmai from Hiroshima. The sake did well not to take away from the diffusion of flavours to tackle, a quad combo of nigiri and sashimi highlighted by a divine cut of butterfish wrapped around salmon.
Up next came a Tempura Butterfish Maki, Amaebi and Toro Sashimi combo paired with Yuki no Bosha “Limited Edition” Junmai Ginjo from Akita. Once again the butterfish reigned supreme with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency surrounded by a crispy, yet soft, tempura. The sake played a more prominent role in the pairing this time and, compared to the previous selection, showed just how varying its flavours can be. Sweet notes in a champagne glass – definitely the highlight of our evening.
The midway course featured Ika Salad and pancetta-wrapped Unagi kushiyaki paired with Kozaemon “House Junmai” from Gifu Japan. Consider it the “house wine” of sake, served warm and often referred to as the working man’s rice liquor in Japan. If you think that means inferior quality, you’re wrong. It perfectly balanced the natural saltiness of the Ika salad and pancetta without interfering.
Our second last dish was a combination of Saikyo marinated Black Cod and Sake-braised Pork Belly kushiyaki paired with Hakkaisan Honjozo from Niigata. Tough call on which was favourite here – how could you go wrong with black cod or pork belly? One thing to note for those wary of high fat content in the pork belly: nothing to worry about here. These particular cuts featured just one strip of (delicious) belly fat sandwiched between two succulent strips of pork, a perfect choice from Ki’s impressive hot plate menu.
Michael showed us some mercy after five rounds of sake and paired our final course, Asian Pear Soy-marinated Short Ribs and sake marinated Atlantic Salmon kushiyaki with honey mushrooms, with Creekside Reserve Pinot Noir. The Asian Pear marinade stole the show here… maybe because that’s the first fruit we usually reach for at the supermarket. If you’re more of a seafood fan, you’ll love the precious bed of honey mushrooms that serve as the bedding for two skewers of perfectly grilled salmon.
Of course no meal is complete without dessert, a heavy feat on this particular night but absolutely delicious nonetheless. For those looking for firm and dry, the almond Asian pear cake is a great choice, while cheesecake lovers can’t go wrong with a tantalizing trio that was highlighted by a green tea creation topped with a single blackberry.
If (positively) overwhelming with sake was their goal, Ki succeeded. We found ourselves skipping over the usual suspects at the LCBO the next day in search of rice liquor, something we admittedly probably wouldn’t have done were it not for the previous night’s experience.
Photos by Not Your Standard