Rating:
Osaka Japanese Steakhouse
34745 Emerald Coast Parkway
Destin, FL 32541-3354
(850) 650-4688

From the outside this restaurant looks like a castle in Osaka, complete with appealing architectural detail. The decor inside is splendid and the entire place was clean when we visited. Our visit was in the off-season, no crowds, no wait. Bathrooms, food service areas, dining areas – all clean and inviting.

The menu was nice too, with plenty of tempting fare in all categories. The prices seemed a bit high, with many entrees weighing in at around $30. Their selection of rolls was unexceptional, with only a “Destin Roll” that I did not recognize. We ordered tempura udon, a plate of nigirizushi, and chirashizushi.

First up was the Tempura Udon. The soup was a bit sweet, strangely enough. However, the tempura was perfectly cooked with a light golden batter that was delicious. Not impressive but more than sufficient.

The plate of nigirizushi was DESTINed to undergo close scrutiny. Fortunately this course was up to the challenge, scoring high marks. The rice was lightly vinegared, soft and tasty, and packed nicely. Under the neta on each piece was wasabi, and it varied in quantity for the different types of fish. The hamachi was superb and fatty, the yellofin tuna was fresh, and all were thoroughly enjoyable.

So I had high hopes for the chirashi, and indeed the presentation was passable. But I expect premium pricing to be matched by an above average chirashi bowl, and this was not. I don’t like to see so much pre-packaged frozen product and escolar used in a $29 chirashizushi.

All in all a pretty good choice for sushi and ambiance though. I would go back, mainly because I hate to judge any restaurant on three dishes. But I never appreciate being served fairly good food at prices that warrant better.

Rating:

So here’s the lineup for our saké tasting next wednesday night. A flight of five sakés chosen to sample a wide variety of sakés since this is an introduction to many. Exploration is the theme here, these are all very distinctive brews; hopefully each person is going to like some much better than others.

I’m going to list these kind of like a spec sheet, without bothering to explain it. For those interested, come to the event and ask! Better yet, drink some and form your own opinions about each. Saké appreciation is about subjectivity and personal preference OK?

First: one-cup saké, served icy cold

Brewer: Ozeki
Region: Hyogo Prefecture
Category: Junmai
Flavor Profile: natural rice flavor
Alcohol: 15%
Acidity: 1.7
Sake Meter Value: +3
Comments: Very versatile both in terms of good drinking temperature zones and food pairings. Like many junmai sakés this pairs well with stronger flavored foods like yakitori.

Second: nigorizake

Brewer: Ozeki
Category: Junmai
Flavor Profile: Mild sweetness
Alcohol: 14.5%
Acidity: 1.7
Sake Meter Value: -50
Comments: Serve chilled, pairs well with desserts. This is “nigori” which means unfiltered, thus the cloudiness. Shake well before pouring and try to enjoy the thick texture.

Third: Kuromatsu Hakushita Chokara

Brewer: Tatsuuma Honke
Category: Junmai
Flavor Profile: Crisp dry taste
Alcohol: 15%
Acidity: 1.5
Sake Meter Value: +6
Comments: Serve lightly chilled or at room temperature. Pairs well with fried or grilled foods, spicy foods.

Fourth: Junmai Dai Ginjo

Brewer: Ozeki
Category: Junmai Daiginjo
Flavor Profile: Dry, light, fruity
Alcohol: 16%
Acidity: 1.4
Sake Meter Value: +7
Comments: Serve chilled, pairs well with fish, sushi.

Fifth: Hana Kohaku

Brewer: Tatsuma-Honke
Region: Hyogo Prefecture
Category: Umeshu – plum infused sake
Flavor Profile: Sweet plum flavor. smooth
Alcohol: 12.5%
Comments: Smooth and sweet, a great choice as dessert beverage. A slightly plum nose, sweet pluminess when you first taste, finishes with a clean rice taste.

OK I know a lot of people who love sushi. Ya think? And there are loads of wine enthusiasts in South Florida – just ask Matt Horbund (@mmwine) But I rarely run across people who are serious devotees of saké. Why not?

Is saké appreciation limited to cold-weather places and nobody told me? Is there some certain number of Japanese residents required before a place acquires that critical mass needed for saké to mainstream? Is there some sushi threshold we have not quite passed in order to become a saké haven? I want to know.

So I went and scheduled a sake tasting event in Miami. Yep. Huge, overwhelming response (cough, cough) from a handful of hardcores. You know them, the stubborn ones at the end of the table ordering saké while the rest of the crowd drinks green tea and talks about dessert. I keep hearing from the “rest of the crowd” about how they want a “regular sushi event”, not saké.

Anyway I’m not hedging; I refuse to pander to the masses like a common politician. If this event has ten people, it’ll be a happy ten, and we’ll have serious fun while learning and sampling more than we could at a larger affair. Kampai.

Beau Timken of True Sake covers a lot of the basics of Sake in this, my absolute favorite sake video ever! I highly recommend watching this whether you’re a beginner or a sake connoisseur. Beau discusses the three basic categories of sake, different styles, talks about sake rice and the philosophy of milling it and much more.

Saké culture cannot be seperated from Japanese culture. But it is being adapted to this changing world in which foreign cultures embrace it, technology allows it to develop in new ways, and social interactions change.

Saké plays an important part in many Japanese ceremonies, social events and special occasions. A quick review of saké history reveals that today’s amazing high-tech products are actually quite different than their predecessors from centuries past. And yet saké still symbolizes the splendor of nature and the celebration of life, just as it has for centuries.

An important aspect of saké’s legacy is saké etiquette. Although saké appreciation is blossoming in western countries, many westerners are unaware of the wonderful traditional saké serving and drinking customs. These traditions transcend saké drinking and ceremony, and inform the behavior of those adhering to the old customs.

In particular, respect is the essential theme promoted by saké customs. Respect for elders, superiors, higher ranking co-workers – this is the central theme of saké pouring and toasting protocols. Respect for the rice and water which nature has provided. Respect for the craftsmanship and caring exhibited by the toji. And respect for the significance of celebrating life’s important milestones. These are the values which saké imparts to us as we enjoy saké and life itself.

The full series on Saké from SushiPRO:

OK I’m excited now, tonight is the first nationwide, simul-tweetup in history at SUSHISAMBA locations in NYC, Chicago, Miami Beach and Las Vegas. Leyla A. in Chicago looks likely to get 200+ people to come to downtown location, and we’ll probably have 70 people in Miami Beach! Joe Leavitt has 50 “YES” rsvps in Las Vegas and there are a similar number in NYC.

SUSHISAMBA has created a special roll for this event, the TWITTERoll, made with tuna, avacado, tomato salsita in a rice paper wrap for just $8. Best of all, all the proceeds from sales of this roll go to Haiti relief fund. That just rocks!

Oh yeah, lest I forget, all locations are featuring a great $4, $5 and $6 menu chocked full of treats like lobster tiraditos and spicy crunchy tuna rolls. And to wash them down $5 mojitos and caipirinhas (who drinks these?) And best of all, $10 gift cards for everyone who attends! A huge shout out to Meredith and Anna at SushiSamba for really making this thing come to life, and to Anne, Leyla, Joe for investing the time and effort to make it happen. Great people, all of them!