94th Edition [Okey-Dokey] x Ginjo Gokujo Yoshinogawa (Sake Highball)
Nagaoka's hot summer has arrived, the kind that makes you sweat just by stepping outside. The relentless summer sun beats down, and the air these past few days has strongly suggested the end of the rainy season. The blue sky stretching beyond the neon lights signals the arrival of true summer.
At Yoshinogawa Agricultural Products, the Gohyakumangoku and Koshihikari rice cultivated in the Settsuya district are growing vigorously and are a vibrant green.
After this, as the rice plants begin to develop ears of grain, the work continues under the scorching sun while carefully controlling the water supply. I made a wish on Tanabata this year that the rice would grow into delicious rice.
And next month it's finally time for the Nagaoka Grand Fireworks Festival! If you're using Niigata Station, please visit "Yoshinogawa CoCoLo Niigata Store," and if you're staying in Nagaoka, please visit "Yoshinogawa Sake Museum Jozo"! This year, too, enjoy a Yoshinogawa-themed experience while watching the "Shosanshaku-dama" fireworks provided by Yoshinogawa at 8:30 PM on August 2nd.
Now, in this segment called "Tipsy One Dish," we visit restaurants and bars in Niigata Prefecture and ask them to create snacks that pair well with Yoshinogawa sake. This time, the restaurant that will be preparing the dishes for us is "Okey-Dokey Nagaoka Tonkatsu Okey-Dokey" in Toyoda-cho, Nagaoka City. They have created dishes that pair perfectly with Ginjo Gokujo Yoshinogawa.
The restaurant that prepared the dishes for this occasion, "Okey-Dokey Nagaoka Tonkatsu Okey-Dokey," is a tonkatsu specialty restaurant where the owner has fried over 60,000 tonkatsu. It is the first restaurant in Nagaoka to offer a choice of two types of breadcrumbs, which is quite unusual. You can choose between coarse breadcrumbs for a crunchy texture and fine breadcrumbs for a crispier texture. The coarse breadcrumbs hold the sauce well, so if you're unsure which to choose, go with this one. The fine breadcrumbs absorb less oil, allowing you to enjoy the flavor of the ingredients even more.
This time, we asked owner Mr. Kobayashi to create a dish that pairs well with the premium Ginjo Yoshinogawa sake: a "green onion, salt, and lemon sauce" to go with tonkatsu (pork cutlet). This sauce is recommended for tonkatsu, but it's also a versatile sauce that can be used in a wide range of situations.
Now, let's get straight to the recipe!
★Ingredients★ (Serves approximately 6-8)
• Green onion: 1 stalk (approximately 100g)
Cucumbers: 2 (approximately 160g)
Lemon juice: 70g
Salt: 6g (a little over 1 teaspoon)
Sugar: 6g (2 teaspoons)
Black pepper: a pinch
Sesame oil: 40g
・Dashi stock: 80g (water can be used instead)
Sliced chili peppers: appropriate amount
<How to make>
1. Cut the cucumber into 1 cm cubes.
POINT: You can choose any size you like.
2. Chop the green onions into coarse pieces.
3. Add lemon juice, salt, black pepper, salt, sugar, sesame oil, and dashi to a bowl and mix well.
4. Garnish with sliced chili peppers as desired, arrange on a plate, and it's done!
This time, we chose the Okidoki pork cutlet with coarsely ground breadcrumbs and topped it with their special green onion, salt, and lemon sauce. The crispy coating gives the meat a burst of flavor, and the refreshing acidity of the green onion, salt, and lemon sauce, along with the aroma of sesame oil, is a perfect match for the freshly fried cutlet! The textures of the cucumber and green onions also provide a nice accent, and the acidity of the lemon is mellowed by the sugar, resulting in a refreshing taste. This time, we were served Ginjo Gokujo Yoshinogawa mixed with strong sparkling water, like a highball, called "Sake High." The refreshing aroma and clear mouthfeel of the sake are even more pronounced, making it a recommended new way to enjoy sake in the summer. It is also a recommended way to drink sake for beginners. Let's start this summer with Ginjo Gokujo Yoshinogawa as a "Sake High"!
・Green onion, salt, and lemon sauce *Available daily during the summer season only
Of course, here are the restaurant's recommended dishes!!
Okidoki Pork Cutlet Set Meal (200g): 2,220 yen (tax included)
• Single item (200g): 2,020 yen (tax included)
*The product shown in the photo is sold individually. (Coarse breadcrumb version)
Okidoki pork cutlet is also recommended ↓
The details of this event will be broadcast on NST from 6 PM on Saturday, July 11th.Smile StadiumIt will be broadcast within "[program name]!". It will only be broadcast within Niigata Prefecture. For those outside the prefecture, please check the YouTube channel "I love Niigata! ChannelYou can view it at [link/website].
"Okey-Dokey Nagaoka Tonkatsu Okey-Dokey"
[Address] 11-18 Toyoda-cho, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture
[Telephone] 0258-86-1155
[Business Hours]
11:00 - 14:00 / 17:00 - 21:00
(*Open until 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Open until 9 PM on Sundays.)
[Regular closing days] Irregular closing days
*We also share great deals and information via LINE and Instagram.