The 77th [GooTh Table] x Junmai Sake PAIR
January has flown by, and like last year, it's another winter with little snow. While the weather is warm enough to already feel the pollen in the air, the mornings and evenings are quite chilly, with temperatures sometimes dropping below freezing. Even the brewery's water is cold, and the brewers are battling the cold while dedicating themselves to sake brewing every day. February brings many occasions for enjoying sake, such as Setsubun and Valentine's Day, so please enjoy some time with your family and loved ones with Yoshinogawa sake!
Now, in this segment called "Tipsy One Dish," we visit restaurants and bars in Niigata Prefecture and ask them to come up with snacks that pair well with Yoshinogawa sake. This time, the restaurant that will be preparing the dishes is located in Nagaoka City.GooTh TableThis is [Name of person/organization]. This time, they prepared dishes that pair well with Junmai sake PAIR!
The PAIR series connects the food of the day, the place of the day, and the people involved.pairThis sake is based on the concept of a ring. Among them, "Junmai-shu PAIR" is characterized by its light, fruity aroma, refreshing acidity, and gentle rice flavor. It is a crisp junmai sake with a pleasant balance of sweetness and refreshing acidity. In 2022, it won the highest gold prize at the National Hot Sake Contest. It can be enjoyed not only warm or chilled, but also at room temperature. It is a recommended sake that can be enjoyed at any time. Please enjoy it.
And the person who will be making the dish this time isGooTh Table"[Name of restaurant/bar]" is a dining bar/pub that will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. The interior is a space that embodies the dream restaurant of owner Shigeno and his wife, and its sophisticated design is appealing from the moment you enter. It can accommodate everything from small groups to large banquets such as wedding after-parties and corporate parties.
The restaurant's specialty is grilled dishes prepared using their 자랑스러운 (proudly made) oven. Apparently, Mr. Shigeno used his working holiday to study how to grill Australian beef in Australia.
This time, we had Junya Takahashi, who has been working with Mr. Shigeno since the restaurant opened, prepare the dishes for us. Despite his young age, he mainly handles the grilling in the kitchen and manages the kitchen operations. During his student days, he learned Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine as well as confectionery, and he also has experience handling large quantities of ingredients, such as for school lunches. He spoke with a lovely smile about how these experiences are now being put to good use in his work. The restaurant also serves sake in wine glasses. Please enjoy it along with the food in this sophisticated setting.
This time, we asked them to make "Echigo Hime and Cream Cheese Bruschetta / Echigo Hime and Cream Cheese with Prosciutto" as dishes that would pair well with Junmai Sake PAIR. Echigo Hime is a sweet and fragrant brand of strawberry from Niigata Prefecture, characterized by its soft flesh and juicy flavor. This recipe uses Echigo Hime as the base, and you can enjoy variations in texture and flavor by whether or not you use baguette. Bruschetta is an Italian dish in which bread is spread with olive oil and flavored with garlic, but garlic is not used this time.
Now, let's get straight to the recipe!
★Ingredients★ (2-4 servings)
• Strawberries: 8 berries *At the time of filming, we used Echigo Hime strawberries directly from Kawakami Farm in Nagaoka City.
・Prosciutto: 4 slices
Cream cheese: 80g
• Honey: 2 teaspoons
・Baguette: 4 slices
Black pepper: to taste
Extra virgin olive oil: appropriate amount
• Chervil (for garnish): appropriate amount
~How to make bruschetta~
<How to make>
1. Cut off the stems of the strawberries and slice them lengthwise.
2. Thoroughly mix the honey into the cream cheese that has been brought to room temperature.
Point: Leave the cream cheese at room temperature for about an hour to bring it back to room temperature.
3. Toast the baguette thoroughly on both sides in a toaster oven.
Point: Make sure both sides are nicely browned and crispy!
4. Spread a generous amount of cream cheese on the baguette, then top with sliced strawberries and prosciutto.
5. Sprinkle with black pepper, chervil, and extra virgin olive oil to finish.
The cream cheese spread on the crispy baguette has its acidity mellowed and its richness enhanced by the honey, and the juiciness of the Echigo Hime strawberry fills your mouth. The saltiness of the prosciutto and black pepper provide an accent, and the gentle sweetness and subtle acidity of the Junmai sake PAIR refresh your palate. Please try making this at home with your children.
Our restaurant will be offering "Echigo Hime Strawberries and Cream Cheese with Prosciutto" for a limited time. Enjoy the juicy flavor of Echigo Hime strawberries that fills your mouth with every bite. Enjoy the blissful pairing with Junmai Sake PAIR, which has a rich aroma and the gentle umami of rice. Our restaurant uses Echigo Hime strawberries directly from Kawakami Farm in Nagaoka City. Each berry is carefully picked, and we invite you to enjoy this "phantom strawberry" with its rich aroma, strong sweetness, and soft, juicy flesh.
This recipe uses Echigo Hime strawberries, but it will also be delicious with seasonal fruits. Please enjoy it at home with your favorite fruits.
Echigo Hime strawberries and cream cheese topped with prosciutto (6 pieces) 980 yen (tax included) *Limited time offer
And here's another recommended item from the restaurant!
Beef fillet steak 100g 1,500 yen (tax included)
This dish is the restaurant's most popular item, a steak made with Australian beef fillet. The outside is grilled to a crisp, while the inside is cooked rare, resulting in a flavor similar to beef tataki. The meat is lean and refreshing, allowing you to taste the natural umami of the beef. The carefully selected condiments include salt from Sasagawa Nagare, which pairs well with sake; soy sauce from Koshino Murasaki, located in Settsuya, the same area as Yoshinogawa; stem wasabi; Himalayan rock salt; black pepper; and pink pepper, offering a variety of flavorful accents to the beef fillet. This beefy flavor pairs perfectly with the slightly acidic and refreshing taste of Junmai sake PAIR!
The details of this event will be broadcast on NST at 6:00 PM on Saturday, February 8th.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].
【address】Obata Building 2F, 1-6-3 Tonomachi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture
[Telephone] 0258-89-8008
[Business Hours]
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday, and public holidays: 17:00 - 23:00 (Last order for food and drinks: 22:30)
Friday, Saturday, and the day before a public holiday: 17:00 - 0:00 the following day (Last order for food and drinks: 23:30)
[Regular closing days] Irregular closing days (usually Tuesdays)