Event Featuring "Dassai," Beloved Worldwide, and Savory Autumn Specials: "Enjoying Autumn Food Pairing with Dassai" Held in Shinjuku, Tokyo Discover Oishii Japan -SAVOR JAPAN -Japanese Restaurant Guide-

Update-date: Oct 12 2023

Author: SAVOR JAPAN

Event Featuring "Dassai," Beloved Worldwide, and Savory Autumn Specials: "Enjoying Autumn Food Pairing with Dassai" Held in Shinjuku, Tokyo

"Dassai," which has now made a name for itself overseas and even established a brewery in New York in March of this year, is a pure rice, daiginjo sake produced by "Asahi Shuzo," located in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The name "Dassai" is derived from the place name where the brewery is situated, "Osogoe," and the pen name of the literary master Masaoka Shiki, "Dassai Sho-oku shujin" (Otter Bookstore Ower). Among locally brewed Japanese sake, Dassai stands out for its exceptional drinkability and the purity of its sake quality, captivating people worldwide. From October 18th (Wednesday) to October 31st (Tuesday) in 2023, for a period of 14 days, "Dassai and Food Pairing for 14 Days" will be held at Shinjuku Takashimaya Restaurants Park. Let's take an early look at what this event has to offer.

See full listings of Sake restaurants found in and around Tokyo and Shinjuku.

■ "Dassai and Food Pairing for 14 Days" held at Shinjuku Takashimaya Restaurants Park

■ Featuring four different types of "Dassai" with distinct aromas and flavors
■ Experience the deliciousness of pairing autumn's seasonal ingredients with Dassai
■ Collaborative menus with Hokkaido ingredients as part of the "Grand Hokkaido Exhibition"

"Dassai and Food Pairing for 14 Days" held at Shinjuku Takashimaya Restaurants Park

The venue for this event is "Restaurants Park," located on the 12th to 14th floors of "Takashimaya Times Square," in the heart of Tokyo's Shinjuku district. With direct access from JR Shinjuku Station, it boasts high convenience. It is famous both domestically and internationally as the largest high-rise restaurant district in the Shinjuku area, offering a range of dining options from traditional Japanese cuisine to casual eateries, representing Japan's culinary culture.

Featuring four different types of "Dassai" with distinct aromas and flavors

For this event, each restaurant's chef chooses the "Dassai" sake to complement their menu from among the various labels available. "DASSAI 45" represents Dassai's standard, embodying the motto of "Asahi Shuzo," which is, "There is no reason for us to craft sake unless it’s super delicious." It is known for its delicate sweetness and elegant fragrance, made by polishing Yamada Nishiki rice down to 45%.

"DASSAI 39" is appealing for its rich, fragrant aroma when poured, a well-balanced and clean sweetness when sipped, and a long-lasting aftertaste upon swallowing. It's the kind of flavor that makes sake enthusiasts exclaim, "This is pure junmai daiginjo!" (junmai daiginjo: the highest grade of sake, made from pure rice)

The "DASSAI Sparkling 45" is characterized by the splendid aroma typical of junmai daiginjo, the sweetness of Yamada Nishiki rice, and the refreshing carbonation resulting from secondary fermentation in the bottle. This label is recommended not only for sake enthusiasts but also for those who may not typically enjoy sake or drink it sparingly.

Additionally, a particular sake known as "Funabakumi" is available in limited quantities, only twice a year in spring and autumn, and it will make its appearance at select restaurants to coincide with its release on October 19th (Thursday). This sake is unique as it's bottled right after pressing, allowing you to savor its elegance, freshness, and crisp taste.

Experience the deliciousness of pairing autumn's seasonal ingredients with Dassai

At each restaurant in Restaurants Park, you can savor menus with autumn ingredients paired with Dassai sake. These menus include new creations, seasonal offerings, and enhancements to existing dishes, allowing you to experience a unique and delicious taste that can only be enjoyed during this event.

"Japanese Matsusaka Beef Steak Set" to Pair with Dassai Sparkling - 12,100 JPY (at New Matsusaka)

The unique sweetness of Matsusaka beef's fat and its finely marbled, tender texture perfectly complement the bubbly Dassai Sparkling. This set includes a salad and sautéed Chinese cabbage as accompaniments and is limited to 10 servings per day. (Dassai sake is available at an additional cost.)

The Marriage of Fatty Eel and Fruity Dassai - "Shirayaki Matsu," 5,000 JPY (at Akasaka Fukinuki)

This dish features eel freshly prepared every morning and expertly grilled to perfection. You can enjoy it with your choice of salt, wasabi, or soy sauce, savoring each eel bite while sipping on "DASSAI 39." The moment when the rich eel flavor and the fragrance of Dassai expand in your mouth is truly delightful. (Dassai sake is available at an additional cost.)

"Matsutake Mushroom Tempura" - 2,200 JPY (at Kobikicho Tenkuni)

Enjoy the rich and seasonal flavor of matsutake mushrooms in tempura form. It pairs excellently with the full-bodied and aromatic taste of "Junmai Daiginjo 45." (Dassai sake is available at an additional cost.)

In addition, you can also enjoy pairing with Italian, Indian cuisine, soba, tonkatsu, yakiniku, and more. Dassai sake pairs well not only with Japanese cuisine but also with Western, Chinese, and ethnic dishes, so through the pairings at this event, you're likely to discover new and delightful flavors. It's recommended to visit multiple times during the event and explore the offerings at each restaurant.

Collaborative menus with Hokkaido ingredients as part of the "Grand Hokkaido Exhibition"

Additionally, as part of a collaborative project with the "Grand Hokkaido Exhibition," which will be held from October 24th (Tuesday) to November 6th (Monday), you can also enjoy menus featuring Hokkaido ingredients paired with Dassai sake. For instance, "Otaru Masazushi" offers "Nishin Sashimi." This dish features fatty herring from Hokkaido, delivered directly from Otaru, and it pairs perfectly with Dassai sake.

With a commitment to creating sake not for the purpose of intoxication or sales but for the enjoyment of savoring, nearly 200 craftsmen spared no effort to craft "Dassai." It has now become one of the most famous Japanese sakes in the world. Shinjuku Takashimaya Restaurants Park, where cuisines from Japan and around the world converge, provides an excellent opportunity to enhance the flavors of both sake and dishes, making them even more delicious. So, why not fully indulge in the "Pairing of Dassai and Cuisine"?

Furthermore, if you want to explore the various facets of Dassai's charm, don't miss the "Collaborative Menus" that incorporate Dassai sake kasu. For more details, please refer to the provided information.

"Dassai and Food Pairing for 14 Days"

Event Dates: October 18, 2023 (Wednesday) to October 31, 2023 (Tuesday)

Location: Shinjuku Takashimaya Times Square Restaurants Park

Participating Restaurants: 11 restaurants with collaborative menus, 4 restaurants with menus for the Grand Hokkaido Exhibition, and 5 restaurants with sake kasu collaborative menus.

Disclaimer: All information is accurate at time of publication.