From Lala Bee Hoon To Shrimp Gambas And Pizzas: How To Pair Sake With Your Favourite Seafood Dishes

Think seafood only goes well with white wine? Think again. The Seafood Loves Sake restaurant campaign dishes out inventive, new menu pairings with the versatile Japanese rice-based drink

If you’re looking for something other than the standard glass of white wine to drink with your seafood meal, try sake instead. This goes for dishes like paella, frutti di mare pizza, and steamed pomfret.

Alcohol made from fermented rice has become almost as iconic with Japanese food as sushi, ramen, and tempura. But there’s more to sake pairings than that. The mystifying drink is a great addition to any meal because it goes well with so many different foods, especially seafood.

Sake’s adaptability stems from the variety of scents and tastes it encompasses. Depending on how much of the rice grain is milled away before the starchy core of the rice can be turned into fermentable sugar, different quality grades of sake are determined. For instance, the light and subtly aromatic Honjozo has a polishing ratio of 70% or less, whereas the complex and aromatic Daiginjo has a rate of 50% or less.

A match made in culinary heaven

Mr Adrian Goh, chief sake instructor at theartofsake.com, explains why sake pairs so well with seafood: “Seafood includes a lot of umami ingredients, which synergize nicely with sake, a unique alcohol that is also heavy in umami. The flavors complement each other beautifully, bringing out the best in the seafood.

Sake’s ability to cover up seafood’s natural fishiness is another contributor to the complementary pairing. When fish loses its freshness, a chemical called trimethylamine is released, which is responsible for the unpleasant smell, as Mr. Goh explains. Sake’s fragrant aroma, created by the koji during fermentation, masks and eliminates off flavors. On the other side, the smell of seafood may be heightened by some wines. He continues, “Sake may be combined with a wider variety of dishes with less possibility of creating competing flavours because it is less acidic and has less astringency than wine.”

Junmai Daiginjo, brewed from rice with a minimum of 50% polishing ratio, comes highly recommended by Mr. Goh for people just getting into sake because of its fruity and floral aroma, delicate balance, and smooth mouthfeel.

Mr. Goh, who has worked as a sake sommelier for nine years, is of the opinion that sake has been misunderstood as a beverage to pair with fish.

However, a growing number of consumers are challenging this stereotype. It’s becoming more common for sake to be offered at both Western and Chinese restaurants, he says. And as more sake breweries spring up in different parts of the world, more people will be exposed to the versatility of sake as a beverage to pair with a wide variety of dishes.

The Japan Food Product Overseas Promotion Center is running a restaurant campaign called Seafood Loves Sake, wherein patrons can learn about the complementary natures of sake and seafood.

Thirty of Singapore’s finest eateries will showcase epicurean cuisine designed to complement the premium sake that has been specially flown in from various regions of Japan. These tasty food pairings will span a wide range of cuisines, including Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian, Mod-Sin, Modern European, and Indian, to demonstrate the adaptability of sake.

Dates for the month-long campaign are February 11–March 13. The beginning and end times at various eateries may vary.

Mr. Goh suggests these specific sakes to complement the seafood dishes that are the house specialties at his various restaurants.