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The Auckland Elite Squad Sips on Sake at Ponsonby Road Bistro



Is it a spirit? Is it beer? Is it wine? No it’s Sake! (Or Nippon Shu if you’re in Japan).

On Tuesday night Yelpers were educated on the intricacies of the mysterious Japanese beverage that is Sake, thanks to the experts from Tokyo Food and the wonderful team at Ponsonby Road Bistro.

Ponsonby Road Bistro

On arrival, Yelpers were treated to beautifully refreshing, sparkling sake along with salmon, cucumber, chive and yuzu sashimi to match.

Sparkling Sake Round two

After mixing and mingling, Yelpers gathered round for a cocktail demo. First up were Sakatini’s – an aromatic blend of sake, lychee liqueur and thinly sliced fresh cucumber followed by Japanese Sgroppinos – cucumber, lychee and yuzu sorbet with a shot of Kimoto Ginjo Sake poured over the top. Seriously – mind-blowingly good. Generous servings of tempura squid with japanese mayo and togarashi (Japanese spice mixture) kept the hunger at bay.

Cocktails

The lovely chaps from Tokyo Food, Tomo and Mark, then educated the Yelpers on all things sake – how it is made, different types and qualities as well as how is should be consumed (hint: it does not involve Sake Bombs). For those that were still peckish, sizeable, crispy dumplings filled with tofu, shitake and asparagus were dished out.

Sake Tasting

The night concluded with a generous pour of one of their premium sakes – Shirakabegura – and a quick pop quiz. Congrats to Arthur C and Vicki for taking it out with near perfect scores, wining themselves a bottle of sparkling sake each to take home.

Final collage

Huge thanks to Ponsonby Road Bistro for being wonderful hosts and to Tomo and Mark from Tokyo Food for introducing us to the wonderful world of Sake. 

Until next time,

Alex D

Yelp Auckland Community Manager

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