Sake Beyond Sushi: Rethinking Pairings with Sake Food Sensations | My Soho Times

Would you pair sake with non-Japanese food?

Until recently, I wouldn’t have thought to either…

A few weeks ago, I was invited to join chefs and sommeliers at two-Michelin-starred Trivet for an intimate introduction to Sake Food Sensations — a February-long campaign created by JFOODO, the organisation that promotes Japanese food and drink globally. Masaru Mizoguchi, Director at JFOODO, explains:

“In the UK, Sake is still largely associated with Japanese cuisine, with most consumption happening in Japanese restaurants. Yet the quality and diversity of Sake mean it deserves far broader recognition. Through this February’s collaboration with some of London’s leading restaurants, we want to show how well Sake pairs with modern European dishes. Our hope is that this experience will inspire restaurants to keep Sake on their menus and help more diners discover its versatility long after the campaign ends.”

Unsurprisingly, for many of us, sake still lives firmly alongside sushi, sashimi and izakaya menus. This invitation, however, set out to gently rewire that thinking. The aim wasn’t to replace wine, but to explore where sake might quietly — and sometimes surprisingly — excel.

“There’s a Japanese saying: sake doesn’t fight with food…”

We began with an insightful presentation from sake expert Henry Thorogood DipWSET, who introduced a Japanese saying, loosely translated as “Sake doesn’t fight with food“: Nihonshu wa ryōri o erabanai  — 日本酒は料理を選ばない (I had to look this up!). Unlike wine, which often refreshes or contrasts, sake’s lower acidity and naturally high umami allow it to support and enhance dishes — almost seasoning the palate rather than cleansing it.

From theory to practice, we then moved into a series of carefully curated pairings by Head Chef Jonny Lake and Master Sommelier Isa Bal. The dishes were contemporary, European-led, and intentionally non-Japanese — designed to test sake’s range rather than keep it within a comfort zone.

Sake Food Sensations Event Pairings

Created exclusively for the Sake Food Sensations masterclass at Trivet

Each dish was designed specifically for the event and paired with sake to explore how it performs alongside contemporary, non-Japanese cooking.

Venison tartare tartelette
Parmesan sablé, capers, gochujang and nasturtium
Tamagawa “Red Label” — Muroka Nama Junmai, Kyoto

Cured seabass with cornsilk
Mustard, ginger, salsify and quinoa cracker
Masumi “Sanka” — Junmai Daiginjo, Nagano

Purple sprouting broccoli
Isot pepper, lemon and anchovy
Hoyo “Genii” — Junmai, Miyagi

Risotto ‘Il Maestro’ with wild mushrooms
Chocolate and coffee jelly, mushroom velouté
Dewazakura “Dewasansan” — Junmai Ginjo, Yamagata

Monkfish ‘Picchio Pacchio’
Winter tomato, white bean and basil
Essence 5 by Chartier — Blended Sake, Japan

‘Hokkaido Potato’
Baked potato mille-feuille, sake and white chocolate ganache
Kamoizumi Nigori Ginjo — Unfiltered, Hiroshima

Some pairings worked more intuitively than others, and that was part of the exploration: understanding and trusting my own palette. My personal highlights were the fish dishes (perhaps unsurprisingly), where sake’s softness and umami really shone. But the biggest surprise came at the end with Trivet’s widely acclaimed Hokkaido Potato — an innovative “baked potato” dessert, paired with nigori sake in a way that challenged expectations entirely, lingering long after the final sip.

Rather than dictate what works, I found the event to be more about opening the door to possibilities, offering inspiration and insight. And that’s exactly what Sake Food Sensations hopes to do across London this February.

A selection of leading restaurants across London will be offering bespoke sake pairings with contemporary European dishes, inviting diners to discover for themselves where sake belongs on the modern table.

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Participating restaurants include:

Albers
Behind
Da Terra
Frame Notting Hill
Galvin La Chapelle
Ibai
Labombe by Trivet
Noizé
Ormer Mayfair
Papi
Prince Arthur
Row on 5
Sael
Studio Gauthier
Sune
Trivet

Not sure where to start? Well, Trivet, which has championed the campaign, offers a compelling case for how naturally sake can sit alongside modern European cooking.

So the question remains: Would you pair sake with non-Japanese food?

Follow @sake_sensations #SakeFoodSensations on Instagram for more info, or check participating restaurants’ platforms for full details.

Written by Kai Lutterodt @the.soho.girl | All images courtesy of JFOODO.

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