Long Time No Taco

You spot a small Sake section while shopping for wine. You know enough about wine styles to tell a Riesling is sweet, a Merlot dry, but what about Sake? Can Sake even be sweet or dry? Do you know your preference? When shopping for Sake, you might look for something you tasted at a restaurant. If you can't find that, you grab whatever is cheapest, or something priced in the middle with an appealing label. Sound like you? Everyone, myself included, has shopped this way for some kind  of specialty item. For Sake, this means consideration of sweet and dry becomes an afterthought, and you may end up with something terrible  - or worse: something great that just wasn't for you! To help you judge dry and sweet, Japan developed a Sake Meter Value, or "SMV" ( Nihon Shudo , in Japanese). The scale is simple: any positive (+) number would mean dry, zero neutral, and negative (-) numbers sweet. Turns out, that scale was too simple... Japanese importer and distributor...

"Hold on, I'll Man-splain" - Ieyasu-kun It's unusual for me to talk about a city and not go straight to talking about the food. I promise I will get to that. First, I want to talk about Hamamatsu, "The City of Music". Having taken my third trip there last year, I noticed more and more, the city has an authentic identity. Home to Yamaha, Roland, and Kawai, Hamamatsu has flourished thanks to these internationally recognized companies, and the city has shown their support in kind. I laughed out loud when someone pointed out that my hotel in the Act Tower, was very literally designed in the shape of a harmonica, down to the elevators lighting up the teeth as they ascend. That is so wonderfully  Hamamatsu! The manhole covers and other promotional materials, depict Hamamatsu's  kawaii,  mascot-version of Tokugawa Ieyasu (pronounced: E.A. Yeah, Sue), the powerful Daimyo who conquered and occupied Hamamatsu in the 1570s. His piano-key pants a nod t...

Remember TRON? TRON took the complex, dry world of computer processes and made it theatrical and exciting. That's how I want to talk to you about Sake. In a way no one ever has before. I've started that in series of posts I call, " The Secrets of Sake ". Before I jump into what Sake  is , this post will be to share what I see as  unhelpful.  The national alcohol of Japan, Sake, appears in the occasional newspaper article. These authors recommend this or that, but their selection process is arbitrary at best and explanations still feel snobbish, shrouded in outdated Oriental Mysticism. Here are the pitfalls I recommend avoiding  on your Sake adventure: - Wine Scores : Often referred to as "Rice Wine", Sake is sometimes scored at wine competitions. The intention to measure Sake as a premium beverage with complexity, depth, and value on par with fine wine is well-meaning and deserved. Unfortunately, the scores come from wine experts with barely any more...

Last week, Geotourist , a travel app company, asked me to put together a proposal for theme-based locations to visit in Tokyo.  Since I wrote it all out on spec, and always has friends who ask (and even more who don't,  but should ),I decided to share what I wrote with you here. If you have more recommendations, feel free to share them in the comments!  Tokyo Restaurants:  As on of the largest metropolis in the world, Tokyo is a city with every cuisine imaginable. To make the most out of your time in Japan, here are a few places for foodies, and casual adventure seekers: Sukiyabashi Jiro : The rare and highly-coveted 3 Michelin-star rating has been awarded to this sushi bar, that was also the subject of a documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi". Then sitting-heads-of-state President Obama and Prime Minister Abe Shinzo dined here. The Omakase (chef's tasting) menu is about $300 per person, for lunch or dinner. Alcohol is extra. As with any Michelin-starred...

Most foreign tourists fly by the peninsula of Izu (pronounced, "e-Zoo"), on their bullet trains from Tokyo to Kyoto. Some headed to nearby Mt. Fuji may start counting the stops left to their destination, without ever realizing the culturally meaningful, historic, and authentic opportunities to experience Japan they are literally passing by. Here are several spots I visited that are well worth your time: Mishima City: Before bullet trains, or any trains, most people traveling between Kyoto and Edo (now known as Tokyo) walked . This included everyone from peasant farmers to religious leaders and feudal lords, so the shogunate (contemporary national government) designated 53 official stations along this path. One of those stops, and a main hub on the road, was Mishima City, and a major reason for its popularity was the Shinto shrine, Mishima Taisha (the "Grand Shrine of Mishima") . These days, Mishima Taisha is a one hour train ride south of Tokyo. Entering t...