This is a question I often get asked… Where can you taste Japanese sake in Bordeaux? Because if Otsukimi does online sales and tasting courses, it is not a restaurant… So I wanted to tell you about some favorite places: those where not only the cuisine is delicious but also where the The team is top notch and of course the selection of sake is worth the detour!
Fusion cuisine
It’s my favorite and it’s no surprise to anyone… It’s almost become a gourmet and caring “canteen”! The Nama Wine Restaurant, or Nama for short, is on rue Lafaurie de Monbadon and it’s a great place to have a good time and sip (in moderation) sake. Patrick Herreyre created this restaurant almost five years ago after spending several years in Japan in his previous life in wine.
When we arrive at Nama, we discover a large wooden counter and a room in burgundy red tones with a magnificent fresco by the Japanese calligraphy artist Maaya Wakasugi. The kitchen is open to the room so you can admire the Chef. Whether with family, friends or as a couple, the restaurant welcomes from Tuesday to Sunday (and that’s very practical) in the evening.
Today the chef is Japanese, as is part of the team, and the concept of the restaurant is original: everything is blind. You just have to specify if you have allergies or a special diet, prohibited ingredients and presto, you can enjoy seasonal dishes with fresh local ingredients with a Japanese touch of course. I regularly carry out seasonal master classes at Nama with Japanese sake. Indeed, the menu changes regularly and Patrick is never short of ideas to please our taste buds. This is the recipe for his success. You can also ask for a menu paired with wine: a battle… and maybe some sake will slip into one of the glasses!
The drinks menu is complete and you can enjoy sparkling sake or not, in a cocktail or to pair with the cuisine. When it comes to prices, no surprises: you choose based on the number of dishes you want to try. 4 courses at 39 euros per person, 5 courses at 49 euros and for gourmets 7 courses at 69 euros.
Like in Japan
Your first favorite address, as if you were in Japan, is the Ishikawa restaurant located on rue du Hâ. As soon as you arrive, the facade is an invitation to travel with the noren (traditional Japanese curtains) fluttering in the wind. The interior design is sober and warm: taupe tones, anthracite tiles and wooden tables. There is a bar if you want to try small cocktails at Shochu and at the back of the restaurant, there is the kitchen with the possibility of sitting at the counter to watch the chef maneuver! Chef Yugo Ishikawa moved to Bordeaux in 2007 after working in Tokyo.
The cuisine is said to be traditional and authentic: I confirm! The products are fresh, processed in purity in order to appreciate the unadorned taste of the ingredients. The menu includes sashimi, tempura but also sushi and maki… Without forgetting of course dishes like pork tonkatsu or tuna tataki. As for drinks, Nobuki Iijima is in charge. The sommelier has a nice sake menu with more than ten references. He can also offer you a menu matched with sakes and it is possible to do small tastings to develop your palate. The menu also includes wines, beers and shochu without forgetting the soft drinks.
I have been to this restaurant several times for pleasure and for work. I have always been very well received and I appreciated the Japanese-style service with refined and tasteful cuisine. For me, if you really want to live an experience made in Japan, this is the restaurant to discover!
Finally, for those curious about their wallets, at lunchtime for a quick menu (main course, rice, miso soup, small marinated vegetables, dessert of the day or coffee) it costs a little less than 30 euros per person. For the evening, it’s a little more expensive of course. Please note that the restaurant also sells takeaways with bento (20/25 euros) and dishes from the menu.
Other addresses
There are of course other places that I like in Bordeaux and which serve (good) sake! I will therefore also mention the Yakiniku Notch, Maruya and Mampuku. And finally, a quick mention to Akashi which is not strictly speaking a Japanese restaurant but which works culinary wonders!
#France Bleu Gironde broadcast from June 13, 2022: click on the link to listen to the replay more easily and read the great article by Isabelle Wagner!
