[Part 1] Restaurant SAI 燊: An Evening to Relish Supreme Pairings of "Oku-Yamanashi Cuisine" and Japanese Wine

Opened on the shores of Lake Saiko in June this year,Restaurant SAI 燊.

Deriving its concept from being situated deep in the mountains even among the Fuji Five Lakes, this restaurant defines the unique flavors of ingredients obtainable precisely because of this rare location as "Oku-Yamanashi Cuisine." By serving a variety of seasonal Yamanashi ingredients through the chef's carefully crafted preparation, it has quickly gained buzz among food lovers.

This time, Amuse Inc., an integrated entertainment company, hosted a tour that included a dinner experience at thisRestaurant SAI 燊, titled"Discovering Yamanashi's Food: Premium Tour – Autumn Harvest Experience and Savoring Oku-Yamanashi Cuisine".

This premium tour was organized as part of the "SAIKO HARVEST FESTA 2024 ~Lake Saiko Harvest Festival~," a harvest festival hosted by the company at Lake Saiko in Yamanashi Prefecture.

First held last year, this harvest festival celebrated its second edition this year.
As an event where visitors can experience and connect with Yamanashi's unique drinks, food, and culture, it was once again immensely popular not only among wine lovers but also as a family leisure activity.

Click here for SAIKO HARVEST FESTA 2024 ~Lake Saiko Harvest Festival~, where you can eat, drink, and fully enjoy nature 🔽

At SAI, guests can savor captivating ingredients hand-picked by the chef—including wild game, mushrooms, wild mountain vegetables, highland vegetables, and freshwater fish unique to Yamanashi. On this premium tour, "Fuefuki Olive Oil Maedaya...After enjoying the harvesting experience, it was a truly special plan where participants could enjoy a special multi-course menu featuring high-quality extra virgin olive oil, including Maedaya's precious novello—which has a shelf life of just two weeks!
Together with the producer, Mr. Keisuke Maeda, all participants enjoyed dinner after the harvest.

A standalone restaurant surrounded by nature. Opening the door reveals a spacious and open entrance.
The gentle warmth of wood creates an inviting atmosphere—though it is also physically warm thanks to underfloor heating. It feels as if you have been invited to a tastefully designed villa.

Beyond the large single-slab table, a wood fire is already burning brightly yet softly, raising expectations for the presentation about to unfold.
Behind a full wall of glass, a stunning array of wine bottles lines the space, sure to captivate any Japanese wine enthusiast.
A sommelier with exhaustive knowledge of Yamanashi wine selects a pairing for each dish tailored to the day's menu. What kind of feast awaits?

Here is a small glimpse into an example of this supreme pairing on an autumn night.

The menu varies depending on the season and harvest or hunting conditions.
The menu placed at your seat mostly lists only the ingredients.
Sitting before the wood fire, looking at the list of ingredients renowned in Yamanashi for being delicious—such as horsemeat, Yahata taro, and koutake mushrooms—expectations rise.

First Course
The first course: horsemeat served on the palm of your hand, prepared with plum preserved three years ago and olive oil from Mr. Maeda's 'Mission' olive variety.
Accented by the aroma of shiso, it is a refreshing dish.
The umami and richness of the horsemeat are enhanced by the bitterness and green notes of the olive oil.

It was passed directly from hand to hand.

Second Course
A regional Spanish dish, almost designed specifically to savor olive oil.
A few years ago, Chef Toshima asked Mr. Maeda if he could use his olive oil, but was turned down at the time. Unable to give up, he went through trial and error to create this bread and visited Mr. Maeda once again.
After tasting a bite, Mr. Maeda said, 'If it's for this bread...' This marked the turning point that allowed Chef Toshima to finally incorporate Mr. Maeda's oil into his cooking—the dish that started it all.

Just before eating, the special novello olive oil with a two-week shelf life is poured over the bread, which has a subtle acidity from tomato juice.
It is a blend of 80% Leccino—an early-ripening variety—combined with Maurino and Pendolino harvested while still green.
It has a fresh green aroma, with subtle notes of banana and avocado on the palate. These flavors would apparently be lost if filtered.
A truly luxurious experience unique to novello.

The paired wine was:
Vineyards Kikushima / Bubjan Koshu 2022 pet-nat
A 100% Koshu pétillant naturel.

It is an appetite-stimulating combination.

Third course
A type of taro that is a specialty of Yamanashi Prefecture.
While it looks simply deep-fried, this Yahata taro was slowly simmered in dashi broth, soaked in the broth for four days, and fried right before serving.
For the first piece, I enjoyed it as is to directly savor the crisp exterior texture, the smooth interior, and the rustic taro flavor.
For the second piece, a matcha-like liquid was poured over it. This was a soup combining garland chrysanthemum with the dashi broth used to simmer the taro.
Taro and garland chrysanthemum pair well together and are said to aid digestion.
With that peace of mind, let's continue to enjoy our wine.

7C Winery / KOSHU CUVÉE SU 2022
A refreshing Koshu with crisp acidity and citrus aromas.
Well-balanced and not overly assertive, this Koshu gently complements the delicate flavor of the Yahata taro. It also cleanses the palate of the batter's oiliness.

Fourth course
Yamanashi is well known as a fruit kingdom.
A variety of in-season fruits from Yamanashi Prefecture are paired with burrata—a "Yamanashi-style Caprese," so to speak.
Pear (lightly smoked!), fig, Shine Muscat, and persimmon. Beneath them lay two sauces: one made by adding koji to tomato to ferment it into an amazake-like flavor, and another made from heirloom cucumber emulsified with Mr. Maeda's "Mission" olive oil, balanced with vinegar and salt, offering a tart, fresh herbal character.
Finally, a lightly salted Chinese chive and garlic sauce was drizzled over top, which works to bring out the fruits' sweetness alongside their fresh herbaceousness.
A dish that directly expresses the fields, its flavor is pleasantly complex and delicious, to say nothing of its elaborate preparation.

GRACE WINE / Grace Rosé 2023
A rosé from 2023, a particularly blessed vintage in Akeno with abundant sunshine.
Made from Bordeaux varieties, this dry rosé with robust fruitiness surprisingly comes in at 13% ABV.
Even for a Caprese, I was looking forward to seeing what wine would be served with such an intricate, complex dish, and the selection exceeded expectations! It was a rosé with enough weight and volume to hold its own against the food.

Fifth course
Yamanashi Prefecture, covered in volcanic ash from past eruptions of Mt. Fuji, has soil more suitable for cultivating wheat than rice. That is why Houtou and Yoshida Udon are so famous here.
Handmade udon noodles crafted from flour by the chef are tossed with Novello, paired with matsutake mushrooms just harvested by the staff and grilled over a wood fire, finished with a fresh squeeze of sudachi citrus. What an incredibly aromatic dish—everyone lets out a sigh of admiration.
Mr. Maeda also praised it, saying, "This might be the dish best suited to express Novello."
While grilled matsutake with sudachi is a classic match, the addition of Novello's herbaceous greenness, fresh bitterness, and banana-like notes creates a wonderful experience, from the aroma and flavor all the way to the lingering finish.

Comazono Vineyard / Elevage
Enhancing this finish even further is an aged Koshu.
Long-aged in French oak, this Koshu has a rich, deep appearance reminiscent of honey, with aromas of dried apricot, honey, and nuts.
Its well-balanced fruitiness and oak nuances are exceptionally elegant.
Without being overpowered by strong-aromed ingredients like matsutake mushrooms, sudachi, or olive oil, it maintains a dignified presence while harmonizing the entire dish, bringing even greater bliss to the palate.

Sixth Course
A sandwich of Koshu Wine Beef cooked at 53°C to bring out its natural sweetness, paired with cabbage tossed in balsamic vinegar.
Though a casual dish, it is elaborately prepared—a luxurious, satisfying, and delightful plate.

AIM Brew LAB. / #1.1 THE BEGINNING
In true American pairing style, the sandwich is served with craft beer!
The hop bitterness and roasty aromas connect beautifully with the savory umami of the meat, making it delightfully easy to gulp down.

Not just the meat, but the bread as well is toasted over the wood fire and assembled on the spot.
Everyone listens intently to Chef Toshima's presentation, excitement building at every step.

Now, up next is the main course.
What kind of wine and food pairing awaits? To be continued in Part 2.

https://nihonwine.jp/enjoy-nihon-wine/restaurant-sai-yamanashi-202410-2/