The Joy of Sake

2023. The 20th anniversary.576 sakes to taste across just 150 minutes. 3.8 sakes per minute. Buckle up!Tips:1. Bring your own sake cup unless you want to drink from a specimen cup.2. Immediately go to the tables in the very center of the ballroom. The section of the silver, gold and best of show winners. You have the best chance to taste the sake at the closest to "chilled" as possible.3. Expand your tasting to the rows of tables furthest to the back of the ballroom labeled "Daiginjo". Read the tags and focus on the jumai daiginjo designation.4. Take, carry and consume as many bottles of water as you need from the many tables throughout the room.5. Go with a partner whose taste you know. Taste through one another so you can pass sakes that you won't like.6. Taste quickly, record notes on your phone and take pics of the cards for bottles you like and GTFO as fast as possible. The longer you stay, the more obnoxious drunks you need to contend with.For sake lovers, a fun night but not without flaws.As always, the sake is served at room temp. Aromas are altered and the sake taste very off balance and alcoholic. You need to imagine what the flavors would be like if it were chilled properly.The food is awful. It adds to the fun. From ahi tartare so covered in low quality tobiko you're picking it out of your teeth, to a beef tataki and undressed greens, a braised shortrib in gougere "bun" that clashed so horribly in flavor, even a soba that tasted like cardboard. One bite and in the trash. Why any restaurant would "showcase" such bad food hilarious. Honestly, just give everyone boxes of Pocky sticks to use between sips of sake and it would be better.Is it worth the $120? YES! A self guided tasting and a night full of fun being as critical as you can be.Win.

One of our favorite annual highlights is attending the joy of sake event Held at the convention center. Unfortunately due to the pandemic it was pushed off which gave the organizers a little bit of a break. They came into this event with one of the best Held/ organized on record. The selection of sake is over the top. What sent this event forward is the quality and variety of foods available. Our favorites were between Chef Chai, Doraku, and BLT. To be fair all the food was exceptional and brilliant in both quality, taste and presentation. Looking forward to next year's event

The 2018 Joy of Sake was on Friday, July 27, 2018 6:30-9pm at the Hawaii Convention Center. It is touted as The World's Best Sake Celebration!This is my second time volunteering even though i am not a Sake Drinker! But if you are this is the place you want to be!This event features 478 entries from the 2018 US National Sake Appraisal of Daijingo A, Daijingo B, Ginjo & Junmai! That is alot of Top Notch Sake!Plus with your ticket, you get a tasting from 21 local restaurants!1. Beachhouse at the Moana2. BLT Steak3. The Brillant OX4.Buho Cocina Y Cantina5. Cakeworks6. Chez Kenzo Bar & Grill7. Doraku8.Halekulani9. Highway Inn10. Kahala Hotel11. Kaiwa12. Koko Head Cafe13.Morimoto714. Pig & the Lady15.Pili Group16.Rice Place17.Stripsteak18.Superb Sushi19.Tonkotsu Kazan Ramen20.Umani Teppan Kingyo21.ZiguThere were 1200 people who must have had a fabulous time...some couples were dressed to the "Nines!" Date Night, others it was a "Boys Night Out" or an Adult family affair - Delicious Food & All That Sake!I will be back in 2019!!

Joy of Sake 2013 -- another great year but this time at the Honolulu Convention Center. Not as cozy or as claustrophobic as the Art Academy but a good venue of prize-winning sake, good food (if you are willing to stand in line) and entertainment (subtle jazz music).Parking at the convention center: $10Changes from the previous years:- food tickets - present your food "tickets" to the attendee collecting the chits for the specific booths; Hoku, Nobu, Halekulani, Chef Chai, Doraku, Vintage Cave, etc.I suppose they did this because people didn't get to sample anything in the previous years as it was a free-for-all and you could go back and stand in line and eat continuously; food ran out fast - not so at this venue but the lines were long.- free bottled water for the designated drivers :-)One tiny gripe: nowhere to put your plate, not even standing tables. You had to basically juggle your small sake cup and your plate and eat in line. It was quite a feat.I loved the floral displays in water - tall cylinder vases filled with rocks, orchids and leaves. I was thinking they needed a huge, giant display in the middle of room filled with electronic candles, japanese ikebana arrangement and maybe a Torii with an illuminated straw barrel of sake, that would set the mood - (hire me next year, OK?) ;-)

Even though I am not the biggest sake fan and more of a beer person, I still consider the Joy of Sake to be one of the better foodie events in Hawaii every year. Due to the growing popularity, I was glad that the organizers decided to have this year's festivities at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal in the Foreign Trade Zone to accommodate the large crowds.That being said, for anyone looking to attend this event in the future, there are a few tips to remember. More than anything, you need to arrive early to secure parking and also to maximize your time spent drinking & eating. 2.5 hours might sound like a long time, but time flies when you are standing in lines for food and sipping all the sakes.Speaking of the food, there is a lot of it but if you want to partake in most of it, you should hit up the food stations first before indulging in the wide array of sakes. Food typically does run out especially for the more popular restaurants, so stuffing your face first is a must if you have your heart set on trying certain dishes. Unlike myself, my friend could not resist the temptation of all the sakes around him and disregarded my sage advice. Towards the later part of the night, we made our way to the area with the pork tenderloin dish that I was telling him about that I had tasted earlier that night. When asked where the pork tenderloin was, I told him that the empty space he was standing in was where the food station for that was located. Even with the endless array of sake tables, they Joy of Sake always has a great line up of appetizers from some of the best restaurants in Hawaii. Here are some highlights of everything that I was able to try.Chai's Island BistroThai-Style Oxtail Soup with Bihon Noodles, Cilantro, & Hawaiian Chili Water- To my surprise this was one of my favorite dishes of the night and was the perfect compliment to all the sake that I had been drinking. I love oxtail, but this dish was all about the yummy broth that just hit the spot. My only wish was that they was still some left at the end of the night.NobuBig Island Abalone with Sake Soy Butter & Dry Miso with Chives- This was the one thing that I wanted to try no matter what and turned out to be my favorite dish of the night. The food at Nobu never fails me and this dish was no different. The fork tender abalone had a buttery flavor that just melted in my mouth. With the line being a mile long, I could not help myself and had to take to 2 dishes since I did not plan on wasting my night standing in this long line again.StageGreen Tea Smoked Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Togarashi Spiced Fuji Apples, Shiso, and Crispy Garlic Chips served with Miso Braised Daikon - I thought that the flavors were just okay, but I have to say what made this a dish to remember was the tender pork tenderloin from the sous vide cooking process. I like garlic, but something like deep fried leeks or lotus roots would have been a better option for the crunchy component of this dish.SaltKampachi Tartare with Orange-Shallot Jam and Edamame Guacamole-This dish sounded a lot better than it was. With a fish like kampachi, I want to taste the fish and would have a preferred a carpaccio dish that would have highlighted the fish more. KaiwaTako Carpaccio with Wasabi Style Vinaigrette-The tako was tender, but was overpowered a bit by the vinaigrette. Not one of my favorite dishes, but it did go well with the sake.BLT SteakLocal Style New York Strip Tataki with Bacon Popover, Jalapeno Mash, and Ho Farms Tomato Salad-This dish sounded a lot better than it was. Not bad, but not as great as I had hoped. For me this dish was like going on a date expecting to meet Mila Kunis and instead a waitress from Chili's shows up. Nonetheless, the bacon popover was tasty but did not make up for the New York Strip which was a little too tough for my liking. Genius LoungeMentaiko Pasta in Kombucha Cream Sauce with Nori & Julienne Cucumber-Although I liked this dish, this reminded me of something that I could actually make myself at home. Regardless, I love mentaiko and it was the perfect combination with the pasta noodles. Banzai Sushi BarRib Eye Steak with Enoki Mushroom & Asparagus Wrapped with Yuba & Served in a Wafu Dashi Fondue- This was a dish that sounded a lot better than it actually was. I am all about subtle flavors but the meat needed some more salt or some sort of additional flavoring component. I felt like I was a eating a piece of shabu shabu meat, but without the dipping sauce.The Pig and the LadyFresh Paiai on Kalo Tostones with Taro Stem Ceviche and Rice Paddy Herb-Who knew veggies could be so tasty? One of the 3 favorite dishes of the night.All in all, I ate and drank to my hearts content and look forward to attending this event next year.

This review is for the Joy of Sake 2012 which was held this year at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal near the Aloha Tower. This is my second year attending this event and it was just as good the second time around as well. Being a Yelp Elite sure has it's perks because if it wasn't for having this kind of status, i probably would have never attended these past two events. But thanks to Emi H and staff who give Yelp Elites these kinds of opportunities, it sure pays off to eat at all the best places and review them as you taste it. Now as for the location of this place, it was the perfect place for such an event. There were tons of free parking and this place place was huge. There is only one downfall to this place, and it bothered me from the time i stepped foot into this place, was the air conditioning. I was sweating like a pig and you could see it on the dress shirt i was wearing. It was like i was at a 24 Hour Fitness just getting of the treadmill or if someone threw a bucket of water all over me. I understand the air conditioning was on, but with the vast amount of people attending this event, that Joy of Sake Fan that i purchased for two bucks sure came in handy. I thought it was just me, but there were other people i overheard saying how hot it was in there. Next time i'll bring a tanktop and wear some Speedo's to next year's event if it is at the same place again. Now on to the event. If there is a reason for coming to these type of events, it is for the sake period. I see no other reason to shell out 80 dollars to come here and wait in line for hours and a day to eat these little morsels of food that will leave me hungry as i leave this place. Don't get me wrong, the food is unbelievably good at this event and pairing them with the best sakes around the world makes it all worthwhile. Being the Sake Whore that i am, it is virtually impossible to try all of these sakes in two and a half hours, but i tried and it left me feeling like i died and went to sake heaven. There are ten Sake Brewing Regions in Japan..1. HOKKAIDO-Hokkaido2. TOHOKU-Aomori,Iwate,Akita,Miyagi,Fukushima,Yamagata3. KANTO SHINETSU-Ibaragi,Tochigi,Gunma,Saitama,Niigata,Nagano4. KANTO-Chiba,Tokyo,Kanagawa,Yamanashi5. HOKURIKU-Toyama,Ishikawa,Fukui6. TOKAI-Gifu,Shizuoka,Aichi,Mie7. KINKI-Shiga,Kyoto,Osaka,Hyogo, Nara Wakayama8. CHUGOKU-Tottori,Shimane,Okayama,Hiroshima,Yamaguchi9. SHIKOKU- Tokushima,Ehime,Kagawa,Kochi10. Kyushu- Fukuoka,Saga,Nagasaki,Kumamoto,Oita, Miyazaki Of all of the Sake Brewing Regions, i truly enjoy the sake from the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions where the climate gets really cold and produces some really good sake. I am a really big Daiginjo fan . I love that it is very light,fragrant,and fruity with a subtle taste. It is very easy on the palate and is a favorite of mine whenever i eat sushi. Although people say Dry sake or Ginjo Sake is the way to go, i opt for the fruity characteristics of a Daiginjo anytime i go out to eat Japanese food, especially Sashimi and Sushi. Now i have to tell you, there are throngs of people that attend this event and that just goes to show how many sake lovers there are out there. I actually run into a lot of people who are in food and beverage industry and meeting fellow elites such as Kim M and seeing Thomas O and our fearless leader Emi H here make this an event to remember. As for the food here, i tried almost every food station here, but these places stood up above and beyond everyone else although they were all very good..NOBU: Big island Abalone with Sake Soy Butter and Dry Miso with Chives This was probably the most popular food item all night with the lines wrapping around like a snake without a tail. This dish matched perfectly with Yamatoshizuku Junmai Daiginjo from Akita, Japan. It was like a match made in heaven.THE PIG & THE LADY: Fresh Pai'ai on Kalo Tostones with Taro Stem Ceviche and Rice Paddy Herb Ok guys, i am definitely not a vegeterian but after eating this dish, i might just convert. The flavors when eaten with just one bite just took me ro another demention. How could something like this be so good? I washed it down with a some Wataribune Junmai Daiginjo from Ibaraki Japan. CHAI'S ISLAND BISTRO: Thai Style Oxtail Soup with Bihon Noodles with Cilantro and Hawaiian Chili Water I am gonna have to confess and say that i had three servings of this because it was so fricken delicious and it was what you need after a drunken stupor like i was experiencing after my sake feeding frenzy. I truly loved the broth and subtle flavor of this dish and if Chai's Island Bistro has this on his menu at Aloha Tower, i am so there. It was something that me sweat even more but i could careless because this surely hit the spot. Great dish Chef Chai!!! Oh by the way, i forgot what sake i had with this, but at this point...WHO CARES!! Everything else i ate was just pedestrian for me. The Joy of Sake 2012...GREAT!!

I had no intentions going to Joy Of Sake but when I received the email from Emi about free tickets to the event I had to RSVP. Must have been my lucky day because I got a ticket. Woohoo! I entered the event around 6:30-6:40 and while I was waiting for my friends to come I grabbed as much food as I could before the lines started to form. The first 3 restaurants I tried were GENIUS LOUNGE (Mentaiko Pasta in Kombucha Cream Sauce with nori and julienne cucumber garnish) - it was good, a little oily but the pasta was nicely coated with mentaiko SALT (Kampachi Tartare w/orange-shallot jam. edamame guacamole, sake lees tahini) - This was fresh and refreshing and was definitely one of the lighter dishes available PIG AND THE LADY (Fresh Paiai on Kalo Tostones with Taro Stem Ceviche and Rice Paddy Herb) - Yummmm. This was probably one of my favorite dishes. BANZAI (Rib Eye Steak, Enoki Mushroom and Asparagus wrapped with yuba and served in wafu-dashi fondue) - I liked this dish, especially because I love yuba. My only complaint was that the asparagus was a little hard. PRIMA (Panna cotta with fennel marmalade and coffee salt) - This was not a sweet panna cotta, instead a very cheesy and rich dish. I wasn't a huge fan, I think partially because I was so surprised by the cheesiness) BLT STEAK (Local New York strip tataki with bacon popover, jalapeno mash and Ho Farms tomato salad) I was so disappointed with this dish. The steak was okay and about half the cut was fat and the popover was soft. Its hard to eat a soft popover when I'm used to eating them piping hot out of the oven. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HiWacpm35E-50yIP2k7kFA?select=D7qRWqBWsCjdiqAfjMU0OQ#D7qRWqBWsCjdiqAfjMU0OQGYOTAKU (Sake-Braised Pork with Garlic Risotto) - This was very rich but the pork was tender and the risotto was cooked al denteUMAMI CAFE (Hand Rolls - Lobster/Spicy Ahi/Imitation Crab) - I could have eaten these all night. Who doesn't love hand rolls with some sake. The line was crazy at all times though, making it a little less appealing. MARIANS ISLAND WIDE CATERING (Glazed Tender Pork Riblets served on sesame moyashi with horseradish aoli) - The pork was tender and they definitely had used some sake to cook it but I thought they used a little too much shoyu CHAI's ISLAND BISTRO (Thai-style Oxtail Soup with Bihon Noodles, Cilantro and Hawaiian Chili Water) - I was pretty full by this time so I only ate the oxtail which was very tender. The soup was good too but honestly I was so stuffed I had to throw it away and pass on the noodles) KAIWA (Tako Carpaccio with Wasabi Style Vinaigrette) - This was another refreshing dish with a nice kick of wasabi in the sauce. CAKEWORKS (Ume macarons, azuki-filled green tea macaroons) - I guess it was our fault for going late because the only ones they had left were ume. blehhh they had furikake on the outside with an ume filling....Definitely not my favorite. I think a sorbet or a refreshing dessert would have been better. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/HiWacpm35E-50yIP2k7kFA?select=D7qRWqBWsCjdiqAfjMU0OQ#5Ia3vpPMqthOn9Ozigo42gI'm a little ashamed (as a Japanese) to say I don't really drink sake or know anything about it. Luckily I went to the event with two Japanese people one who works in F&B and knew some people at the event who recommended some sakes to us. After a while I would spot the ones with a gold/silver star (won a award) and an astrik (only available in Japan) and try them. Many of them were so smooth it was like I was drinking water. Dangerous. But by the time 8:30 rolled around, everything tasted delicious. http://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=1ILr7O9u3FyuRsL_X__e0A&userid=QkQLnujuiBDP1mNChJYJwwAnother great thing about the event was that I got to hang with some of the yelpers for a little bit. I met Kim M whose reviews I'm always reading so that was pretty cool.I will definitely love to go to this event again next year if I can, I had an awesome time! YELP 365: 194/365

Once again the Joy of Sake brought joy to my tastebuds. I look forward to this event all year. Yes, Im a big sake fan.However, I wish it would go back to the convention center cause its air conditioned and easier to maneuver. The food was great....Chais amae ebi...ooishii. Lewers Street Lounge and Delicous. Nobus, etc.and....Sake Galore....I cant wait for next year.....I wish we could buy some of the sake too.

This event was amazing!!! All you can drink sake....no only all you can drink but there were 329 different sakes with many of them only sold in Japan....sweet, bitter, dry, warm, cold, whatever kind of sake you want its there.Several restaurants were there serving food as well....all tasted fantastic! You walk around the Academy of Arts while sampling sake and food while meeting and chatting with others who are sake enthusiasts as well. Superb event that one should go to at least once in their lives.The Joy of Sake also offered a free class to learn the sake basics before the the actual event...free bottled water (good safety measure)...large variety of sake cups for sale along with tshirts, sake holders etc...great great event!!!

This was my first time this year. It was $70....I don't know if it was actually worth $70, but I did drink LOTS of sake and ate ALL the food there. =o)I would totally go again.