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Kabuki Sommelier Yuji Matsumoto
LA.com: When did you first get interested in sake, and how did you choose to be a sommelier as a career?
Yuji Matsumoto: I always loved having sake when I ate sushi, but I started getting seriously interested in it when I founded the California Sushi Academy in Venice in 1998. As president of the school I realized that sake education was the next thing to teach besides sushi. I started attending sake class and tastings.
After three years, I left the school and joined Mutual Trading, one of the largest food distributors in L.A. I was in charge of new business development and my main focus was how to sell sake. I obtained my sake sommelier certificate in 2004 from the Sake Service Institute (SSI) in Japan.
In 2006, SSI held a world sake competition and I was chosen to be the West Coast region representative of North America. In 2008, SSI offered me the opportunity to study and take an exam to become a master sommelier and luckily I was able to pass. I strongly feel that my mission is to help people understand Japanese culture, and to pass it on to the next generation. The sake industry in Japan is slowly dying, so I really want to help promote the unique sake culture here in the US and, hopefully in turn, do my part to revive the sake industry in Japan.
LA.com: What is a Master Sake Sommelier, and how do you qualify to become one?
YM: A Master Sake Sommelier has to have knowledge of not only sake but also other alcoholic beverages such as wine and distilled liquors. They also have to be able to distinguish the taste, examine the flavor, and find whether it has been correctly valued by its price. They must be able to create menus, and most importantly, offer customers the best choice of sake pairings with different types of food. The Sake Service Institute in Japan is the largest and most accredited nonprofit organization in the sake industry in Japan. In order to become a master sake sommelier, you need to meet all its stringent requirements including four hours of written tests covering your knowledge of sake, two hours of essays and menu-making, two hours of tasting and defining sake, and 20 minutes of a formal presentation before a panel of five judges.
LA.com: A lot of Americans don't know much about sake, and are intimidated by ordering it in a Japanese restaurant. How is your average diner to choose a good sake pairing for his/her meal?
YM: Even many Japanese don't know how to choose sake correctly. I think that is one of the reasons why the popularity of sake is decreasing as opposed to other more popular and better understood beverages. At Kabuki, I have created the menu based on thoughtful food pairings with sake. So if someone is planning to have sushi, the recommended pairings can be found easily on the menus, making the experience more accessible and less intimidating.
LA.com: What are some of the challenges to putting together a sake list for a Japanese-sushi restaurant like Kabuki?
YM: One of the biggest challenges is training servers. Most of them are young and are often working part-time, so it becomes a bit challenging to instill all the sake knowledge I wish to impart and motivate them to become passionate and interested in furthering their own understanding and appreciation of sake. However, I am not one to shy away from a challenge, and love to teach new people, employees and diners alike, on all the wonderful qualities of sake.
LA.com: You have a copyrighted system for classifying sakes and pairing them with particular foods and dishes. Can you explain it briefly and how you came up with it?
YM: My map guides you to what sake to choose according to what you are planning to eat. I have categorized different types of sake by "season." For instance, if someone is having a teriyaki chicken, his/her choice will be a robust, slightly fruity "fall zone sake." With tempura or grilled fish, I'd suggest a "summer type" sake, that has floral qualities. Also this map will help you explore other types of sake in your preference zone. If you like the "spring zone sake," which usually has notes of citrus and crisp acidity, you may want to try other spring zone sake depending on the occasion. I am currently in the process of categorizing all the sakes available in the U.S. according to this system.
LA.com: What are some of your favorite sakes to drink personally and have you come any interesting new ones lately?
YM: With white fish sashimi, I like Dassai Junmai Daiginjo, Sho-ume Junmai Daiginjo, and Hakkaisan Junmai Ginjo. For an oily fish such as Hamachi or Salmon, Kanchiku Junmai Daiginjo and Suigei Junmai Daiginjo are excellent. With chicken, I drink Kurosawa Junmai or Mizbasho Ginjo, and with beef, I have Otokoyama Junmai. But you can have sake with almost anything, even Mexican food. For that, I especially like California-made sakes like Sho Chiku Bai Junmai, Ozeki Junmai and Nigori unfiltered sake. Recently, I tried naturally carbonated Mizbasho Junmai Daiginjo sparkling sake. I love it with fresh oysters!
