About a year ago, fashion collector Arianna Cho and sake industry veterans Shintaro Cho and Yuri Itakura opened Sake Bar Asoko, an unassuming storefront south of Dimes Square smack between a local market and a bus stop. Cho and Itakura had two-plus decades of experience, but Arianna was catching up, tasting everything that came in, reading everything she could, and asking a thousand questions. Their combined perspectives make the space what it is: sophisticated yet approachable, smart but fun. “We’re really relaxed here,” Arianna says. “If you just try a bunch of things, maybe you’ll be surprised.”
“If someone comes in who knows a lot about sake, they’ll still find something new and interesting,” Itakura adds. “Or if they don’t know anything, they’ll find their taste.”
Inside Sake Bar Asoko, the decor is a mishmash of all three owners: Itakura’s teenage Sailor Moon T-shirts and sake cups from her grandfather; a video game from Cho’s childhood; and prints chosen by Japanese designer Naoki Takizawa, a friend of Arianna’s. There are tools of the trade, such as a warmer used to manipulate the temperature of a sake. Each serving temperature — hot, cold, or room — can bring out different flavor notes. Recently, one of the brewers Asoko sources from visited the bar, and Arianna served him a bottle of his own sake. “We made it warm for him,” she says, “and he was like, ‘Hotter.’”
All three owners agree that sake culture is on the rise. It’s “growing,” Cho says. “I’ve worked in this industry for so long, and I think the younger generation is curious about sake.” Below, we asked the trio to recommend some of their favorite bottles. “We all have very different tastes,” Arianna says. “Cho is very in-the-middle. Yuri is a little more classic. I’m a little more funky.”
1. MANA 1751 YAMAHAI MUROKA GENSHU (FUKUI)
“This one is genshu, or undiluted, which means it has a much stronger character. It’s also muroka, or made without a charcoal filter; it has a yellower tone. It’s nutty, smoky — very intense. It’s not the most approachable sake, but it’s still smooth.” —Arianna Cho
2. KINPOU ODAYAKA GINJO (FUKUSHIMA)
“This bottle reminds me of happiness. It’s light, it’s refreshing, and it has a nice balance of acidity and fruitiness. There’s some character to the body, but it’s very easy to drink.” —Arianna Cho
3. SHINKAME JUNMAI (SAITAMA)
“Before the ’80s in Japan, a lot of sake was cheap and low-quality. This brewery was the first to make high-quality sake; they were a pioneer in the space. This bottle is nutty, rich, and strong, and it’s really interesting to drink at different temperatures.” —Shintaro Cho
4. SENKIN NATURE DAIGINJO (TOCHIGI)
“This sake is a little bit fruity but still has a clean finish. It’s easy and has more of a wine-y taste, so people who’ve never tasted sake really like it. It’s also effervescent because it’s still fermenting in the bottle. If [the brewer] heats up the sake twice before they bottle it, it stops fermenting. But if they don’t, it keeps going.” —Yuri Itakura
5. AKISHIKA OMACHI JUNMAI YAMAHAI NAMA GENSHU (OSAKA)
“This brewery has their own rice field. So they grow the rice themselves, which is unusual. This bottle tastes like honey and soy sauce. It’s good to pair with cheese or meat.” —Yuri Itakura
