Cheese, Italian Pairing Experience
at Shibuya Cheese Stand in Shibuya, TOKYO
For this Sake Pairing Experience, the cheese came forward as the Italian dish to match with sake.
You’ll find a snug cafe restaurant, Shibuya Cheese Stand marked by a white cow statue. Inspired by Neapolitan pizza, Shinji Fujikawa learned cheese making at a dairy farm in Italy and traveled around the United States to observe the food business. Thus, the concept of “freshly made cheese in town" led to the Cheese Stand. Freshness is a priority. Since its opening 10 years ago, the store has served fresh cheese made with raw milk within 24 hours. His cheeses won numerous domestic and international awards. It has expanded to 3 stores in Tokyo. A lineup of aged cheese has been added to the menu, and olive oils, honey, and wines thoughtfully selected by the cheesemaker also deserve attention at the store.
Chef Fusako Itakura, today’s partner, devised a menu for the exclusive course of Italian dishes with a focus on cheese. Her passion for Italian regional cuisine brought her to Italy, where she lived for 10 years. She studied at a culinary school in Turin, worked as a chef at the world-famous BARATTI & MILANO café, and established a local cooking school, Abcincucina. Currently, she divides her time between her hometown, Izumo and Tokyo, where she runs an Italian cooking class called "effe-co.” In April she published her cooking book. Moreover, a series of her Italian recipes that go well with sake is featured on this site.
Sake paired two talented culinary professionals who were ignited by Italian cuisine. Essentially “tanrei-karakuchi” Kubota is food friendly. Let’s see how the collaboration melted together.
1. A blonde pizza made with Caciocavallo cheese
SEPPOU has been highly appreciated by many sake fans including multiple guests from today. A tomato-less blonde pizza brings out the flavor and aroma of the flavorful Caciocavallo cheese well. It is topped with an assortment of greens like a tiny garden. The complex and deep umami flavor brought about by the traditional “ yamahai" brewing process intertwines with the pizza. Moreover, the saltiness of anchovies on the pizza gives you a fun kick.
2. Pasta with eggplant and Fresh Ricotta
One of the most popular Cheese Stand’ s Fresh Ricotta can be cooked with Rigatoni and eggplant. We brought together this rich creamy carb with MANJYU with the perfect balance of umami, sweetness, and tartness. Some guests rated it as their best pairing with the reason the sake cut through the creaminess of the cheese and refreshes the mouth in every sip uniquely.
3. Saffron risotto with Tokyo Burrata
Vivid-yellow saffron risotto topped with white Buratta cheese and pink prosciutto is a quite mouth-watering dish, as you see. HEKIJYU has earthiness and complex umami imparted by the traditional “ yamahai” brewing method. The mild creaminess of the risotto made with Parmigiano Reggiano and this dry sake pair well with the same level of light texture, as one of the guests commented. On top of that, Cheese Stand’ s signature, Tokyo Burrata and the Italian prosciutto seem well-balanced.
4. A dolce of Ricotta cheese (on the left)
Many guests were surprised by the great chemistry and rated it as their best pairing. Fruity, floral, and expressive but light finish sake will perfectly complement dessert. The texture of the creaminess of Ricotta and sake’ s rich body yet not too heavy accompany well. The fresh blueberry sauce seems the key flavor to the alchemy between cheese and sake.
5. A selection of cheeses from white mold, lactic set, to semi-hard (3 on the right)
Find your best pairing
Here are Cheese Stand's signature cheese selections from fresh to aged. Semi-hard was particularly popular, and we found a variety of tastes, one saying it goes well with MANJYU, another with JUNMAI DAIGINJO, and so on. As everyone has individual tastes and preferences, such a great experience to find out every mix and match.
Shibuya
Cheese Stand
5-8 Kamiyamacho,
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
03 6407 9806
www.cheese-stand.com
Instagram @cheese_stand
Shinji Fujikawa
founder of Cheese Stand
“La mia vita a Torino,
tra mercato e la cucina”
“12 months of cooking starting
at the market place.
Italian food in Turin, Izumo and Tokyo.”
published by Fuurinsha
www.effe-co.com
Instagram @effe_co__
Fusako Itakura
founder of effe-co.
EN