Experts in sake must love this place. On Saturdays, Sundays, and other holidays, the master and his wife visit sake cellars in all over Japan to look for sake of good quality. They say that sake sold in the market and sake in competitive prize shows are completely different. Sake in competitive shows is too expensive to be sold in the regular market, so they mix it with that of less quality to make it cheap and distribute it in the market. The master and his wife have been uncomfortable with the situation and have offered sake directly delivered from cellars so that customers could enjoy the real taste of good sake.

Some people avoid drinking sake because they would have a hangover the next day or do not prefer the flavor left behind in the mouth after drinking it.
But, if they taste the real sake offered at Sankon, they will completely renew their view on sake.

It actually depends on the type of sake, but the one categorized as Daiginjo sake (top-quality sake brewed at low temperatures from rice grains milled to approximately 30% of weight) is full-bodied and has a fruity flavor, but leaves a refreshing aftertaste in the mouth. Sake with good quality does not bring any hangover to the drinker.

This is a sake dining room, but let me have my first drink a draft beer. Of course, it is Yebisu!

Chunks of tuna with soy sauce, wasabi, and some slices of spring onion. Everything is perfect.

Fish of autumn. Skipjack tuna, Pacific saury, squid and mackerel. This “returning skipjack tuna” has a really rich flavor and is absolutely better than the one caught during spring. It is recommended to eat squid with salt.

This is the type of sake categorized as Daiginjo and is named Tedorikawa. It is from Ishikawa Prefecture. The balance of its sweetness and flavor is perfect.

Anglerfish liver. Also called “oceanic foie gras”. It perfectly goes along with sake.

Firefly squids pickled in a liquor of sake, vinegar and salt. Its moderate saltiness and chewiness bring a good appetite for sake.

Japanese-style omelet is also very good.

Tangle mixed with wasabi. The flavor of both tangle and wasabi brings also brings a good appetite for sake.

Tofu served cold.

Daiginjo sake of Gekkeikan. You may have a bad image about Gekkeikan, but this is totally different. It absolutely tastes good.

Smelts. You may be more familiar with female smelts, the ones with roe. But Sankon also offers male smelts, real ones from Hokkaido. Not the fake ones named “Capelin” that you see in supermarkets.

This is a Daiginjo sake called Masuizumi. More elegant than Tedorikawa and Gekkeikan.

Edible burdock. Flavoring is rather weak.

Taros. A very warming flavor.

An assortment of pickled vegetables. The crispiness is very good.

Sablefish grilled after being preserved in Saikyo Miso. This is absolutely recommended. You cannot stop smiling after a bite!

The cuisine offered here are prepared within the context that the customer would eat it while drinking sake. The side dish that goes along with good sake must be good as well. Sashimi offered at Sankon is tremendous. One will smack his lips when he enjoys the marvelous combination of seasonal sashimi and sake.
However, this extremely brilliant dining room will be closed at the end of this year. The master has sore knees and cannot keep working anymore. Visit here before it closes to enjoy the real taste of real sake.

■Ginza Sankon
Ginza Sankon
Address: Tokyo-to, Chuo-ku, Ginza 8-6-19 Watanabe Building 2nd Floor
Open: 17:00-24:00
Close: Saturdays, Sundays, and other holidays