Gourmet Kobo and Ontario Spring Water Sake Company held a tasting event at Marché for “Gourment Kobo” Sushi and “Junmai Sake” from Canada’s premier local handcrafted sake.
It was a small and intimate gathering of chefs, sommeliers, foodies and friends. We were able to sample some of the more exotic Japanese dishes that you don’t typically get to taste in any Japanese restaurants.
The presentation was very picturesque. The duck mallard was smoked with local wild leek served on a small case iron Japanese pot. The grilled miso glazed kokuyo eggplant skewers was served on a square pottery used as a mini hibachi. Then there’s the Amazake manju maple syrup made with sake lees (a white mixture of remains from fermented sake), like mini sweet soft croutons served in a mini bamboo steamer.
There were other well-crafted appetizers such as sake lee with bell pepper and burdock pickled on cucumber. Half vine tomatoes cups served with Mozuku seaweeds and aged rice wine vinegar. Birkshire pork shiitake skewer with Shishito chili and various Temari (ball-shaped) sushi. Some very interesting combination including a Madai (seabream) drizzled with Soma chocolate sauce and Kibinago (small silver-stripe round herring fish).
From the sweet table, we get to sample Kobo’s original sake lees chocolate cake. It’s very light, almost like a flourless chocolate cake. And the tofu milk kuzuyu with cherry and red beans. Most of the dishes were sake inspired which complements the varieties of sake from The Ontario Spring Water Sake Company.
Gourmet Kobo Sushi at Marché Restaurant
181 Bay Street, Unit 1075, Toronto, ON M5J 2T3 » View Map
t. 647.342.8411