Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Any wine shops that carry a large variety of Sake?


kurl

Recommended Posts

Sorry if this has been posted before (couldn't find anything), but -- prompted by a recent visit to Morimoto -- I'm looking for a wine store with a good selection of good sake. Obviously decent prices and a helpful staff would be a plus.

Any tips?

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These have been recommended to me from previous egullet posts. I've been to the first and they had quite a good selection

Ambassador Liquors

1020 2nd Avenue (54th St.)

New York, NY

Sakagura

211 East 43rd Street, B1

New York, NY 10017

(Between 2nd & 3rd Avenue)

Landmark

on 23rd, between 6th and 7th

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ambassador Liquors

1020 2nd Avenue (54th St.)

New York, NY

Yeah that's the one - friend of mine manages a few of the piano (hostess) bars in the neighborhood - all those mysterious Japanese places with a single chinese character on the door and a buzzer, and they go through a lot of sake and schochu - so if I ever need either he told me he gets 20% off...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

My boyfriend has somewhat been getting into sake, and it seems that many places have overlap - no one location seems to carry everything.

That being said, Astor Wines and Liquors has a pretty good selection. I searched their site, but didn't find the one you were looking for, unfortunately. I don't suppose you know who the distributor/importer is, do you?

"I know it's the bugs, that's what cheese is. Gone off milk with bugs and mould - that's why it tastes so good. Cows and bugs together have a good deal going down."

- Gareth Blackstock (Lenny Henry), Chef!

eG Ethics Signatory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh wait, look what I found: clicky

All the way downtown - 9 Broadway (hence the name "New York Wine Exchange"). No idea what their selection is like otherwise, but a category search for "sake rice" (why "sake sake" and "sake rice"? no idea) brought up at least 50-something results.

Edited by feedmec00kies (log)

"I know it's the bugs, that's what cheese is. Gone off milk with bugs and mould - that's why it tastes so good. Cows and bugs together have a good deal going down."

- Gareth Blackstock (Lenny Henry), Chef!

eG Ethics Signatory

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes the larger retail stores have a selection. Also, some liquor stores in the east 40s and 50s around lex and 3rd have expanded sake selections to service all the japanese night businesses around there. But I would say it's totally worth the toll to hit the Mitsuwa in Edgewater, they have an entire aisle and much better prices. for that one in particular just google the name and buy it mail order, but I would find an analogue at Mitsuwa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I passed by a shop in the East Village 9th Street (between 1st and 2nd aves.) that looked like it just sold sake. We were late for our next appointment so we didn't stop in, but it looked like a really nice store.

Karen C.

"Oh, suddenly life’s fun, suddenly there’s a reason to get up in the morning – it’s called bacon!" - Sookie St. James

Travelogue: Ten days in Tuscany

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!! Thanks for the replies.

feedmec00kies...Thanks for finding it. I've been looking for a while for it with no luck. I post on Egullet and someone finds it within 30 minutes.

Has anyone been to Mitsuwa?? I've never heard of it before. The one perk of my job is that I drive around and can go to many places. Coincidentally I will be in NJ tomorrow so I will try and stop by.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone been to Mitsuwa?? I've never heard of it before. The one perk of my job is that I drive around and can go to many places. Coincidentally I will be in NJ tomorrow so I will try and stop by.

Mitsuwa is a fantastic and enormous Japanese store on the water in Edgewater. That said, be prepared to pay through the nose for pretty much anything, though the quality will be top-notch.

If you go to Astor, ask for Greg, he's been a great help in the past. Tell him I sent you. But many of the stores mentioned should be able to assist you as well.

Cheers! :cool:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mitsuwa is a fantastic and enormous Japanese store on the water in Edgewater.  That said, be prepared to pay through the nose for pretty much anything, though the quality will be top-notch.

I'd disagree with that assertion. Everything there is Japanese, which costs more, but you get a much higher quality. for booze, it should be cheaper than anywhere in the city. they are simply the Costco of Japanese groceries. if you buy stuff on sale and in bulk, you can save really big bucks! but even small stuff is cheap. you end up buying more there because the variety is so great.

Read the 'get thee to NJ' thread for more on mitsuwa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mitsuwa is a fantastic and enormous Japanese store on the water in Edgewater.  That said, be prepared to pay through the nose for pretty much anything, though the quality will be top-notch.

I'd disagree with that assertion. Everything there is Japanese, which costs more, but you get a much higher quality. for booze, it should be cheaper than anywhere in the city. they are simply the Costco of Japanese groceries. if you buy stuff on sale and in bulk, you can save really big bucks! but even small stuff is cheap. you end up buying more there because the variety is so great.

Read the 'get thee to NJ' thread for more on mitsuwa

Landmark on 23rd probably has a better sake selection than does Mitsuwa. Landmark without a doubt has better and more knowlegable staff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The east village place is called sakaya. They're really into their sakes and super helpful so even if they don't carry the particular sake you're after i'm sure they can either find something similar or look into placing a special order for you .

the blog:

http://www.sakayanyc.com/blog/wordpress/

Yes, I see they've opened! These are friends of mine (particularly Hiroko, who is also eGullet member ankomochi, but hasn't posted lately). This is a place dedicated to sake only. These folks are very serious. Do contact them if you're not finding the sake you're looking for elsewhere.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mitsuwa is a fantastic and enormous Japanese store on the water in Edgewater.  That said, be prepared to pay through the nose for pretty much anything, though the quality will be top-notch.

I'd disagree with that assertion. Everything there is Japanese, which costs more, but you get a much higher quality. for booze, it should be cheaper than anywhere in the city. they are simply the Costco of Japanese groceries. if you buy stuff on sale and in bulk, you can save really big bucks! but even small stuff is cheap. you end up buying more there because the variety is so great.

Read the 'get thee to NJ' thread for more on mitsuwa

Then they've lowered the costs since the last time I was there, which, admittedly, was about 7 years ago, when I worked in NJ. Good to know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vino - Perhaps... Ownership has changed since then -

Todd - I know I've made it a habit to disagree with your assertions, but here too

gallery_34137_2425_19358.jpg

gallery_34137_2425_6455.jpg

That's the aisle at Mitsuwa. The sake importers have gotten a lot better at their marketing so now the displays often have "Wine Enthusiast" type tags

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^^raji, Vino on 27th? Changed ownership?! We were just there a few weeks ago, and had a nice chat with Charles. IIRC, they do have sake, but only one or two varieties.

Karen C.

"Oh, suddenly life’s fun, suddenly there’s a reason to get up in the morning – it’s called bacon!" - Sookie St. James

Travelogue: Ten days in Tuscany

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Vino - Perhaps... Ownership has changed since then -

Todd - I know I've made it a habit to disagree with your assertions, but here too

gallery_34137_2425_19358.jpg

gallery_34137_2425_6455.jpg

That's the aisle at Mitsuwa. The sake importers have gotten a lot better at their marketing so now the displays often have "Wine Enthusiast" type tags

The people who run Landmark have actually tasted everything they sell---try finding that at Mitsuwa. I'm also not sure that Mitsuwa has more types of Sake, I was at Mitsuwa a few months ago and they selection didn't look bigger or better than Landmark. Raji, have you actually been to Landmark recently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...