Melbourne Sake tour
In celebration of Spring - we are bringing a little piece of Hanami to Supernormal. We’ll be hosting Melbourne Sake founders and producers Matt Kingsley-Shaw and Quentin Hanley for a one-night-only dinner. The fun-loving boys are thrilled to be involved, and invited our beverage team for an exclusive tour of their Melbourne-based brewery in the heart of Brunswick.
The team were shown all of the specialised equipment, raw ingredients and detailed processes, and they can’t wait to share everything they learned.
"Aside from the pure unbridled deliciousness, I loved the opportunity to see and taste the ebbs and flows of Matt and Quentin's journey so far by highlighting the subtle nuances between rice types."
-Dan Barca Head Wine Buyer, Supernormal
“I was really excited about the use of different yeast strains and how different the final sake tasted.
I learnt in depth about the process of making rice - from receiving the rice to the final product in great depth. The visuals helped immensely.
I was genuinely surprised at how simple the steaming process is. The boys had a very basic set-up but it seemed to work fantastically.
The overall experience was unreal. Honest and genuine duo just wanting to highlight Australian produce. They're putting a lot of effort into using rice from independent farmers.”
- Sandra Petrovski Sommelier, Supernormal
I took advantage of this opportunity straight away because I was really excited to be able to actually visit a Sake brewery outside of Japan.
We learnt all the process of rice fermentation, different types of rice used to make Sake,
different temperatures used to steam the rice and ferment the rice in tanks - thanks to Matt's extraordinary knowledge.
- Ettore Ragusa Restaurant Supervisor, Supernormal
Spring Sake Dinner
Taking inspiration from Japan's world-famous Hanami festival - where thousands flock to picnic under the thick canopies of sakura - we are hosting a special sake dinner with Melbourne Sake on Wednesday 5th October.
Floral artist Katie Marx is creating an installation of spritely, magical blossoms to surround guests as they dine from a seasonal menu with carefully considered sake pairings.
All of the local sakes are expressions of the 2022 brewing season, using two different rice varieties. There's even a small batch bitter and blood orange sake made exclusively for Supernormal.
MENU
HANAMI SAKE DINNER MENU
140pp
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On arrival, Kombu Martini - Jinzu gin, sake, kombu
House made Szechuan pickles
Nori cracker, bluefin tuna, bonito & gochujang
2022 Melbourne Sake 'Koshihikari' Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Delicate white floral character with minerality and fresh acidity
Hokkaido scallops, green yuzukosho butter
Goma udon salad
2022 Melbourne Sake Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu Nigori
(made exclusively for Supernormal)
Smooth, dry and full-bodied with a rich velvety texture and gentle acidity
Saikyo miso roast NZ Ora King Salmon
2022 Melbourne Sake 'Tachiminori' Junmai Muroka Nama Genshu
Wild and vibrant with aromas of grass, pear and green yuzu
Sher Wagyu with roasted radicchio
2016 Kozaemon 'Bizen Omachi' Junmai Kimoto, Gifu Japan
Full-bodied and rich, with clear acidity. Savoury and nutty notes with the complexity of bottle age
Soft meringue, sheep’s milk yoghurt, apple & shiso
2022 Melbourne Sake Blood Orange & Bitter Orange
(made exclusively for Supernormal)
Pure and balanced, a gently sweet citrus-infused sake
