A Special Valentine at Sumika: Romantic Italian Wine Tasting Menu
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Chef Yoshiyuki "Maru" Maruyama specializes in kushiyaki, or grilled skewers, a finely honed and venerable traditional Japanese cuisine skill. To the majority of Westerners, who identify Japanese cuisine with sushi, tempura and little more, Sumika's traditional cuisine, which in addition to grilled meat includes home style soups and rice "casseroles" offers a novel experience.
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In December 2006 Sumika poured Italian Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC Spumante Extra Dry "Gorio", by Azienda Agricola Malibràn, provided by our Italian Flavor Consortium, to its customers for the holidays. As patrons appreciated the pairing, Ms. Ozawa Kuniko, the previous Silicon Valley high-tech sales and marketing executive who reinvented herself as yakitori maven when she opened Sumika in 2006, decided to go forward with another Italian-Japanese "marriage" of sort, proposing a Romantic Italian Wine Tasting Menu, selecting four wines provided again by our Italian Flavor Consortium, paired with a five-entree, reservation-only dinner throughout Valentine's day week.
"I always thought –Why has only sushi been introduced (in the US?)– Kushiyaki is more traditional Japanese food, everyday, after-work food," said Ms. Kuniko. "I want to focus on only one thing, so that it can be the best – the best yakitori (chicken skewer) in California."
The flavors are simple, yet very refined. The locally raised free range chicken thigh, kobe beef, and prosciutto-like slices of black pork wrapped around vegetables, are rubbed in Japanese salt and grilled over smoldering charcoal, where they acquire a smoky, rich flavor. A combination of these skewers are eaten typically as first course and followed by a rice dish.
For the picky eaters, or patrons who are new to Japanese cuisine, a safe bet is the oyako-don. The dish consists of slightly sticky small-grain rice mounded in a bowl and topped with a casserole or stew of chicken, broth, fresh greens and cooked egg.
For a sophisticated surprise try the red miso soup. The salty, grainy paste made from soybeans, blossom in warm water creating a cloudy soup with an earthy taste, providing a more "adult" taste compared to the bland white miso served in most restaurants.
Ms. Kuniko and chef "Maru" met when he visited California on his honeymoon. It took her over a year to convince him to leave the restaurant where he was working in Japan and move to California to manage her kitchen.
In a fairly short period of time the restaurant managed to attract many customers of Japanese descent from around the Bay Area, mostly by word of mouth. Ms. Kuniko aims is to introduce the Japanese food culture in a very sophisticated way.
"(Sumika) is very casual, but very authentic, just like in Japan," said Kuniko.
Early birds can take advantage of a $10 three-course menu including red miso soup and oyako-don.
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