Customers sometimes ask me, "How do you come up with new menu items? "
In our case, some ideas are proposed by the chef, and some by me. Either way, we make lots of prototypes and then I give the go-ahead to make them into the menu.
We offer pizza and pasta, so overall our cuisine leans towards Italian, but there have also been periods when we served British shepherd's pie and Spanish omelets, and we've also dabbled in Tex-Mex chili con carne and occasionally made Japanese-style hot pot.
So it's a mishmash of genres.
So sometimes people ask me , "What kind of shop do we run?", but the answer to that question is simple: we are a store that sells New Zealand wine and a variety of creative snacks to go with it .
The English text on the new sign was supervised by Mr. Ishiguro, who is a familiar face on this site.
We offer dishes that are familiar to Japanese people and that we believe go well with New Zealand wines. That is our current style at Bokumo.
By the way, I like Japanese food, Italian food, and Spanish food. I'm impressed by the French food I eat at wedding receptions and other events, because it's like edible art.
A restaurant that introduces the food culture of a particular country or region gives you an opportunity to imagine the people who live in that area. Learning about a world you know nothing about is a very enjoyable experience.
But that’s not what we want to do.
Of course, the main focus is New Zealand wine. I want people to enjoy the wonderfully catchy and deep world of New Zealand wine. But I don't want to run a restaurant that introduces New Zealand food culture.
This is because I think it would be more interesting if the food that accompanies New Zealand wine is familiar to Japanese people and has a wide variety. I think it would be more fun if there were a variety of snacks from different genres.
Why did I come to this conclusion?
I think that's probably largely due to the influence of Katsuya Kobayashi.
I have been working with Katsuya Kobayashi, a leading figure in the radio DJ world, for over 20 years now. For those of you who grew up with Best Hits USA, Katsuya is probably best known as the "leading expert in introducing Western music." But to me, I think of him as more than just that: I think of him as a "mixed-up pro."
If you listen to Katsuya's radio show, you'll understand that he mainly plays Western music, but also Japanese rock, pop, idols, and enka. If you look at the song list, you'll see that he introduces a wide variety of music genres. He always suggests songs that seem to resonate with the current atmosphere by extracting them from his vast archive, asking himself, "If it's this mood at this time, how about this?"
And sometimes, with great precision, they'll surprise the listeners with something unexpected .
This is quite difficult to convey in writing, but for example, after reading the story of a great person, I play music without introducing the piece. Then, the familiar music sounds completely different than before, and a new way of interpreting the music is added. That's the way it works (by the way, I am in charge of the manuscript for that story). Do you understand? Maybe I'm not good enough at writing, even though I'm in charge of the manuscript...
Anyway, I keep proposing that new enjoyment can be created from music depending on "how you arrange it" and "what words you play it after." That's roughly what I think it's like.
His suggestions always reflect Katsuya's "unique perspective on music," which he has acquired through observing the music scene and interviewing artists for over 50 years.
It's like Katsuya the Giant takes aim at the music floating in the sky, picks it up, rolls it up, and pops it into the air, and it takes on a whole new glow. I'm sorry for using such a sudden metaphor, but that's the image I have.
The restaurant business I work in is completely different from Katsuya's radio show, and I don't have anywhere near the influence he has. But I feel like I've picked up on a sense of "a coherent hodgepodge" and unconsciously put it into practice.
Isn't this a good way to enjoy wine? Even if it's not the conventional way, as long as it has New Zealand as a base, combining it with different types of cuisine can create something unexpected and give it a new sparkle.
With that in mind, this week I've put something a little different on the menu.
"Soft-shell shrimp rice noodles (with coriander)."
The wine shop tries rice noodles. Hahaha. A little unexpected. A little strange. I think that's good.
This actually comes from my own experience. When I was touring wineries in New Zealand, one winemaker told me, "This wine is selling in Southeast Asian markets like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia," which made a big impression on me.
It's true that New Zealand is geographically close to Southeast Asia. There are quite a lot of Asian people living there, too. It's natural for there to be cultural exchange, and I thought it made sense that winemakers would make wine that would be accepted in Asia.
In the wine world, pairing aromatic white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Gewurztraminer with spicy or herbaceous Asian foods is a classic example of pairing.
Knowing how well they go together, I thought it would be a good idea to try them at my restaurant, but I couldn't think of a way to make them into "super delicious rice vermicelli that can only be found at a restaurant." So I hadn't been able to put them on the menu until now.
However, a while ago, I had an idea. I remembered that there was a popular menu item called "soft-shell shrimp" that had been pushed aside by the new menu items that have been released one after another recently. If I brought it back and combined it with rice noodles, wouldn't it taste pretty good?
After several trials, the chef added a certain spice, saying, "Actually, I like to add this spice," and it turned out to be a hit! It goes perfectly with New Zealand white wine! So, it has now been added to the menu.
The spices aren't that unusual, but I'm not going to tell you yet.
Of course, we will let you know if you come to our store (restaurants are still in a difficult situation, so we have to do something sneaky like that lol).
So that's why...
This week's pairing suggestions
New menu item: Soft-shell shrimp and rice noodles (with coriander)
Here are some wines that go perfectly with this delicious rice noodle. I was greedy and chose four: three whites and one rosé.
Giessen Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Compatibility ★★★
Recently arrived organic Sauvignon Blanc.
The herbal flavor of the wine matches very well with the flavor of the coriander, leaving you with an aftertaste like rice noodles coated in citrus dressing.
Gibson Bridge Pinot Gris Reserve 2018
Compatibility ★★
New Zealand Pinot Gris has a somewhat thick, full-bodied flavor and can be paired with a wide range of foods.
If you drink this wine while the strong flavor of the shrimp is still lingering, you will be able to enjoy a gorgeous, layered taste.
(By the way, this wine will be sold out soon.)
Osawa Wines Flying Sheep Gewurztraminer 2014
Compatibility ★★★
The combination of coriander and Gewurztraminer creates a very exotic flavor.
The secret spices hidden in the rice noodles go well with the spiciness of the wine. Adding some hot spices will make it even better.
Graham Norton Pink Design Rosé 2020
Compatibility ★★
The home of rosé, southern Provence in France, is a treasure trove of seafood. The French have already proven that seafood and rosé wine go well together.
The strong flavor of the shrimp blends pleasantly with the slightly bitter rosé.
Ok, that's it for this week's blog.
After this, music. See you next week!
From the album "Momo" by Katsuya Kobayashi & The Number One Band (1982)
"The Rumored Come to Hawaii"
