On Sunday, February 28th, we will be holding a Sushi Master Class with Roka Akor Executive Chef Roman Petry. After learning some background information about the restaurant, Japanese cuisine, and the ingredients you will be working with, you will discover how easy it is to make some of your Roka favorites at home. From California maki rolls to sushi rice, Chef Petry will demonstrate his techniques, share some of his secret tips and tricks, and guide you as you recreate sushi masterpieces on your own. He will also explain how to pair the sushi with sake, Japanese beer and shochu. This hands-on class combines a great learning experience with a fun weekend activity and a chance to taste some delicious sushi–that you made yourself! Space is limited, so call (480)306-8800 today to reserve your spot. Cost is $75 per person and includes all food and beverages.
Posts Tagged ‘Shochu’
Sushi Master Class With Executive Chef Roman Petry
Monday, February 22nd, 2010What is Shochu?
Saturday, January 30th, 2010With all the attention our new Izakaya menu and Shochu Lounge have been receiving lately, a lot of guests have been wondering, well, what on earth shochu is.
You may have heard of it before by another name–soju, as it is known in Korea–or perhaps you have yet to be introduced to this delightful beverage. Popular in Japan, shochu is just starting to make its mark on bars across America. While similar to sake, shochu is distilled rather than brewed, and can be made from a variety of base ingredients, the most common of which is barley–others include rice, sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and chestnuts. Shochu can legally contain up to 45% alcohol, although 25% is standard.
Although shochu has been produced in Japan since at least the 16th century, its notoriety among more stylish sippers is a relatively recent phenomenon. Previously regarded as an old man’s drink, the beverage surged in popularity in 2003 due to some very clever marketing, and has been on fire ever since (literally–the word ”shochu” is written using the Chinese characters for “fiery liquor”!). Health-conscious consumers revere it for its low calorie content (about 15-20 calories per ounce) and reputation for preventing thrombosis, heart attacks and diabetes, while everyone else just appreciates it for, well, its delicious flavor.
Speaking of flavor, you’re probably pretty curious to taste it by this point. Roka Akor’s Shochu Lounge offers shochu in two different traditional forms–mixed in cocktails, or chilled infusions to be sipped and savored. Infusions are made by macerating fruits and herbs in the shochu and come in over forty different flavors, including pineapple, Fuji apple, and honey. Try one before your next meal at Roka or stop by the Shochu Lounge to enjoy a drink with some selections from our new critically acclaimed Izakaya menu!
Roka Akor Celebrates the First Week of Izakaya with a $2 Menu for Socializing & Sharing
Monday, November 16th, 2009Roka Akor is introducing a new Japanese Izakaya menu and culture to their Shochu Lounge on Thursday, November 19th. The menu will be available nightly from 5pm until close. To celebrate, Roka Akor will be offering all menu items, beers, wines, sake and shochu for only $2 each for the entire first week from November 19th through November 25th.
Izakaya means “place of sake” or “gathering place”. In Japan, Izakaya are informal bars where people meet after work to snack on small plates and drink beer, sake and shochu. Holding true to tradition, Roka Akor’s Izakaya menu features a twelve affordable small plates for an average of $6 each. The reasonable prices and small portion sizes are ideal for sharing with friends and sampling many different dishes.
The menu is a combination of Roka Akor’s eight most popular happy hour treats and four additional dishes developed by executive chef, Roman Petry. The braised beef short ribs with daikon, salt-grilled hamachi collar with tomato ginger salad and tenkatsu-fried pork belly with shredded cabbage are a few menu highlights. These dishes are perfect when paired with the also-affordable beer, sake and shochu selections.
“Izakaya is all about creating a fun and unique dining experience,” says Petry. “You will find people socializing over great food and drinks any time of the evening and we are transforming our Shochu Lounge by this culture. Izakayas are in most major cities and we are excited to introduce our menu to Phoenix.”
An all-night experience, Izakaya will replace Roka Akor’s happy hour. This menu is ideal for those who want just a couple of bites or are stopping in for a solo dinner.