Gastrolust

One free afternoon meant a trip to SakeOne and a chance to tour the finest sake-making brewery in America. While it happened to be Saketini Saturday, I chose instead to do the “Shock” tasting to learn how sake can pair with food. My pairings:

• MOMOKAWA NAMA-ZAKE & Italian Prosciutto
• G ‘JOY’ SAKE & Roasted Red Pepper & Feta Tapenade
• MOMOKAWA ORGANIC JUNMAI GINJO SAKE & Sesame Honey Almonds
• MOONSTONE ASIAN PEAR SAKE & Briar Rose Creamery Rosemary & Peppercorn Chevre
• NIGORI NAMA-ZUME & Chocolate (60% Cocoa)

I also enjoyed some Yoshinogawa Daiginjo, which showed me how good a higher-end, Niigata sake can be. But in addition to learning about the sake-making process, I discovered that I like the purity of a good nama-zake (unpasteurized sake).

Murals at SakeOne

From the tour, a description of the sake-making process

Getting ready for sake pairings

Hungry, but not wanting to spoil our appetites with a big feast awaiting us, we drove into the town of Forest Grove and talked about how a taco truck would hit the spot. Then, suddenly, I hit the brakes when I saw a school bus on the side of the road. Not a taco truck, but a taco bus. La Estrella #2 to the rescue – and better than the tacos we’d try in the Yakima Valley the following week.

It’s a taco bus!

Perusing the menu

The bus’ dining room

Tacos, typically tongue, tripe, and one other