Elite Event: Sake Tasting at Ponsonby Road Bistro

I am very pleased that my first Elite event in Auckland was as fun and informative and sake-​filled as this was.
The small number we were meant that I was able to meet several fellow Unilocalers for the first time and there was plenty of sake to try. The nibbles were delicious but not numerous, but maybe that’s because I am a little bit greedy and always hungry after work! Melissa from Ponsonby Road Bistro was very friendly and knowledgeable, I would love to come back here for a full meal (and I will!)
Alex did a great job organising and I can safely say the event was enjoyed by all. I can’t wait for the next Elite event, fortunately for me it is happening very soon!

Alex — nailed it again. Always a pleasure to attend the Unilocal Events, Alex clearly puts so much thought into them.
After a very hectic day, it was such a pleasure to be greeted at PRB with a cool glass of sparkling sake. I always love going to PRB, it’s a restaurant for ALL occasions. I’ve had work Christmas events here, birthdays here. All the staff are so well trained, I can’t really fault anything. The nibbles were so delicious too.
THEN learning all about sake from the guys at Tokyo Food. So informative. To be honest, I’m not actually the biggest sake fan, and I think that’s partly to do with the fact that I’ve only ever had cheap and nasty quaffing sake. So nice to have the good stuff, it’s definitely changed my mind on sake.
Also lovely to meet fellow Unilocalers — I’m definitely heading over to Waiheke for some wine tasting with Sean.
I’ll always head back to PRB (love their menu), but next time I’m locking in a bottle of that sparkling sake. We’ll also get in touch with the guys at Tokyo Food for some more information — especially for that trip we’ve got planned to Japan!
Thanks Alex and the Unilocal team!

So, apparently, I like sake.
For those curious folk out there, here are three tidbits I learned (and retained!) from last night:
1. «Sake» is actually the word for alcohol in Japanese
2. The quality of sake is dependent on the extent of the rice milling (i.e. a more polished rice grain yields higher grade sake)
3. Good sake is meant to be sipped/​savored (…despite the sake bomb spectacle the USA bar scene so enjoys ;)).
A huge thank you to Mark and Tomo for teaching us the in’s and out’s of Sake, to Alex for another fabulous (and educational!) YEE, and of course to Ponsonby Road Bistro for not only hosting us, but also for introducing us to some beautiful sake-​inspired cocktails and keeping us satisfied and (partially?) sober with some nibbles ;)
(That ginger/​asparagus/​tofu concoction was incredible!). I clearly need to come back for a full meal in the very near future!

Had way more fun here than expected! Enjoyed a demonstration from the PRB bartender about the new sake cocktails that they are now serving there (I’m loving the store-​made cucumber gelato). And had plenty of sake to drink.
The presentation of Sake by the Tokyo Liquor guys was fascinating, learnt a lot about the sake-​making process and drinking culture, enough to score myself a bottle of sparkling sake from winning the quiz.
The whole team ( Unilocal, Ponsonby Road Bistro, & Tokyo Liquor) put together a fantastic night for the Elite members! Make sure you join the elite team!

Fantastic evening getting a chance to visit The Ponsonby Road Bistro for my first Unilocal Elite event.
From the arrival I was immediately recognized and greeted by Alex and served a glass of sparkling sake (quite unusual and surprisingly tasty with a hint of sweetness). After a quick chat and some mingling it was straight on to the main event of sampling Sake inspired cocktails and foods to match.
The manager (Melissa) gave a short introduction to the plan for the evening and was friendly and professional. I’m guessing the restaurant runs as smoothly as this event did and so I’ll be coming back for a meal in the future.
It was quite nice that there weren’t too many people at the event as I got a chance to meet and speak with everyone over the course of the evening and exchange a few business cards. It seems like Unilocal attracted some ‘switched on’ people and I think this bodes well for Unilocal growing in popularity and success in New Zealand!
Thanks, Alex and thanks Unilocal

Another entertaining, super ‘Yelp Elite Event’ (in the bag) hosted @Ponsonby Bistro tonight!:) with the lovely Alex and fellow Unilocalers.
I must say I am rather a ‘virgin’ when it comes to ‘sake tasting’. What an experience: Lycée Saketini or Japanese Sgroppino anyone? Can you even say those words out loud? :)
I forgot to mention before these tastings, we were lavished with ‘sparkling sake’ that was suitably replenished as you sipped away.
There was scrummy crumbed squid on offer and salmon extravaganza, in one mouthful (literally).
So next up, Melissa (great name, not me) spoke to the Unilocal community about the background on sparkling sake, and what was expected for the rest of the evening, five stars for engagement, who was the lovely owner.
Then there was more fun instore. Mark spoke to Unilocalers about the process of making Sake, classifications (re quaffing, standard and premium)? Also we were given a condensed handbook packed with information and ideas on food matching and product profiles.
The most exciting part of the evening, after all the tasting and gorgeous gastronomy, was a pop quiz. This was unexpected and as I was only paying 50% attention, due to nocialising, I did not get ⁵⁄₅ this time:))
Enjoyed, indulged, loved every minute. Met some amazing Unilocalers (new friends) too, yah!