The Joy of Sake

Joy of Sake 2013 —
— another great year but this time at the Honolulu Convention Center. Not as cozy or as claustrophobic as the Art Academy but a good venue of prize-​winning sake, good food (if you are willing to stand in line) and entertainment (subtle jazz music).
Parking at the convention center: $ 10
Changes from the previous years:
— food tickets — present your food «tickets» to the attendee collecting the chits for the specific booths; Hoku, Nobu, Halekulani, Chef Chai, Doraku, Vintage Cave, etc.
I suppose they did this because people didn’t get to sample anything in the previous years as it was a free-​for-​all and you could go back and stand in line and eat continuously; food ran out fast — not so at this venue but the lines were long.
— free bottled water for the designated drivers :-)
One tiny gripe: nowhere to put your plate, not even standing tables. You had to basically juggle your small sake cup and your plate and eat in line. It was quite a feat.
I loved the floral displays in water — tall cylinder vases filled with rocks, orchids and leaves. I was thinking they needed a huge, giant display in the middle of room filled with electronic candles, japanese ikebana arrangement and maybe a Torii with an illuminated straw barrel of sake, that would set the mood — (hire me next year, OK?) ;-)

Joy of Sake was fabulous! Took a cab to be a responsible drinker and not worry about finding my car. Very well planned and organized with lots of room to avoid crowding, except the sushi bar. With 3 hand rolls per person and multiple trips back that was heaven. Lots of food to sample and more sake than I could possibly try. I just went for all the 3+star ratings and paced myself. After 25 samples they started to all taste the same. Haha.
Definitely going next year

This review is for the Joy of Sake 2012 which was held this year at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal near the Aloha Tower. This is my second year attending this event and it was just as good the second time around as well. Being a Unilocal Elite sure has it’s perks because if it wasn’t for having this kind of status, i probably would have never attended these past two events. But thanks to Emi H and staff who give Unilocal Elites these kinds of opportunities, it sure pays off to eat at all the best places and review them as you taste it.
Now as for the location of this place, it was the perfect place for such an event. There were tons of free parking and this place place was huge. There is only one downfall to this place, and it bothered me from the time i stepped foot into this place, was the air conditioning. I was sweating like a pig and you could see it on the dress shirt i was wearing. It was like i was at a 24 Hour Fitness just getting of the treadmill or if someone threw a bucket of water all over me. I understand the air conditioning was on, but with the vast amount of people attending this event, that Joy of Sake Fan that i purchased for two bucks sure came in handy. I thought it was just me, but there were other people i overheard saying how hot it was in there. Next time i’ll bring a tanktop and wear some Speedo’s to next year’s event if it is at the same place again.
Now on to the event. If there is a reason for coming to these type of events, it is for the sake period. I see no other reason to shell out 80 dollars to come here and wait in line for hours and a day to eat these little morsels of food that will leave me hungry as i leave this place. Don’t get me wrong, the food is unbelievably good at this event and pairing them with the best sakes around the world makes it all worthwhile.
Being the Sake Whore that i am, it is virtually impossible to try all of these sakes in two and a half hours, but i tried and it left me feeling like i died and went to sake heaven. There are ten Sake Brewing Regions in Japan.
1. HOKKAIDO-​Hokkaido
2. TOHOKU-​Aomori, Iwate, Akita, Miyagi, Fukushima, Yamagata
3. KANTO SHINETSU-​Ibaragi, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama, Niigata, Nagano
4. KANTO-​Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Yamanashi
5. HOKURIKU-​Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui
6. TOKAI-​Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie
7. KINKI-​Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara Wakayama
8. CHUGOKU-​Tottori, Shimane, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yamaguchi
9. SHIKOKU– Tokushima, Ehime, Kagawa, Kochi
10. Kyushu– Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita, Miyazaki
Of all of the Sake Brewing Regions, i truly enjoy the sake from the Hokkaido and Tohoku regions where the climate gets really cold and produces some really good sake. I am a really big Daiginjo fan. I love that it is very light, fragrant, and fruity with a subtle taste. It is very easy on the palate and is a favorite of mine whenever i eat sushi. Although people say Dry sake or Ginjo Sake is the way to go, i opt for the fruity characteristics of a Daiginjo anytime i go out to eat Japanese food, especially Sashimi and Sushi.
Now i have to tell you, there are throngs of people that attend this event and that just goes to show how many sake lovers there are out there. I actually run into a lot of people who are in food and beverage industry and meeting fellow elites such as Kim M and seeing Thomas O and our fearless leader Emi H here make this an event to remember.
As for the food here, i tried almost every food station here, but these places stood up above and beyond everyone else although they were all very good.
NOBU: Big island Abalone with Sake Soy Butter and Dry Miso with Chives
This was probably the most popular food item all night with the lines wrapping around like a snake without a tail. This dish matched perfectly with Yamatoshizuku Junmai Daiginjo from Akita, Japan. It was like a match made in heaven.
THE PIG & THE LADY: Fresh Pai’ai on Kalo Tostones with Taro Stem Ceviche and Rice Paddy Herb
Ok guys, i am definitely not a vegeterian but after eating this dish, i might just convert. The flavors when eaten with just one bite just took me ro another demention. How could something like this be so good? I washed it down with a some Wataribune Junmai Daiginjo from Ibaraki Japan.
CHAI’S ISLAND BISTRO: Thai Style Oxtail Soup with Bihon Noodles with Cilantro and Hawaiian Chili Water
I am gonna have to confess and say that i had three servings of this because it was so fricken delicious and it was what you need after a drunken stupor like i was experiencing after my sake feeding frenzy. I truly loved the broth and subtle flavor of this dish and if Chai’s Island Bistro has this on his menu at Aloha Tower, i am so there. It was something that me sweat even more but i could careless because this surely hit the spot. Great dish Chef Chai!!! Oh by the way, i forgot what sake i had with this, but at this point… WHO CARES!
Everything else i ate was just pedestrian for me.
The Joy of Sake 2012… GREAT!

So as far as all the delicious food goes please see Jacob N’s review
because he was my Sake buddy and we hit up all the vendors together as a team! All the food was as he says and my favorites were: The Pig and The Lady, Halekulani, Cakeworks (green tea macaroons), Gyotaku (for just the risotto), Chai’s Island Bistro, Prima, and Marians Catering (Pork lollipops – the second helping was totally my idea!!)
But the Sake was really the star of the show with upwards of 390 different types being showcased. I really enjoyed the sparking Zipang sake from Gekkeikan. I actually insisted on leading the entire Unilocal group over to their table and making everyone try some because I liked it so much. Also I discovered a hidden sochu at the TY-​KU booth that really nicely cleansed our sake-​ed out palates.
What my main take away from this (sake-​wise at least) is that I prefer filterd, very cold sakes. But the cold preference may have been due to the fact that it did get very warm in the pier 2 venue.
Joy of Sake would have gotten 5 stars on the basis of food and sake alone but throw in getting to me AWESOME Elite squad members like Jacob N, Chad Y, Cy C, Timothy P., and the even AWESOME-​ER Unilocal Honolulu Trio of the incredible Emi H. Thomas O, and Pua P. and you’ve got a guaranteed hit on your sake glassed hands!
I am most definitely going to be back next year & I’m making all my Japanphile/​Alcoholic friends go too!

***I was going to try to write a better, more in-​depth review but instead please refer to the ones written by the other Elites! I read a few and they were so AWESOME and informative… way better than I could have ever written anyway. That and I think I lost my program book… I was counting on that to help me write my «super good review» LOL, oh well. There went that plan.***
This was an event I’ve seriously been longing to attend for YEARS now. Finally got the chance to attend the latest one, held on July 20 at the Aloha Tower Pier 2 terminal. The venue was awesome and I thoroughly enjoyed everything about the event. We are making this a must-​attend yearly thing from now on. This year tickets were $ 80 each ($ 10 off with promo code online), OR $ 90 at the door.
I don’t think I tried one or two of the food booths, but my favorite of the evening:
BANZAI Sushi=enoki mushroom and asparagus wrapped with yuba & shabu style rib eye, served with a wafu-​dashi fondue.
I swear I must have eaten at least 4 skewers (so 8 pieces), and would have happily eaten more but by then it was crunch time and we decided to go out to eat more after and focus on the sake instead of the food. The guy from Banzai who was passing them out probably knew I was being a pig and eating them secretly all by myself (I had initially asked him for multiple orders on one plate because «I was going to share with my friends»…ya right). Yes, that was a lie. Sorry! But nothing stands between me and good food — you gotta do what you gotta do! Heehee.
As far as sake goes… apparently it is all about the Daiginjo A (go for the ones that they bring in especially for the event… some can only be found in Japan!)
Majority of the ones I ended up liking were conveniently located on the same table. Which happened to be right behind the bench we were sitting at. SCORE.
THE WINNER (in my opinion)…Seitoku daiginjo! So smooth. Wonderful. So if anyone is planning a trip to the motherland soon, may I please request that they bring back a few bottles for me? =p
TIP #1: Go in a group. People can hold an area/​table while you run off and get multiple plates of food/​sake. We found a bench and this set us up for a successful night. Otherwise, it would be SO hard to eat AND hold your little sake glass AND walk around and try not to bump into people AND try in vain to fill your little glasses with a plastic eyedropper tool… not to mention my new heels were killing me. You want to dress up (people do dress up for this)…but at the same time you are torn because you KNOW it would work more in your favor to ditch the sexy stilettos and be able to stroll around barefoot (the quicker you walk the more sake you get, hypothetically!) Plus the event is only for 2.5 hours (6:30−9:00 PM) — therefore you really want to try to get to all the food and sake that you can.
TIP #2: CATCH A CAB. Enough said. Cops are on special duty at the event too, so please just be safe when planning your evening. Better to be safe than sorry.
There are also vendors selling hand-​crafted sake glasses there!
Overall, I loved every minute of my first experience at Joy of Sake & I CAN’T WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!

Ok, wow. So this isn’t an update, but actually a continuation of my review. Apparently this event was so epic I had hit the 5000 character review limit on Unilocal,and I still haven’t finished talking about the food! If you’re starting here you might want to jump down to my previous entry for this review since this is the continuation. :P Now where was I… Oh yes!
Umami Café: Hand Rolls – Lobster, Spicy Tuna and California — Since there were three different kinds I did the obvious practical thing and got one of each! They were all delicious, and what pairs with sake better than sushi? It was a match made in heaven!
Unfortunately I spent most of my time eating, drinking, and making merry, so I don’t have an awful lot of pictures to show for it, but I did remember to snag a few shots of some of my favorite sakes of the night!
Seitoku Daiginjo:
Dewazakura Oka Ginjo:
Kinsho Hishimasamune Daiginjo:
The live on-​stage entertainment provided by Soul-​Kyo (a trio of koto, bass and synthesizer who amazingly fuse together smooth R&B themes with traditional Japanese music) had set the mood for the night. Aside from Enka I can’t imagine a better music to listen to while enjoying some excellent sake.
The brand new Pier 2 event venue was pretty huge, and yes, it was air-​conditioned. But with the sheer number of people roaming around eating and drinking the room started to get pretty warm. I was told that the setup at the previous years Joy of Sake at the Sheraton was more efficient, and flowed smoother, but since I had nothing to compare it to I thought it was alright for the most part with just a few bottlenecks at some spots. There’s a lot of space out there on Pier 2, so I can see this becoming quite a great event venue in the future! They’ll just need to crank up the AC when it gets crowded.
It was a wonderful night hanging out with fellow Unilocalers, and meeting new friends along the way. I can’t imagine a better way to have popped my Joy of Sake cherry than with these awesome Honolulu Yeeps! Thanks to everyone at the Joy of Sake, and all the participating restaurants and companies, my fellow Unilocalers, and especially the spectacular Emi H. for making it all possible!

Even though I am not the biggest sake fan and more of a beer person, I still consider the Joy of Sake to be one of the better foodie events in Hawaii every year. Due to the growing popularity, I was glad that the organizers decided to have this year’s festivities at the Pier 2 Cruise Terminal in the Foreign Trade Zone to accommodate the large crowds.
That being said, for anyone looking to attend this event in the future, there are a few tips to remember. More than anything, you need to arrive early to secure parking and also to maximize your time spent drinking & eating. 2.5 hours might sound like a long time, but time flies when you are standing in lines for food and sipping all the sakes.
Speaking of the food, there is a lot of it but if you want to partake in most of it, you should hit up the food stations first before indulging in the wide array of sakes. Food typically does run out especially for the more popular restaurants, so stuffing your face first is a must if you have your heart set on trying certain dishes. Unlike myself, my friend could not resist the temptation of all the sakes around him and disregarded my sage advice. Towards the later part of the night, we made our way to the area with the pork tenderloin dish that I was telling him about that I had tasted earlier that night. When asked where the pork tenderloin was, I told him that the empty space he was standing in was where the food station for that was located.
Even with the endless array of sake tables, they Joy of Sake always has a great line up of appetizers from some of the best restaurants in Hawaii. Here are some highlights of everything that I was able to try.
Chai’s Island Bistro
Thai-​Style Oxtail Soup with Bihon Noodles, Cilantro, & Hawaiian Chili Water
— To my surprise this was one of my favorite dishes of the night and was the perfect compliment to all the sake that I had been drinking. I love oxtail, but this dish was all about the yummy broth that just hit the spot. My only wish was that they was still some left at the end of the night.
Nobu
Big Island Abalone with Sake Soy Butter & Dry Miso with Chives
— This was the one thing that I wanted to try no matter what and turned out to be my favorite dish of the night. The food at Nobu never fails me and this dish was no different. The fork tender abalone had a buttery flavor that just melted in my mouth. With the line being a mile long, I could not help myself and had to take to 2 dishes since I did not plan on wasting my night standing in this long line again.
Stage
Green Tea Smoked Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Togarashi Spiced Fuji Apples, Shiso, and Crispy Garlic Chips served with Miso Braised Daikon
— I thought that the flavors were just okay, but I have to say what made this a dish to remember was the tender pork tenderloin from the sous vide cooking process. I like garlic, but something like deep fried leeks or lotus roots would have been a better option for the crunchy component of this dish.
Salt
Kampachi Tartare with Orange-​Shallot Jam and Edamame Guacamole
–This dish sounded a lot better than it was. With a fish like kampachi, I want to taste the fish and would have a preferred a carpaccio dish that would have highlighted the fish more.
Kaiwa
Tako Carpaccio with Wasabi Style Vinaigrette
–The tako was tender, but was overpowered a bit by the vinaigrette. Not one of my favorite dishes, but it did go well with the sake.
BLT Steak
Local Style New York Strip Tataki with Bacon Popover, Jalapeño Mash, and Ho Farms Tomato Salad
–This dish sounded a lot better than it was. Not bad, but not as great as I had hoped. For me this dish was like going on a date expecting to meet Mila Kunis and instead a waitress from Chili’s shows up. Nonetheless, the bacon popover was tasty but did not make up for the New York Strip which was a little too tough for my liking.
Genius Lounge
Mentaiko Pasta in Kombucha Cream Sauce with Nori & Julienne Cucumber
–Although I liked this dish, this reminded me of something that I could actually make myself at home. Regardless, I love mentaiko and it was the perfect combination with the pasta noodles.
Banzai Sushi Bar
Rib Eye Steak with Enoki Mushroom & Asparagus Wrapped with Yuba & Served in a Wafu Dashi Fondue
— This was a dish that sounded a lot better than it actually was. I am all about subtle flavors but the meat needed some more salt or some sort of additional flavoring component. I felt like I was a eating a piece of shabu shabu meat, but without the dipping sauce.
The Pig and the Lady
Fresh Paiai on Kalo Tostones with Taro Stem Ceviche and Rice Paddy Herb
–Who knew veggies could be so tasty? One of the 3 favorite dishes of the night.
All in all, I ate and drank to my hearts content and look forward to attending this event next year.

I had no intentions going to Joy Of Sake but when I received the email from Emi about free tickets to the event I had to RSVP. Must have been my lucky day because I got a ticket. Woohoo!
I entered the event around 6:30 — 6:40 and while I was waiting for my friends to come I grabbed as much food as I could before the lines started to form.
The first 3 restaurants I tried were
GENIUS LOUNGE (Mentaiko Pasta in Kombucha Cream Sauce with nori and julienne cucumber garnish) — it was good, a little oily but the pasta was nicely coated with mentaiko
SALT (Kampachi Tartare w/​orange-​shallot jam. edamame guacamole, sake lees tahini) — This was fresh and refreshing and was definitely one of the lighter dishes available
PIG AND THE LADY (Fresh Paiai on Kalo Tostones with Taro Stem Ceviche and Rice Paddy Herb) — Yummmm. This was probably one of my favorite dishes.
BANZAI (Rib Eye Steak, Enoki Mushroom and Asparagus wrapped with yuba and served in wafu-​dashi fondue) — I liked this dish, especially because I love yuba. My only complaint was that the asparagus was a little hard.
PRIMA (Panna cotta with fennel marmalade and coffee salt) — This was not a sweet panna cotta, instead a very cheesy and rich dish. I wasn’t a huge fan, I think partially because I was so surprised by the cheesiness)
BLT STEAK (Local New York strip tataki with bacon popover, jalapeño mash and Ho Farms tomato salad) I was so disappointed with this dish. The steak was okay and about half the cut was fat and the popover was soft. Its hard to eat a soft popover when I’m used to eating them piping hot out of the oven.
GYOTAKU (Sake-​Braised Pork with Garlic Risotto) — This was very rich but the pork was tender and the risotto was cooked al dente
UMAMI CAFE (Hand Rolls — Lobster/​Spicy Ahi/​Imitation Crab) — I could have eaten these all night. Who doesn’t love hand rolls with some sake. The line was crazy at all times though, making it a little less appealing.
MARIANS ISLAND WIDE CATERING (Glazed Tender Pork Riblets served on sesame moyashi with horseradish aoli) — The pork was tender and they definitely had used some sake to cook it but I thought they used a little too much shoyu
CHAI’s ISLAND BISTRO (Thai-​style Oxtail Soup with Bihon Noodles, Cilantro and Hawaiian Chili Water) — I was pretty full by this time so I only ate the oxtail which was very tender. The soup was good too but honestly I was so stuffed I had to throw it away and pass on the noodles)
KAIWA (Tako Carpaccio with Wasabi Style Vinaigrette) — This was another refreshing dish with a nice kick of wasabi in the sauce.
CAKEWORKS (Ume macarons, azuki-​filled green tea macaroons) — I guess it was our fault for going late because the only ones they had left were ume. blehhh they had furikake on the outside with an ume filling… Definitely not my favorite. I think a sorbet or a refreshing dessert would have been better.
I’m a little ashamed (as a Japanese) to say I don’t really drink sake or know anything about it. Luckily I went to the event with two Japanese people one who works in F&B and knew some people at the event who recommended some sakes to us. After a while I would spot the ones with a gold/​silver star (won a award) and an astrik (only available in Japan) and try them. Many of them were so smooth it was like I was drinking water. Dangerous. But by the time 8:30 rolled around, everything tasted delicious.
Another great thing about the event was that I got to hang with some of the Unilocalers for a little bit. I met Kim M whose reviews I’m always reading so that was pretty cool.
I will definitely love to go to this event again next year if I can, I had an awesome time!
Unilocal 365: ¹⁹⁴⁄₃₆₅

This event was amazing!!! All you can drink sake… no only all you can drink but there were 329 different sakes with many of them only sold in Japan… sweet, bitter, dry, warm, cold, whatever kind of sake you want its there.
Several restaurants were there serving food as well… all tasted fantastic! You walk around the Academy of Arts while sampling sake and food while meeting and chatting with others who are sake enthusiasts as well.
Superb event that one should go to at least once in their lives.
The Joy of Sake also offered a free class to learn the sake basics before the the actual event… free bottled water (good safety measure)…large variety of sake cups for sale along with tshirts, sake holders etc… great great event!!!

Joy of Sake was a wonderful collaboration of entertainment, a beautiful & historical venue, amazing food, and of course, sake! There was seemingly an unlimited amount of different sakes to try all throughout the academy of arts grounds. Every corner was filled with people enjoying this unique event. The $ 80 fee plus the lines at the food booths and ability to go wild with tasting hundreds of sakes might sound intimidating. But definitely muster up courage to attend this event if you are curious about Japanese culture and of course are in for having a great pau hana time (as the event begins at 6pm Friday).
This was my first time at the event, however I went with a friend who had gone previous years before and we followed this game plan:
–Arrive early! On top of finding better parking, there are also festivities to enjoy prior to the event. An introduction of the sake experts/​judges, taiko drums, a lion dancer, and a ceremonial cheers are what those who came late missed. I also purchased a $ 3 souvenir sake cups (which continued to be sold throughout the night) to commemorate the event. Also nice for environmental purposes, instead of contributing to disposing of multiple plastic sake cups.
–Another reason to arrive early is to be able to get some of the food before the vendors run out (and avoid massive lines). The food is from the big name restaurants in town (Nobu, Hoku’s, Halekulani, etc) and it is well worth going for alone. We went to all of the food vendors prior to tasting sake so we’d have something in our bellies before drinking. We went back later in the night to the vendors that we had favored more for another taste.
–All of this gotten out of the way, then we were able to just enjoy the sake tasting! We made sure to ask questions to anyone who was around about the different sakes, as well as refer to the maps for the locations of the different premiums (ginjo, daiginjo, junmai, etc). It was a great learning experience.
–Enjoy the entertainment! The live music and performances were great.
–Mingle! Socialize! And most importantly, have fun. It’s always nice to run into some familiar faces, talk story and catch up.
Overall great experience, and I look forward to attending another Joy of Sake event again.

If you are a Sake fan this is an amazing event for you to go to. I was so impressed with the venue. Three of my friends came and were basically all impressed.
If you are coming for just food, This event was pretty good. The Pork Belly was excellent. It was soft and melted in your mouth with a little bit of crunch to it. There was a huge line for the Pork Sliders with Green Papaya salad. I was worth the wait. It was just the perfect blend of everything from the bread to the pork. The Ahi Meatloaf was really neat. Tasted like a very good fish cake. Also there was rice wrapped with pork with was nice. I honestly didn’t find any fish dishes to majorly rave about but I kind of like the salmon with potato mousse. It was a nice blend of potato and salmon. The Shrimp Cheviche was ok to me. I did like Marrion’s Catering sushi and Fried Chicken but it was kind of simple for this event and I can get that anytime. Cake Works made a very cool dessert. I looked like sushi but it was basically mochi and gummy fruit candy drizzled with a guava sauce. It was a very pleasant surprise to eat.
Now I wasn’t there for the food, I was there for the Sake. Food was the added bonus. Wall to Wall of different types of Sake and all you can drink. You can control the amount in your cup through a dropper. I tasted some great sake to some down right horrible ones. There is the old saying that after a few cups of sake everything tastes the same. Untrue. Though most of my other senses were completely destroyed midway through the night, My tastes buds still worked with the Sake. When we came to the end of the night, we drank a cup of mango water from Hoku’s. It was the perfect way to end our evening. It was refreshing and it cleansed my palate. I LOVED THIS EVENT!!! I am DEFINITELY coming back. Only thing is that parking was a slight problem and it was crowded. I would suggest coming early or the food will run out. Also you may want to had a designated driver because I was in no condition to drive that night and I luckily did have a designated driver. Dress seemed formal and casual. Its up to you. I think I’m going to go in t-​shirt and shorts with rubber slippers next time. I HIGHLY recommend this event.

I must have a disclaimer for this review… as with a few of my other ones… I didn’t try ANY of the sakes. If I did, I know the oodles of people there would have probably given me stink eye for poisoning my unborn child with alcohol. One of the people of the JoS and my husband’s boss told me to drink because you’re not in the first trimester, your baby is developed already! Lol Mila, thanks but I’m not risking it.
Anyway, unlike last year, the event was on a thursday not a friday like last year so I was able to go early… we arrived at the event around five. We parked across the gas station so we didn’t hafta pay the $ 6 but either way, it was easier than finding parking at 6:30 like we had to last year. I was even able to enjoy the introduction for the event with the taiko drums. Since we were there early and they weren’t letting us in, the husband and I helped his boss check people in. We figured we should be helpful even though his boss said he didn’t need to work this year. Yay! That kinda made me aggravated working there… people were just rude. Not the people working but these people got all crappy at ME (I’m just helping… not even supposed to be working) for not getting them a program… this lady was like can I get a program? I’m like sure, go get one over there… I’m helping people check in now. It was literally like 2 feet away… I just couldn’t reach it. SERIOUSLY. Go walk your happy butt there and get yourself one. Insetad she just stood there and grumbled to her husband about it. WHATEVER.
Anyway, on a happier note, the husband and I entered when it started and we were able to get all the foods we wanted to try. There were less people this year (they took only a handful of walk-​ins versus the couple of hundred they agreed to last year). We still had to stand in line for food but it wasn’t as bad. My favorite dish? Probably Nobu’s because their ahi melted in my mouth and also, Kahala Mandarin’s drink thing. It was SOOOOOOOO refreshing. Other than that, they were all good… although a crazy amount of fish dishes this year. The only thing we didn’t try was Hakkei’s but I’m okay with that. Last year I only tried a few things and instead, got drunk off sake lol. Most of the foods were good… the only weird one? Not bad, just weird or different perhaps was the Cake Works one… I don’t think they should have made it like sushi… stick to what you’re good at and don’t venture into the unknown.
The husband tried quite a few of them… pretty much just the award winning ones or the ones only sold in Japan because his company pretty much sells the rest so he’s tried them all. He said they were all quite good.
This year was good because A) less people and B) water bottles! I wouldn’t be surprised if they kept it at the Art Academy since they give JoS a steep discount for having the event there and the Convention Center cut into their profit (more like break even) margin.
If you’ve never been and you love sake, this is your place to go in August. Eat ahead of time or at least a late lunch so you’re not starving or get too tipsy too fast.

Once again the Joy of Sake brought joy to my tastebuds.
I look forward to this event all year. Yes, Im a big sake fan.
However, I wish it would go back to the convention center cause its air conditioned and easier to maneuver.
The food was great… Chais amae ebi… ooishii. Lewers Street Lounge and Delicous. Nobus, etc.
and…Sake Galore…
I cant wait for next year…
I wish we could buy some of the sake too.

First time coming to this event. Heard many good things and how can any sake lover resist all this rice under one roof?
Housed in the HNL Academy of Arts; food and a variety of sake were distributed across the grounds’ hallways and courtyards. Place was packed.
Lines were tolerable but wasted time and longest at the better food tables (i.e. Nobu, Town, Hoku’s, Lewers Lounge, etc). Food does run out, so yes, early bird gets the worm.
Overwhelmed with where to start and make some sense of the madness, I surrendered order and perused the halls. I started at Daiginjo A & B, then proceeded to one Ginjo then a couple of Junmai tables. Personally, I discovered that I dislike Ginjo, I like Junmai and I love Daigingo. Great, as Daigingo retails for a pretty penny. Damn it!
I ate as much as I could and ended up hovering near the entrances’ Daiginjo A/​B tables. When you’ve discovered the ones you like, stay static. Wish I had brought a pen or highlighter, but my camera phone worked to capture the names and bottles that I hope to have in my possession soon.
«I like this one, is this available for purchase in Hawai’i?» Reply, «Ah, this one’s nice, but only available in Japan at this time, sorry.» That was my story all night.
A pleasant and crowded experience of mass tastings. Not an intimate engagement by any means.

Had a lot of fun at this event tonight. Was a bit on the small side with 39 different sake to try, but the selection was excellent, and we were able to purchase some pretty expensive bottles for $ 20 each (blind draw!) I liked the fact that there were several people floating around to answer questions and make suggestions. Definitely worth attending.

Holy crap there was a lot of sake. There was too much sake. Yet, with all the lines for the food, I had to wonder what most people’s agenda was in going to this event. They had some interesting desserts– a pineapple granita-​type thing and a green tea meringue that was… different. My only complaint was that there were no sake experts on hand to educate you about what you were drinking. Just grab an eyedropper, and help yourself! Banzai!

This was my first time this year. It was $ 70…I don’t know if it was actually worth $ 70, but I did drink LOTS of sake and ate ALL the food there. =o)
I would totally go again.

«The largest sake tasting event held outside of Japan» & «300 great sakes including 100 labels not available in the U.S.» deserves 5 stars from me! There’s going to be «seasonal appetizers prepared by Honolulu’s top chefs» as well. MMMMMmmm…
Funny, I never heard of it before and they’re in their 7^th year. I saw an advertisement card for The Joy of Sake at a Greek restaurant, actually. Weird. Anyway, it happens TOMORROW, August 23 from 6:00 — 8:30 p.m., tickets cost $ 65 per person. I’m probably not going to make it, sadly, but I’ll see if I can swing it.
Check out their website. It’s pretty cool.