On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Loading...
Really, when free booze is involved, how can you not give a place 5 stars? This tasting is worth calling in sick for. Yes, you have to go through the museum (which is small) and watch a movie before you get to taste, but both were interesting and I am a lot more knowledgeable about sake now. Then the tasting occurs and you basically get to try everything that they sell at Takara -- which ended up being about 20 (small) glasses of sake. The tasting room is a really nice setting, and the kind of place I would like to have a small party -- if only my friends would leave San Francisco once and a while. But really, it's totally worth the trip - even if you are one of those people who never leave the city.
People thought this was:
Husband is much more of a sake drinker, and he LOVED it. The server was extremely knowledgeable and we spent a long time just learning about the different types of sake from him.
I have a much more sweet palette, but their sweet flight was just right for me.
Nigori Silky Mild
Nigori Crème de Sake
Two flavored sakes, I had the Fuji Apple and Lychee
Two Plum wines, I had Takara and Koshu
The awesome thing about the plum wines is that the Takara was made with a white wine base, and the Koshu with a sake base, so tasting them one after another like that allowed me to taste the difference in the method (the Koshu is much more complex and interesting).
The Lychee sake was also AWESOME.
The husband had the advanced flight (B), and it had the more traditional sakes in it. He loved several of them, and we ended up buying a few bottles to take home.
Certainly worth a trip if you're in the area. The 'museum' is basically a room with a bunch of old sake related stuff in it, but there are some useful diagrams that explain how the stuff is made. The best part is the tasting. Like other reviewers have said, $5 buys you a flight of six sakes. There are numerous different flights, so your options are open. A great way to learn a bit about that stuff you drink with sushi.
Plus, it is right next to Vik Chaats for some after sake dining.
People thought this was:
Went sake tasting with a few friends here. The lady serving the sake was very nice and patiently described all the different types of sake, from the dry to the fruity flavored types. She covered topics such as proper serving temperature, shelf life, and more. Finally, she even demonstrated how to properly taste the sake (by sort of gargling it in your mouth I guess).
As other yelpers said, the factory tour isn't too spectacular. It's more of a museum set up than a factory one. In the front entrance there is a large window overlooking the sake making machines, but that is as close as you will get to them. Past the front entrance is a small museum, which is pretty interesting if you have the time to read the entire little exhibit descriptions.
Also, the atmosphere in the tasting room is very calm and has a quiet ambiance. Don't come here expecting to do SAKE BOMBS!
I would highly advise a trip to Takara for a tasting before any outing in Berkeley. My group of 6 came here on Saturday before the Cal v. Maryland game and it was surprisingly empty. There was no need for a reservation but they do make you watch a movie and go through the museum before you taste the sweet nectar.
At $5 for the varietal tasting of 6 sakes, you can't go wrong. I was also able to switch out my Nigori for the Creme sake which was the best along with the Name. The flavored sakes were a little too sweet but the lychee flavor is definitely advisable. My only gripe was that the tastings were a little small and that you can only do one type of tasting per trip. The staff is also very knowledgeable. And for all you people that noticed I was drinking on the sabbath... they have a sign in the place that says EVERYTHING is kosher but they have a tricky little bottle of "Koshu" sake with Hebrew-ish lettering that is not pareve! Tricky!
You would think that the prices in the brewery would be less than outside, but they are about 2.5x the price in the stores. My basic 1.5L Sho Chiku Bai sake that I get at Koreana Plaza is only $4 but it is $10 in the brewery store.
They give you just enough so that your heart warms up to buy one of their fancy Sho Chiku Bai T-shirts and a bottle of Name sake to go.
Me: What there was a museum?
friend: Yes dummy , hence the name : M_U_S_E_U_M
Me: So there's a museum and not just sake?
friend: aiya. How much did you drink?
Me: A little
friend: liar!
Me: A little more
friend: What day did you go?
Me: Monday
friend: Why did you still smell like sake on Tuesday?
Me: I plead the fifth
Sake + me = trouble
Get yourself into some trouble too. You will get an amazing sampling of sake you've never tasted. Wonderful!
People thought this was:
This place is so nice, clean, light, airy; just like good sake!
We've been here twice... unfortunately, the tasting is now $5, but that still isn't bad at all, for all the detailed expert info you get on your choices, provided for by a very knowledgeable staff. She even remembered us, and the first time we came we got stuck with a huge (obnoxious) group!
We always end up buying something special afterward. You can't help it after you've been so well informed!
This is great for beginners into sake. Bring your friends and let them into the world of Nihon-shu!
When you hear me referring to my supplier, as in, "I have to hop on my bike and make my monthly visit to my supplier" you should know I am talking about Takara.
I have discovered recently that sake is among the most portable and palatable take-with-you booze options out there. More potent and compact than wine, it sneaks devilishly into a picnic blanket. It's novel at parties. It usually hits people harder than they expect. It doesn't explode when you get home if you've just jostled it about on your bike. It is refreshing, but it's not Chardonnay (me - not a fan).
5 bottles (each serves two) for under 22 dollars? That's one party BYOB requirement (i usually bring the extra dry and the nigori), one pic nic, one sushi night, and one impressive surprise at the concert. I'll say it again: that's value.
People thought this was:
What a cheap, fun, local, uhm "ethnic" alternative to wine tasting! And a great idea from EBay Yelp… Read more »
The average bottle of Sho Chiku Bai you can buy in a store is about the worst sake in America. At least it's appropriately priced, and isn't bad if it's fresh, warmed up, or dropped in some cold beer. So I really didn't expect much stopping by the Takara factory on a whim one day. Having always seen it from the highway overpass for years, I finally decided it was time to give them a shot. Approaching the delapitated exterior and walking through the sterile, yet aged interior gave me pause for caution. But coming here turned out to be a fun excursion with a number of things to do:
-The often mentioned free sake samples (which got this light-weight drunk the past few times I've been here).
-Tour the small museum room of historically interesting (oxymoron?) sake making tools.
-Watch a grainy informational video on Takara sake probably made over a decade ago, on a TV made over two decades ago.
-Buy sake at reasonable prices.
The reason #1 is more than enough to come here. You might learn a thing or two about rice wine, and if not: you've got some free booze! Discovering their Lychee flavored sake was an unexpected bonus for me, and I'm sure everyone will find one drink they'll enjoy. Coming here won't take up a lot of time and isn't exactly date-material, but is a good place for a short stop-off during a busy afternoon, or to get a little buzz before heading off to eat dinner.
People thought this was:
I always thought sake had to be served piping hot. I was annoyed of this fact because those bottles that restaurants serve sake in have no darn handles on them.
Alas! This does not have to happen. Sake should be served warm but not too hot!
I had the pleasure of picking up a couple of sake tidbits during Takara's $5 sake tasting. You get a couple of tasting menus to choose from. I went with their "standard" menu which included a nice variety of their sake. The hostess also provided us a chart to fill out while we went through each item on the menu. I noted flavorful or smooth or .... ok this is too much work. I'm just gonna sit here and enjoy the sake.
People thought this was:
$5 a person for tastings is very reasonable. We were able to reserve a private room for a group of 14, and they set it up really nicely. We started with a self guided tour of the sake making equipment (warning - it's stuffy in there in the summer), then a video, and then a tasting of 5 or 6 different sakes with personal introductions/explanations of each.
I wish there was something to munch on :P Sakes purchased there are really reasonably priced, and they have a nice variety, from lychee flavored sake to stuff that tastes like the fermented Chinese rice dessert (jiu niang). It's fun to go with a group :)
People thought this was:
If you enjoy sake, you will enjoy coming to Takara Sake USA, a factory where sake is brewed and bottled. When you enter, you're advised by the friendly people at the tasting area to go to the room with various Sake artifacts. It's a bit geeky and historical with diagrams showing how sake was initially made with people pressing rice and doing stuff to it, etc.
It was kind of interesting to note that there are only a handful of sake factories in the USA, most of them here in California. Depending on your sake taste preference and sake expertise the helpers give you decent dixie cup quantities of sake.
They were marketing a sake and gave an extra shot each and told us to circle the word that described what we felt it tasted like.
After the tasting, you'll be comfortably buzzed. That's how they try and convince you to purchase their bottles which I feel are overpriced. My favorite sake was definitely the gold flaked sake. Nothing cooler than drinking a little gold. Although I was respectably drunk after the tasting, I wasn't convinced that purchasing a bottle was the way to go.
It definitely makes me want to try the vodka tasting room in Alameda. I think that will be next on the agenda.
After that, you go to the mini theater to watch a quick 10 minute video clip about sake. Nothing memorable here, but sort of fun. It made ponder whether wineries require people to watch the movie Sideways before entering the tasting room.
Now the fun part. You go the tasting area where two lovely ladies and an older man charge $5 for a sample of about 5-7 types of sake.
My friend and I stumbled upon this place because we saw a sign off the freeway for sake tasting a few weeks ago. Their museum is small but has a good amount of information regarding sake making as well as a short video. The man behind the counter was super friendly and was very knowledgable. For $5, you could sample six sakes. The prices per bottle were also very reasonable. I bought a bottle of their Koshu Plum sake (very good) and lychee flavored sake (I know it's a bit odd) and used them as mixers. This place is worth checking out, as we thoroughly enjoyed it. It can be kind of hard to find if you're new to the area and street parking can be a bit of a pain if it's busy so just look out for the building.
The film looked very hokey, so we skipped it and walked around the museum for a while. The museum was pretty disorganized and small. The sake lady at the bar sent us here before allowing us to taste. She was really knowledgeable.
A flight of sake tastes is $5. I went with another mini Asian female and we were drunk as skunks after sharing 2 flights. The pours are extremely, extremely generous -- as they should be (Japanese custom, ask your Japanese friends). We had to go around the corner to Vik's and eat for like 4 hours so I could sober up before driving home. There's no way to get here on public transit.
I am including tasting notes in case you need to buy sake and have to drive immediately afterward:
The first flight was the traditional sampler (A) for beginners. A good variety, and LOTS of sake:
- Sierra cold (all CA -- Sierra water, Central Valley rice): light and clean, like a good white wine.
- Nama: fuller bodied (it was like drinking rice, you could feel it in your mouth), alcoholic aftertaste
- Chokara: full body, a alcoholic bite going down, clean aftertaste
- Nigori (unfiltered, sweet): Honeydew! Drink as an apertif, I would!
- Hana Lychee (low alcohol by volume): A lychee-tini in a bottle. Smells and tastes just like lychee! I would have gotten a bottle to go home, but I refused to check my bag.
- Koshu Plum Wine: Cloyingly sweet. Ugh.
- Organic Nama: pronounced rice and mushroomey flavor, light, smooth, nice finish. This was my friend's favorite.
Flight D (Kimoto / Yamahai course): Pricier, imported sakes from Japan. To be honest, these were all different, but my palate is probably insufficiently developed to tell you exactly how they're different. Here's a try:
- Shirakabegura Bizen (bottle is frosted white, red bottom, with a white label, imported and without any English on the label, hence the description): slightly rounded body, mild rice flavor, sour notes going down
- Shirakabegura Kioke (bottle is frosted white, red bottom, brown label): aged in a wooden barrel, woody-smoky in the mouth, mushroomy nose. Very smooth, easy palate, clean finish. I could drink this pretty much every day.
- Shirakabegura Kimoto: made with traditional methods including the paddle wheel and hand-mixing. A bit alcoholic going down, rounded body, nutty mushrooms in the mouth.
I'm going to have to go back and try flight E. It looked really interesting. One was called Antique (and was $55 for 750ml, one of the more expensive bottles to buy), that looked really interesting, and another one ($35 for a 1.8L bottle in a presentation box) had gold flake in it!
p.s. -- They have a website and ship to many states, check it: http://www.takarasake.com.
People thought this was:
Great fun and you can get buzzed for cheap. I am always in this place and bring anyone who is new to berkeley here, first thing. Not only do you get Sake samples, but you learn much about different methods of brewing altering flavors of the brew.
Me Love Dis Place Mucho
Cutest tasting room I have been to in Berkeley. Sho Chiku Bai. And only $5. The setting was peaceful and serene only thing missing was a waterfall. We took a ton of photo's because it was my birthday...
My birthday entourage and I enjoyed the host tremendously...(thou I can't for the life of me remember his name). He never hesitated to answer a question, gave us more info on Sake then we ever cared to know and even let us try a few extras...We also enjoyed the small museum, but did not get the chance to watch the video...
I think I just have expensive taste because of course the sake w/ the gold flakes was my favorite ($50 price tag) I walked out of the store w/ 3 bottles ( Koshu Plum, Hana- Fuji Apple and Nigori- Silky Mild), 2 shot glasses and a Sake serving set...($46 bucks total)
Overall an enjoyable hour that gave me a new found appreciation for Sake. I will be going back again to try a few different verities...and to stock up on more Sake...
How can you not give this 5 stars is beyond me?!?!?!
The "Lady K" and I love sake. It's such an interesting drink. So many flavors. Hot, cold or room temperature. Small bottle, large bottle or one with gold flakes floating around it in. 40% polished or no polished at all rice to make it with?
These are just a few of the things I learned at the Takara Sake USA tour. Well worth the drive and well worth picking up a bottle or two to bring home for your next sushi party. Enjoy!
People thought this was:
I love me some milky nigori sake!!! You would never know that this quaint tasting room and mini museum exist from the outside of this factory. I was pleasantly surprised walking into this inviting space, and enjoyed reading about the long history and the backbreaking work that has gone into sake making. The tasting room attendants are always very nice, helpful and knowledgeable - and they can also help clue you in to some local sushi restaurant recommendations. Grab a cool SHO CHIKU BAI t-shirt or sake set while you're there!
Just down the street from Anthropologie, you'll find this hidden sake tasting room. For $5 you get to taste 8 different sakes! There are a bunch of options to choose from and by the end you'll definitely find something you like.
There is a so-called "museum" there, but really, it should just be called an educational room describing how sake is made. It's definitely worth checking out before you leave.
Oh, and there is a parking lot on Addison right before the railroad tracks. This is a great way to finish off an afternoon of shopping on 4th Street.
People thought this was:
I first tried the Takara unfiltered sake while eating sushi in Berkeley, and it was rice heaven! I couldn't get enough, so I went to Safeway and got some bottles so my friends could experience this wonderful concoction! They all loved it!
One day I will go try the sake tour, I went to the factory to buy a case and it had a sake smell the moment you stepped in! This place gets 5 stars for just existing! Everyone(of age) should try this stuff!!
You are supposed to make reservations for groups of 7 or more. They still accommodated our large group of 10, but you should make reservations so they can better prepare for you. Our bartender was nice. It was a little hard to hear her, but she explained everything well if you are still sober and paying attention.
I tried the first flight? of 7 shots for $5. 7 shots sounds like a lot, but you won't really get drunk since the alcohol content is low. The sake tasted good, a lot better than any that I've had at restaurants (probably cheap crap??). I left with a bottle of a light/mild "Sierra Cold," and the apple flavored sake which my friends liked.
I would come again, trying 7 different sakes for 5 bucks is a good deal!
People thought this was:
Big big factory but small tasting area. The horrible thing is that you might wait a long long time before you actually get to taste. Sometimes there are huge groups of people just chatting away not even TASTING!!! geez how inconsiderate. I dont like to eavesdrop but my ears are big and I cant help it. This group was talking about the time they had sushi and someone fell over or something after drinking too much...AND THEY HAD NOTHING TO SAY ABOUT THE SAKE....move out of the way for people who really want to taste.
Anyhow, they have like 6 different selections for tasting. A-F, and each selection has about 6 different sakes to try from. I went for the C which I regret cause it just didnt appeal to me all that well. My lady went for the F which was mainly for desserts, you know sweet stuff. But boy man that C selection got me buzzed...I turned pink when I got out and I had to have a smoke...either I cant hold down my alcohol or it was just strong.
So whatever you taste and you like, they have for you to buy. Inexpensive and its a fun experience. Oh yea I forgot to mention they have a little museum in the back talking about the old days of sake making..
People thought this was:
The factory was a little out in the middle of nowhere. Our tour kind of sucked. The best part was the museum and the tasting. The museum was small, but informative. I think it was $5 for 11 tastings. It ranged from dry to sweet, from cold to hot. The lychee sake was delish!
When you go, you get 5 different "courses" to choose from. It is $5 a course. The staff is knowledgeable and can answer all or your questions. I've never had so many different types of sake before, so I enjoyed it very much.
The tasting bar is not that big, so you may have to wait your turn. :) It's worth the wait!
I wish I could say the sake tasting was informative for me. Unfortunately, I'm a feather weight when it comes to drinking. After the 4th tasting I started getting a little tipsy and all I could think about was, "this would taste bomb with calamari.."
At the end of the tasting they give you the opportunity to purchase what you sampled for almost half the price of what they go for in the stores. By then I was all liquored up couldn't pass up the opportunity. My gf and I picked up the sweet stuff-- 2 bottles of the Lychee flavored sake and 2 bottles of the plum wine for about $45! Not bad!
Though I did learn a thing or two during my tasting, I'm still not quite sure what to order when I go to my local sake lounge:X Looks like I need to pay them another visit but this time I'll go with food in my stomach so the sake doesn't get the best of me before I get the best of it.
People thought this was:
A while back II went to Takara to produce some TV stuff. The staff were great guys but it seemed they were slow when I called and followed up...as in way, way too mellow.
Got to Takara, interviewed a few people. Things went well...then we went to the production floor and then I understood why these guys were so mellow. Can you say AERATED SAKE contact high?
It seems these guys were breathing it for at least part of the day and getting a contact high. Okay I don't know this but I suspect it. Wacky and wild. Other then that, fun place, great staff.
I have to say this was my first Sake (or wine) tasting experience and my BF and I had so much fun!! Its about a 2 mile walk from the bart station which wasnt that bad really. you cant miss this place. its huge and a big sign on the building says sake tasting. So we went up the stairs and you get to see into the brewery. you have to walk through the museum and watch the video before you can taste tho. which was fine because i wanted to watch it and see how sake was made. its a very interesting process. this is a great place for people who are just starting out.
my BF and i are happy we went because now we can go to the store and buy the best ones that we tried. its $5 per course. the novice course is the one we tried and we got to try 6 or 7 different ones. We tried Sierra Cold (made with real water from the Sierras: very crisp, light and refreshing. we bought this one.)
next came ShoChikuBai NAMA (bold and tasted fainty like banana)
next was ShoChikuBai CLASSIC (we had this one warm: so delicious i wanted more but it hit me like a sack of bricks!! haha. im a light weight. it was very smooth and enjoyable. it makes you feel warm and is lovely in the throat.)
next was ShoChikuBai NIGORI silky (it was the creamy one and was strong, sweet and had a lovely aroma. we bought this one.)
next was HANA Lychee flavored sake. (it was sweet but in a mild way. and tasted like you bit right into a juicy Lychee!!)
next was KOSHU Plum (way TOOOO sweet. tasted strongy of cherry and almond. too much will make you feel sick.)
next you get to choose what to taste. we chose HANA. i tasted apple and my BF tasted raspberry. (both subtley sweet in a perfect way. we bought raspberry.)
Seirra Cold 300mL = 5.25 (4.99 in stores.)
Hana Raspberry 750mL = 10.50 (10.99 in stores.)
Cream de Sake 300mL = 4.50 (3.99 in stores.)
i highly suggest this place. it is great for the begginer and for the experienced. my BF and I agreed we have more courage and insight in sake. this is also great for groups. there was a group of about 10 people behind us as we were leaving. open everyday 12-6pm
$5 per course per person. there were about 5 of 6 courses. even courses especially for people who certain tastes. including an all sweet course. i think id try that one next time.
it made me want some Sake Sashimi after. lol.
we passed a sushi place 5 mins later while walking back to the bart station.
I've had a week off from work for Thanksgiving Break, so of course it's been raining, and I have been going stir crazy. I decided it was time to check out some yelp reviews on places I could go that wouldn't involve getting muddy. On a friend's page I saw a 5 star review for Takara, and decided to give it a try.
My previous experiences with sake have been at Japanese restaurants when I really had no idea what I was ordering and ended up hating every sip. I've only had it warm. And I probably had just ordered the cheapest type on the menu. So, my expectations weren't too high. I figured I might just hate sake, and at least I'd leave there knowing that for sure.
After parking in the midst of a whole lot of construction near Takara, I took a quick 5 minutes self-tour of the museum (it's just one room) and refused the movie (because of reviews I had read). When it was time for the sampling, I decided to pick the Sweet Variety Course Sampler of Sake. There are several different courses of Sake you can choose from, and this one said it was for those who like sweet wine. 6 samples were included all for $5, and it was well worth it. I had the:
1) ShoCkikuBai Nigori Silky Mild
2) ShoChikuBai Nigori Creme de Sake
3) Hana Lychee Flavored Sake
4) Koshu Plum (Plum Sake)
5) Kinsen Plum (Plum Wine)
6) Takara Plum (Plum Wine)
I took my time and tried each. The sampler lady (I am so bad with names) explained how I was supposed to sample the sake (I am kind of an idiot with this type of thing) and explained what each could go with/what she does with each. For one, she said she puts it on top of ice cream, another she mixes with seltzer water. So of course, I bought some plum sake and had to stop and buy ice cream on the way home. I tried it and OH MY GOSH, I will never use chocolate syrup or caramel again. Just plum sake. It's so good!
Overall: The prices are really, really reasonable for bottles of sake or plum wine. There are several different sake courses to choose from (for $5). And the woman who helps with the samples is extremely knowledgeable (and pretty damn hot). I will definitely be back to try some more sake.
People thought this was:
Top Ten Reasons Why I Heart Takara Sake
10. You are politely and insistently directed to tour the museum and watch the DVD before you taste. Not only do they provide you with alcohol, but education too!
9. There will be no dining & dashing - tasting fee first please!
8. One of the Sake's has gold flakes swirling in it, much like goldenschlager...purrrty.
7. Several bottles for under $10!!
6. They offer bottles that we were told are "pocket size, so you can carry them everywhere".
5. Those who work behind the tasting counter clearly enjoy consuming their product as much as they do selling it.
4. Fruit flavored anything gets a high five in my book.
3. A very cool view inside the factory.
2. A handy little brochure, paper to keep track of your tasting, and a choice to taste any sake at the end of your flight.
1. "This one tastes like water, very good, very fun but be careful, it can get you into trouble!"
Wow.
This is a beautiful space! Just check out the pictures.
I was not impressed with the little museum or the video given to explain the way sake is made as we were there to drink! If I wanted to know how it was made I would have read their web page.
However, I have overlooked that because Sake tasting is a new spin for me and WOW I was amazed. I like Sake but there are so many different kinds and types that I never know what to order in a restaurant or buy in a store. Even if it is cheap, I hate to spend the money on something I'm going to pour down the drain.
Mika organized the tasting for us at the bar and took care of our group. She poured out 5 different kinds of Sake to try, all chilled.
1) Sho Chiku Bai Organic Nama; unpasteurized, organic sake (Junmai Nama).
2) Sho Chiku Bai Creme de Sake; unfiltered sake with a melon flavor (Junmai Nigori).
3) Sho Chiku Bai Ginjo, a primium dry, rich, fruity sake (Junmai Ginjo).
4) Hana Lychee, a flavored sake.
5) Koshu Plum, a plum flavored sake.
I like all of them but the melon flavor one but I don't like melon. the flavored sake were my favorites.
Sake Tasting = FREE
Sake information = FREE
The Sake bought there was cheap. Is Sake usually cheap at a store? I was so surprised, we bought 4 bottles for under $20.
There is a bottle of Plum Sake burning a hole in my fridge. The plan is to mix it with soda with a lemon twist. Yummy!
People thought this was:
The World of Yelp (which from now on will be known as WOY) has introduced me to a million things which I would have probably never found on my own (because I'm kind of lazy).
ANYHOW, the fantastic Shelly organized a Sake tasting yelp thingy. So I joined a few other yelpers and learned all about sake.
Actually, I lied. I was too busy making snide comments about the crappy reception on the t.v. during the sake movie that gave us all seizures to actually learn all about sake. But I did learn that the best sake is made while buff Japanese men wear loincloths.
So we got to sample 5 different types, which is a good way to determine what you like and what you don't. It's also REALLy reasonable to purchase some, which I did. In the cute little bottles so I don't feel compelled to drink the a large bottle over the course of 2 days.
I heard you can have weddings here. Not my style, but good to know. If I had a fiance, that is.
People thought this was:
This is a Bay Area MUST. Along with a handful of other breweries and factories in our own backyard, I wonder why I don't frequent these type of places for tours and tastings a couple times a year with friends.
The day I turned 21, we took a trip here. AMAZING! The lady of course checked my ID, wished me happy birthday, and walked us through the tasting list with a smile. At the time tastings were free and you went through about 10-12 different varieties of sake going through a spectrum of sweet to dry, over 80% or so which are made on site. I understand it's now only $5, which is reasonable, and you'll almost always buy a bottle too since they sell everything you taste there. The staff is knowledgeable and patient.
The decor is beautiful and the small museum is neat. I learned a lot as to the process of sake making and its history with a short informational video. Unforgettable experience.
LOVED IT!!!
People thought this was:
If I could give a 4.5, I would.
I give the staff and overall experience of the tasting room 5 stars. They really want you to develop an appreciation of what it takes to make sake (pronounced sa-keh, NOT saw-key). There's a room displaying the history of making this stuff, along with the original tools used. There's also a video to see as well.
The servers remind me of the bartenders in Japan, not because they are Japanese, but because they had the same charm. I don't mean the kekeke cutesy type, I'll smile at you but hide it at the same time type of charm. It was as if they had an authoritative softness in the way they delivered their service. They weren't pushy and loud, but deliberate.
As for the product, most of them I liked. They had a variety of flavors while some were sold out. I give their sake 4 stars.
Sake tasting is no longer free! They have 5-6 different courses for $5 each (5-7 sake shots each). The tasting room is a big empty room with one small booth with about 3-4 servers pouring sake, so there tends to be a long line.
The museum's tiny (one small room with a few old wooden devices used to make sake), I didn't think it was all that informative. This isn't much of a date place either. The building's kinda run-down, and inside is very humble, also. Worth a visit regardless, when do you get to taste so many different varieties for so cheap?
but now I understand how Coach Sushi (in Lake Merritt) is able to offer unlimited sake for $5! A big bottle of sake (1.5-2 liters) is sold for as little as $10! wow! Oh, and to all y'all non-asians, don't buy sake from here. instead, go to any asian supermarket (I went to Koreana Plaza on Telegraph), and they have sake (same brand, size) for 2-5 bucks cheaper than here (couldn't find flavored sake here though, but they have most reg & unfiltered sakes and plum wine here).
We went on a day when the factory was closed. The hospitality room is kind of cool, and has big plate-glass windows that look down onto the brewery floor, which has a somewhat mid-twentieth century look to it.
The tour is something of a a self-service affair which consists of watching an age-discolored film on an old rear-projection screen TV, then walking into a room that feels a bit like a low-budget anthropology exhibit and using a chart to understand the steps involved in sake production.
Even if you don't get bored (which you will, because the main reason you came is free samples, you cheap bastard), circumambulating the room takes no more than twenty minutes.
Then it's back to the hospitality room, where you'll get a much more pleasant and practical explanation of the distinctions between various sake types (that thy produce) from a hostess. This is what you came for. You get to drink -- and maybe, learn enough to sound like a sophisticate or a snob to your friends who didn't go.
For example, I learned that I liked the milky kind with the um garblegarble (cough) more please.
People thought this was:
I had been meaning to check this place out since December of last year after my sister-n-law recommended it to me. My sisters and I finally decided to take our husbands here last Sunday and boy did we have a good time.
Inside was a museum and even a little area where you could watch a dvd about the history of sake and the process of which to make it.
The sake tasting consisted of 5-7 shots at $5.00 per person. What a great deal! They even let you substitute some of the shots for other flavors. I absolutely loved the flavored sakes, so much so that I ended up purchasing a whole case for my husband and I.
The servers were nice, but a little slow in my opinion. I asked one of the girls a question about a sake set I wanted to purchase and ended up having to wait 15 minutes to get a response.
Suggestion: If purchasing cold bottles of sake, I would suggest also purchasing the cold sake set w/the separate whole for ice. It keeps the sake cold without watering down your drink!
Often times, things are free require obligation or just don't present much value. Takara, a sake manufacturer in Berkeley, is a rare exception offering the community a free take tour and tasting. I visited the factory on a weekend with a group of buddies.
The tour includes a small showcase of the equipment used to make sake in the old days before the automated assembly lines followed by a video that made me fall asleep. The highlight of the tour is the free sake tasting.
An attractive female Japanese host serves sake and educates us in a cute voice. I tasted around six different sake ranging from dry to sweet, filtered to unfiltered. My favorite is the lychee sake, a great dessert sake that I think would pair well with a fruit tart. Some of my friends bought some sake at wholesale prices.
The tasting room can also be rented out for parties and special occasions. Definitely, a must try tour.
People thought this was:
I think that it is best to listen to the video and not watch it. The pulsating screen made me feel that I was being brainwashed. The video is pretty much the same as any other one from a winery, brewery, or distillery "Water, gift from the gods..."
The 'museum' part was a little light, but nice.
Coming here on Sunday meant that there was not much to look at down in the factory part. I saw a guy washing the floor. Oooh!
The woman, Nika, who headed up out tasting was well informed. My questions were answered without hesitation. The 5 sakes that we tasted were a nice representation of their line and I liked most of them- but not the lychee sake-yuck!
People thought this was:
For a free tour and just $5 samples it's hard to NOT check this place out.
Mika the Asian temptress sampler lady poured and educated us on the intricacies of Sake. Any type from Ginjo, Nigori, to flavored were all game and the sampling session never was hurried in any way.
The museum was nice the coolest parts were the 1904-1905 paper trail books and receipts that Takara used in their infancy. Various devices used in producing Sake were also displayed in a simple fashion.
The decor was concentrated upon bamboo and earth/wooden tones. This probably harkens back to the sake manufacturers using wooden vats/spoons/brooms, etc.
While the place was smaller than I imagined, the experience was fun and cheap. Even a person who despises sake would find something to like here!
A word of caution for those parking in the area: It is ghetto. Looking for a parking spot myself I saw a car freshly side-swiped without no note or anything...
People thought this was:
For our "Valentine's Day" (my boyfriend and I celebrated it on a different day since he had to work on the real holiday), we decided to meander over to Berkeley and just spend part of the day exploring the town. When driving around, we were immediately drawn to a huge sign advertising daily sake tastings. Only problem was, the sign was attached to a very shady looking warehouse. My boyfriend and I both agreed that there was a high probability of us getting shanked inside that warehouse, but that was the risk we were willing to take. What more of a romantic way to celebrate Valentine's Day?
To our pleasant surprise, there resided a lovely Japanese style tasting room on the top floor of the warehouse, complete with a mini sake museum. Who knew?? Even better, they offered a variety of sake tastings for $5 per person (usually 5-7 shots each). And even MORE better, the woman who served us was very heavy handed. I ended up going with the sweet sake tasting, and the boyfriend went with the sake tasting for the connoisseur. 5 shots later, we were both flying high and I had already declared it the best Valentine's Day of my life.
People thought this was:
Berkeley, CA
Category: Wineries
Emeryville, CA
Category: Wineries
Oakland, CA
Category: Wineries
Emeryville, CA
Category: Wineries
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Breweries
Some things can only be expressed through…
Rachel Ray shows you how to eat for $40/day. I'll…
If you want to buy a large bottle of sake, you can…
I work at a nonprofit so I'm totally poor.…
Growing up in Honolulu, you can't help but fall in…
The places I frequent when i want a fix of some…
Let the inner 5 year old in you get excited at…
Places I've had good dates with good people.…
