Taste with Bella & KJ: Yuho and Thai Food!

Nua Thai in Oakland

Paired with Yuho "Rhythm of the Centuries" Kimoto Junmai

Hola Fellow Sake Drinkers! It’s KJ here to let you know I’ve teamed up with Kome Collective’s Bella Pearson, Field Sales Manager in Northern California for a special addition of Taste with KJ! We’ve decided to feature Yuho Kimoto Junmai “Rhythm of the Centuries”, an old standby that is sometimes overlooked, but always fantastic in food pairing situations. 

On a mellow Saturday evening, we brought our Yuho Kimoto to Nua Thai in the East Bay, where we proceeded to pair it with a few classic dishes; some that would make the combination sing and others that would challenge the status quo. 

At the first pour, Yuho was beautifully reserved. Its subtle golden color showcases its 3-5 years of age in the bottle and preps one for its savory goodness with a touch of orchard fruit notes. 

KJ - Love that golden glimmer! I had this in the fridge about an hour prior, so it was likely red wine cellar temp, around 60F. This is a well-known warming sake, and it’s been quite a few years since I’ve enjoyed it. Surprisingly, drinking it lightly chilled was almost just as good! At a lower temp, this sake exudes a musky tone with gentle golden apple notes and a permeating aura of buttered rice. Almost a meal in a glass! It still has that quintessential kimoto acidity with a long, milky finish. 

BP - What always strikes me first on the nose with this sake is a deep miso paste richness: that fermented savory quality that tells you immediately this sake has something to say. Underneath that, a buttery richness and a surprising and fun boiled peanut note that made the whole thing feel grounded and satisfying before we even took a bite. 

SOM TUM - PAPAYA SALAD สัมตำ

Shredded green papaya, carrots, tomatoes and green beans with chili-lime dressing

KJ - This was my first time trying papaya salad! I love the slight crunch with a sweet & sour play. The salad also had an orange fruitiness. When paired with Yuho, the lactic acid and texture mellowed out the sweet & sour aspect of the salad and covered the salad flavors with a soft blanket of umami. The salad also had fresh peas and the kimoto acidity intensified the pea flavor which was nice! 

BP - The acidity in the papaya salad did something unexpected. It drew out a deep creaminess in the Yuho that wasn't quite as prominent on its own. Then came the fresh peas. After a bite, the Yuho transformed entirely, revealing a cocoa-butter, chocolatey depth that neither of us saw coming. A little moment of magic in an otherwise humble salad. 

CURRY PUFFS กะหรี่ปั๊บ

Homemade vegan curry puff, with Massaman sauce

BP - The Massaman dipping sauce was the real star here. Its warm spice profile coaxed out a distinct mushroom earthiness in the Yuho that lingered beautifully. It's that classic kimoto character that’s all soil and forest floor, just waiting for the right food to unlock it. The curry puff did exactly that. 

KJ - The vegan samosa might have been my favorite dish of the evening. It had delicate potato and spices enveloped in a flaky crust. The aspect that paired best was the sweet curry paste that created a contrast pairing with the lactic acidity of the sake.

TOM YUM YOUNG COCONUT ต้มยำมะพร้าวอ่อน

Hot and sour soup with lemongrass, mushrooms, galangal, makrut lime leaves and young coconut

KJ - Tom Yum was a challenge with Yuho, stretching it to its pairing capacity. The soup’s combination of spicy and sour elements with fresh tomato clashed a bit with the sake’s potent lactic acid. What saved this combination was the crispy fried onions that became a bridge between the sake’s lactic umami and the soup’s spicy-sour intensity. 

BP - Despite the clash KJ described, I noticed the lemongrass in the broth doing something unexpected. It drew out a lovely, baked golden-apple quality in the Yuho. This pairing required patience, but it was fun to dig deep and try something outside of the norm. 

PAD THAI ผัดไทย

Wok-fried rice noodles with eggs, beansprouts, and chives in homemade tamarind sauce. Served with crushed peanuts and lime (with pork)

KJ - I thought the curry samosa was the best pairing until I tried the pad thai and pork with room temp Yuho! The Yuho held a slight chill up until this dish and it was a happy accident to pair it in a warmer state. The pork itself was pounded flat and made super tender. When paired with Yuho, a savory film on the tongue emerged. Above that taste, a bitterness from the lactic acidity appeared that reset the palate for the next bite. The pad thai noodles themselves leant a touch of sweetness which was pleasant per usual. The ground peanuts created a fun experience of ultimate crunchiness with a juxtaposition of smooth peanutty flavor that mellowed out the palate.

BP - I have to agree, the pork was a standout moment. Something about the fattiness of the pork, combined with the Yuho, produced an almost ethereal lightness, like a delicate cream coating the palate without any heaviness. The tamarind in the pad thai noodles added just enough sweet-tart intrigue to keep things interesting, and the crushed peanuts brought a textural crunch that somehow made the sake feel even smoother by contrast. 

Other KC Contenders

KJ - Kojima Sohonten Kojimaya “Untitled” - This wine-like sake is a kijoshu, meaning the brewers replace a proportion of water with sake itself during fermentation. This technique usually leaves a significant amount of residual sugar, but this one is elegantly off-dry. The sake replacing the brewing water was aged in cedar barrels, lending an ever-so-slight essence of earthiness paired with notes of cookie dough, berries and banana. This sake pairs well with foods such as salmon poke and Italian fare, so the subtle umami and light sour tones of Thai cuisine should be a perfect match. 

BP -  Mana 1751 True Vision Yamahai Tokubetsu Junmai Muroka Genshu - If Yuho is the wise elder of the kimoto world, Mana 1751 is its bold, unfiltered younger sibling. This sake is brewed via the yamahai method, a close cousin to kimoto that produces a similarly pronounced lactic backbone, but with a wilder, more untamed quality. Coming in as a muroka (unfiltered) genshu (undiluted), it hits with real presence: layers of dark fruit, savory rice, and a deep umami richness that can stand up to the most assertive Thai flavors. For the dishes at Nua Thai, I'd be particularly intrigued by Mana 1751 alongside the Tom Yum where the Yuho struggled slightly. I think Mana's extra umph and natural sweetness could hold its own against that lemongrass-laced intensity.

Yuho "Rhythm of the Centuries" proved once again why it has earned its place as a beloved classic. It's a sake that reveals itself slowly, generously, and differently with every dish and temperature. From the cocoa butter surprise of a papaya salad to the silky transformation with the Pad Thai, this kimoto never stopped giving. Thai cuisine, with its dynamic flavors of sour, sweet, spicy, and umami, turned out to be a wonderfully surprising partner. A huge thank you to KJ & True Sake for making this collaboration happen, and to Nua Thai for the incredible food. If you haven't picked up a bottle of Yuho lately, consider this your sign. Cheers! 🥢🍶

— Bella & KJ