Question: how do you make a bite-sized cube of mozzarella, part of an appetizer consisting of abalone, vegetable salad with mashed tofu dressing and Wagyu terrine, taste like savory, sweetened yoghurt?

Answer: pair it with non-pasteurized sparkling saké (termed mio in Japanese, meaning the white streams of foam trailing behind a ship) from premium brand Shirakabegura from Shochikubai Brewery in Kobe.

The saké'€™s light, refreshing, smooth flavors, fruity aroma and delicious sweetness are not yoghurty, but when combined with the mozzarella'€™s slightly salty and tangy characters, a taste of yoghurt is evoked as the natural lactic acid of the saké'€™s yeast interacts with the cheese.

That was the first saké pairing lesson I learned from Tetsuko Sasakura, deputy general manager of saké producer Ozeki Co., at the start of a unique saké-pairing dinner at Saké+, the Japanese restaurant with the most extensive saké collection in town.

A group of saké exporters and traders from Japan and Singapore were present during the dinner in which eight dishes '€” concocted at Chef Asano Hiroaki'€™s discretion, unrevealed to the diner beforehand '€” were paired with eight different brands saké, sandwiched between sweet and sour aperitif Japanese Choya plum wine (umeshu) and limoncello-like, tangy dessert liqueur yuzu from Umenoyado Brewery.

Except for the mozzarella, all dishes were Japanese, and judiciously seasoned.

The second appetizer was savory steamed egg custard (chawan mushi). Because of the presence of the stronger tasting fukahire (braised shark fin pieces in savory sauce) inside it, the custard was paired with a rougher-textured, full-bodied Shirakabegura saké that was brewed with the traditional kimoto method using rice with an at least 70 percent polishing rate, and malted rice with no added alcohol (junmai).

When lighter-tasting sashimi came in, a dry, smooth, light, draft beer-like saké, from the Ozeki brand, stored without heat processing or pasteurization (namachozo shu) was served chilled, giving it a fresh taste. Added alcohol, responsible for its 13.5 percent alcohol content, also contributed to its crispiness and clarity.

The next dish, consisting of pounded lotus root cake with thickened vegetable sauce and shiitake and shrimp seasoning, was accompanied by a premium junmai saké from Ozeki, designated tokubetsu (special) because it is made from Yamadanishiki, the best strain of rice for making saké, with grain polished down to 65 to 60 percent of its original weight.

'€œSaké'€™s premiumness is determined by, among other things, the rate of rice polishing,'€ says Toshiaki Tomii, director of Niigata Trading Co. Ltd., '€œthe more polished the rice is, the more premium the resulting saké will be.'€

This refreshing, full-bodied saké with a dry, clean finish was suitable for the heavy dish. Its subtler floral notes sat discreetly alongside the food'€™s flavors rather than interfering into them.

The dish that came next was grilled greater amberjack marinated in soy citrus sauce and the ensuing saké was pure rice ultra-premium saké junmai daiginjo brewed from the highest grade Yamadanishiki rice with at least 50 percent of the original grain polished away without added alcohol and with fermentation taking place in low temperatures.

From Koshinohana Brewery in Niigata, this complex, full-bodied saké showcases a lively fermented cassava and floral aroma, purity and rich flavors, as indicated by its amino acidity of 1.5.

Despite being brewed with Niigata'€™s Katsura Shimizu water, which is soft water, this '€œfeminine'€ saké isn'€™t mellow, but has a stronger taste due to its high alcohol content (16-17 percent).

As the menu progressed to the deep-fried dish '€” white fleshed fish and eggplant with the chef'€™s rich robatayaki-based signature sauce '€” the matching saké, Osakaya Chobei, got bolder.

It was a premium daiginjo (highly polished rice) saké with added alcohol named after Ozeki'€™s founder. It is strong and full-bodied with a rougher texture and hints of spiciness, and has a typical, strong daiginjo smell, which, depending on your olfactory perception, may make you think of melon, pineapple or banana when ripe or very ripe.

Added alcohol makes the ripe fruity smell even stronger and provides a clean aftertaste.

The main course, arriving before dessert, is a rice-based dish: rice ball (onigiri) topped with a slice of freshwater eel (unagi) into which savory broth (ochazuke) had been poured. It was paired with Cowboy, a saké of 60 percent or less rice polishing rate without added alcohol that remains undiluted (genshu) after fermentation, thus resulting in highly concentrated, very strong flavors.

The saké'€™s higher alcohol content of 18.5 percent provides for a clean finish and the newer Niigata rice variety, called Koshitanrei, used for this traditionally but more practically made (yamahai) saké may be responsible for its unusual leathery, woody, spicy flavors and marked acidity, which enable this Shiokawa Brewery saké to stand up to and deepen the flavors of rich, fatty dishes. '€œIt is particularly good with beef,'€ adds Tomii.

The glass cups into which the saké were poured were too small for me, but apparently enough for Sasakura and Tomii who sat in front of and next to me. I'€™m sure they would have poured me more had I asked, but I held my tonge. After all, temperance is a virtue.

'€” Photos courtesy of Vin+