A subtle fog of anticipation rolled over the crowd as they waited, seated almost shoulder to shoulder with friends, loved ones, and complete strangers.
They were boisterous, eagerly talking among themselves, sharing opinions about the weather, highway traffic, or how their kids were doing in school. Some of them shot anxious glances behind their shoulders to the busy workers behind them, not wanting to miss a second of what was to come. Most of them knew what to expect. They’d been here before, almost a year ago.
The lively group was packed in Niya, in Orcutt, on Jan. 19 for the second annual Slainte and Sake event, a unique pairing of the popular Japanese restaurant’s food with craft cocktails from Rooney’s Irish Pub. “Slainte,” in case you were wondering, is a Gaelic word roughly translating to “health,” and used as an expression meaning “to your health,” or, “cheers.”
Mason Frakes, prize-winning mixologist at Rooney’s, explained the origins of the event in the early afternoon as the restaurant was setting up. In a few hours time, a sold-out crowd would fill every seat in the popular Orcutt sushi venue.
“We did this event last year, and it was a big success,” Frakes said. “The idea is to collaborate with Niya and do a mashup with their style of food mixed with our cocktails.”
If the idea of mixing Irish and Japanese flavors sounds odd, you weren’t one of the people who rushed to sign up for the dinner this year.
Niya, which has quickly become known for its singular take on Asian fusion cuisine thanks to the work of chefs Eric Huynh and Alex Carpio, has a throng of ardent fans who come from as far as Santa Barbara to enjoy their food. A few months ago, Niya teased followers on its Instagram account with a hint of the event’s return. The caption accompanying a photo of two bottles of Iwai Japanese whiskey perched on the bar at Rooney’s read: “Tasting Japanese whiskey at an Irish pub? It’s almost as if there was a collaboration in the works. Stay tuned.” Sharp-eyed fans familiar with last year’s event knew immediately. It was time for round two of Slainte and Sake.
Frakes said the event offered a chance to step outside the box from traditional local events, like winemaker dinners.
“We wanted to do something different,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of beer pairing dinners. You don’t classically think of Japanese cuisine pairing with these kinds of cocktails. We wanted to show people that it is something that could be done.
“We wanted to do something that nobody else is doing,” he added.
But if your mind is picturing corned beef and cabbage on a bed of sushi rice, or a pint of Guinness served in a sake glass, you’re way off base (and frankly, I’m embarrassed for you). The masterminds behind the dinner go to unusual lengths to rethink not just Japanese dishes but the concept of fusion in general.
The five-course meal started out with a light and refreshing sashimi salad and progressed to a sushi roll for the second course. The third course featured a king crab dish, which led into an elegant duck course, leading into the fifth and final dessert course. If you came looking for a rigid by-the-book interpretation of traditional Japanese food, you might have been somewhat disappointed. Slainte and Sake is all about stepping outside of the culinary comfort zone.
“We’re starting out traditional Japanese and evolving from there,” Frakes said of the meal. “We make this progression. There’s still some Japanese inspiration [toward the end]. You still get hints of it.”
The cocktails paired with each course progress in a similar manner, he explained.
For the first course, diners were treated with a Moscow Mule, infused with cucumber and a powerful presence of ginger, meant to mimic the shaved ginger traditionally served with sushi dinners.
“We really wanted to give it a ginger kick that kind of refreshes your palate and cleanses it,” Frakes said.
To accompany the second course, he whipped up a Lemongrass Collins. Frakes said one of key ingredients in the spin on a Tom Collins is Licor 43, a Spanish liqueur flavored with citrus, vanilla, and 43 herbs and spices.
“It brings out the flavors in the roll,” he said. “You get a little bit of the tartness in the lemon and then you get the sweetness from Licor 43. Then there’s that nice effervescence with the soda.”
But it was during the duck course that Frakes’ talent and ingenuity as a mixologist really stood out.
“We do a smoked maple Old Fashioned,” he said. “That’s my favorite.”
The drink incorporates a bourbon-barrel smoked maple syrup and a few different types of bitters. Even the drink preparation itself was a feat to behold—part chemistry experiment, part horticulture project, yet pure artistry.
“We actually red oak smoke some orange zest, too,” Frakes said. “So it’s got this smoky sweet flavor that pairs well with the duck.”
As patrons snapped selfies with their drinks and posted photos of their tightly plated courses to share on Facebook or Twitter, servers whizzed back and forth clearing plates and handing out new dishes and drinks.
In many ways, dining has become an increasingly solitary activity. Diners seek out isolated booths or quiet tables that mimic intimacy in a blatantly public setting. What events like Slainte and Sake really offer, aside from jaw-dropping platings and head-spinning cocktails, is the opportunity to remember that dining out still has its communal roots.
Attendees like Santa Marian Chivaun Clark were chatty and excited to talk about the food.
“You have to try this,” she said, calling me over to eagerly show off a dish of exquisitely prepared sashimi.
A regular at Niya, Clark was also eager to sing the praises of Huynh and Carpio.
“We love this restaurant,” she said. “It’s unique food. It’s authentic.”
As for the event, she pointed to the inventive cocktails as what drew her to participate.
“I think pairing it with some unique drinks is a great idea,” she said. “It’s a very different experience.
“I’m not a ginger fan but this [Moscow Mule] was refreshing and not too overpowering,” Clark added, stirring the remnants of her drink.
Mayra Perez, enjoying a night out with her husband, Jonathan, raved about the cocktail pairings too. She was sipping on a Lemongrass Collins, beaming with approval.
“I love this. It’s absolutely amazing,” she said. “We frequent this restaurant and were advised by one of the chefs to come and participate. I’m glad we did. This is something you’re not going to get on just any night out.”
Rebecca Rose can still taste the smoked maple. Send her your thoughts at eats@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 2-9, 2017.
