Yes, shochu not soju.
Looking for places to drink shochu in LA.
Largest selection?
Rarest selection?
Most knowledgeable service staff?
Restaurant with best environment for drinking shochu?
Thank you!
My vote would be n/naka.
There is a Facebook group called LA shochu kai (LA焼酎会) and they may have other forms of online presence.
It’s not quite the answers you are looking for, but this group hosts community events at different locations and seems like a fun way to hopefully try many varieties at different locations. Unless this group is staffed with industry people you don’t care for… but if anything you might get to taste interesting selections that some restaurants might not carry.
Their next event is this Saturday. I suppose you could also email them the same questions, hopefully they can provide some insider tips on where to go for the best selection and quality.
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@beefnoguy, thank you! This is perfect!
Have you been to any of their events?
This is my first time hearing of them.
@Starchtrade, I have not, but if I were local this would seem like a fun group to hang out with.
This group strikes me as a community of shochu lovers, maybe some otaku types (can’t say if there are industry folks or what level of connections they have), but from looking at Facebook posts they have done other interesting events, one recently at Maruhide Uni Club. Definitely worth emailing the group and get more info!
Here’s a blog post of that Uni club event, but absolutely no mention of what type of (imo?) shochu they served and consumed
Maybe you can message the author and get her take on this group before you take the plunge?
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Thank you again, @beefnoguy.
To the rest of FTCers: For a group of people so knowledgeable in such a wide range of food & drink-related topics, the silence on shochu is deafening.
Care to endure a couple questions regarding shochu?
- Have you ever tried shochu?
- What do you think of shochu?
- Your thoughts on shochu in LA?
Shochu outsells sake in Japan, so I am very curious to hear what FTCers think of the product…
Wiki: Shōchū - Wikipedia
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No, and I like to think I know a little about Japanese food having lived there for a couple years (pre drinking age). Usually stick with Sake or Japanese beer. I’m open to trying new things though
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Don’t know never tried it
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See #2
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Hi @Starchtrade,
For us and all our friends, we got burned a long time ago by the Korean firewater, Soju (awful). After trying numerous times, we gave up on the stuff. 
We tried Japanese Shochu twice years ago (with one of our friends from Tokyo no less), but it was at a local place in the OC that I’ve forgotten the name of. They only had like 1 or 2 selections, and it wasn’t… very good. I haven’t had the inclination to try any more.
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- Yes
- Seem to inherit the worst parts of stronger spirits without the compensating qualities
- See #2
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Yes
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Hooch - @T3t sums it up pretty well.
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Not common outside of Japanese eateries and markets.
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Shochu is the Japanese equivalent of Chinese Maotai.
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!. Drank a lot of sochu.
2. Enjoy mid-high end imo (sweet potato) shochu. Sometimes sesame or buckwheat are fun, but in limited quantities. Not really into rice. Heihachiro is my favorite but can only get in JP or NY. Good imo shochu and fresh squeezed grapefruit is the perfect wobbly antidote to sticky japanese summers but I don’t find the call to make it much here. I used to otaku out on shochu 9-10 years ago but given high cost vs low abv it don’t sit on my bar much anymore.
3. In town, I order it on the rocks at various izakaya, sushi-ya or motsu joints. Decent selection at hakata yamaya (which is grand re-opening tomorrow so might have changed). I tend to order it over sake - particularly in summer.
Your point is a good one. There isn’t a dedicated shochu bar in town and there should be. It should be in Tujunga and have a creek that runs through it.
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Yes a few times.
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I very much enjoy really good quality shochu and have had some mediocre ones, though my exposure and knowledge is very limited. And I don’t know enough how to pick a good bottle (unlike sake). One of the best I’ve tasted recently is made by Hawaii Shochu company (namely the lineup called Nami Hana, or Wave Flower), Japanese technique with locally grown Hawaiian sweet potatoes. The company bottles one exclusively for Sushi Sho (Waikiki) and it is fantastic. Had an absolutely delicious one (imo) at a higher end yakitori restaurant in Tokyo…don’t remember the name but it was from Kagoshima where they are known for imo shochu and it paired so well with the food. Other than that, I’ve had several in house made umeshu where shochu was the base with varying degrees of excellence. One of my favorites is an Okinawa umeshu (made with awamori, awesome strong stuff), and you might be able to find it at Nijiya or Mitsuwa.
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Can’t speak for LA, but in general and in glancing at the product catalogs for JFC / MTC / MMsake, the perceived availability and variety of imported shochu does not seem as wide (compared to sake), and perhaps too many big company/established brand name offerings in that small lot, versus smaller, artisan style breweries/companies that potentially have higher quality offerings.
On the extreme side, there are the Juyondai equivalent of shochu that every hardcore Japanese izakaya and drinking establishment (even in Northern California) knows about and may have some decorative empty bottles adorning their shelves. Basically DRC type phantom / unicorn / dream super highly sought after and lottery assigned for purchasing bottles in Japan… Maoh 魔王, Mori-Izo 森伊蔵, and Murao for those in the know.
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Hot deal! Mitsuwa (Mar Vista and Torrance) have had these on sale frequently the last few months. Not the best I’ve had but maybe the best on the shelf at Mitsuwa and at least $10 off regular price. Found the slightly more expensive beniikko more full-flavored than the ikkoman. Beniikko had higher abv to boot. Both are 100% sweet potato made using a sweet potato-based koji which their marketing declares to be unusual (don’t know myself).
Great on the rocks or with grapefruit juice this time of year.
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Sampled a couple of interesting ones last year, worth checking out if you happen upon them.
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Mugon 10yr aged in oak barrel (@mrgreenbeenz 40%ABV) https://mmsake.com/products/beni-ikko-750ml-0e6925a2-4164-4061-9344-3232ee674c64
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Kintaro - roasted barley shochu http://kampai.us/kintaro/
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I like whisky, so I also like Kannoko barley, as far as shochu is concerned:
https://umamimart.com/products/kannoko-barley-shochu-btl-24-oz
However, I don’t drink shochu often at all. I don’t dislike shochu, I just haven’t fell in love with it to stock it at home. With food, I usually opt for wine (Champagne, Meursault, or Puligny), beer (something generic, hell even a can of Budweiser), or sake (varies). For sipping, it’s usually Scotch (varies), gin (Monkey 47), vermouth (Carpano Antica on the rocks), or even rum (Smith & Cross or Clement).
In the SF Bay Area (Berkeley, to be specific), Kiraku has a fair selection of shochu.
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Sushi Sho Waikiki’s Nama Hana, brewed especially for the restaurant by Hawaiian Shochu Company, is quite excellent but very strong. Had the pleasure of trying some a while back from a friend. Apparently some bottles get sent to Sushi Sho Yotsuya, guessing in exchange sake from next door (Suzu Den) gets sent to Hawaii location (hand carried of course).
For a Dassai equivalent in popularity and accessibility (and good taste for beginner drinker), I like Tomino Houzan for imo shochu (I believe this is through Mutual Trading), at least the Northern California Nijiya supermarkets mostly seem to have it.
At one of my favorite yakitori-ya omakase places in Tokyo, shochu is a better pairing than their limited sake selections. Ippuku in Berkeley is said to have an excellent shochu selection too for their yakitori/izakaya fare as well. I’ll have to check Kiraku’s sometime.
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I’ve tried at least 25 different shochus, mostly at Ippuku in Berkeley. When they opened they were pouring 42 at any one time from a somewhat larger selection.
Generally, I found that the more they cost, the milder the flavor, and the subtler the differences between them, so I tend to order the cheaper ones, which means I avoid the rice ones.
I like soju, don’t really get how some people hate it so much.
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In my experience rice is the cheapest element of all shochu mashbills. Why do you consider it higher end?
I should state for the record that barrel-aged shochu appeals to me about as much as anejos and reposados. Which is to say not at all. It’s the vegetal elements that barrel aging buries that I come to the party for.
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