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nova_mythI got an e-mail this morning from JASSA alerting me to a Shochu tasting at the ORO resturant at the Emily Morgan Hotel downtown 5-7pm today. I went through all my friends who were of drinking age and found one to go with me. It consisted of three martini drinks that had Shochu as the main liquor and three apatizers made by the hotel head chef for $20. It also complementary valet parking with validation from the bar, which was a huge bonus, to say the least. It was amazing and I wish I had taken pictures of the food, it was so pretty, lol. The apitizers were a Avocado-Ahi Tartar (russion fatty tuna) with Yellow Tomato Pico de Gallo, Calamari Salad with Ponzu Sauce, and Seared Tofu with Roasted Beet and Baby Spinach with Balsamic Reduction. I don't care for tuna, but the tuna was my favorite dish. The drinks were as follows:
Japanese Ginger:
2 oz Shochu, 1 oz Grenadine,
.5 oz of Marashino, .5 oz Curacao
with a splash of Angostura Bitters
Shochu Strawberry Margarita
1.5 oz Shochu,
.5 oz Strawberry Liqueur,
1.5 tsp Cointreau,
1.5 Lime Juice
with a salted rim and garnished with a frech strawberry
Green Tea Martini
2oz Shochu
1oz Chilled green tea
Grarnished with mint
My favorite was the Strawberry Margarita, my least was the Ginger, the Bitters was just too much. I didn't care for the Green Tea either. My friend Patrick doesn't really like anything alcoholic, but he favored the Green Tea. We downed our drinks in an hour and a half, and while Shochu is not a very high proof, I like the Strawberry a little too much and drank it in 20 minutes! XD I got a little tipsy, to say the least.
It was a very upscale kind of place and we were a little under dressed and the youngest drinkers there, I'm glad I didn't go alone. But the staff was very kind and nice, the Chef came over several times to see our opinion on the dishes and the lady who I assumed was the manager of the ORO restaurant checked with us several times as well. No one looked down upon us by the staff, even if most people ignored us, not too rudely, but then again we weren't pressing for it. The entertainment provided was by a women based Taiko Drummers, I wasn't impressed by them during the Chinese New Year festival were many Asains celebrated their cultuer at the Texas Culture Insitiute in Feb but they were much better this time. My friend Patrick volunteered me to join in a dance when they called for volunteers, the coward.
Afterwards we went strolling down Alamo Plaza, the hotel was directly to one side of the Alamo, and Patrick was craving McDonalds down the street and around the corner. I got some large fries to help my system with slight shock of so much alcohol, I've never had three drinks in a day, not that good either, XD.
Afterwards we strolled back down Alamo Plaza and visited the Wax Museum, which needs to update some of their figures... Marry Poppins didn't look anything like her name sake, and she was freaky looking, really. Patrick got a wax model of his hand while were there too. And then we went to Ripley's Believe or Not, which was fun with Patrick. It was 9pm when we got out and started our way back to hotel to get my car, we saw a few carriage horses with lights and they were so pretty but I wasn't on the side of the street they stopped at and couldn't pet them. The horses only come out in the evenings for certain hours. Its too hot otherwise during the day for the draft breeds.
There is going to be another Shochu tasting in Aug and Sept with different drinks and apaitizers at each one. Patrick is gonna go with me in Aug for sure, its the week before school starts. September I might not be able too... work and all, but then I might, I wont' know till that month, and Patrick will be in Austin.
Japanese Ginger:
2 oz Shochu, 1 oz Grenadine,
.5 oz of Marashino, .5 oz Curacao
with a splash of Angostura Bitters
Shochu Strawberry Margarita
1.5 oz Shochu,
.5 oz Strawberry Liqueur,
1.5 tsp Cointreau,
1.5 Lime Juice
with a salted rim and garnished with a frech strawberry
Green Tea Martini
2oz Shochu
1oz Chilled green tea
Grarnished with mint
My favorite was the Strawberry Margarita, my least was the Ginger, the Bitters was just too much. I didn't care for the Green Tea either. My friend Patrick doesn't really like anything alcoholic, but he favored the Green Tea. We downed our drinks in an hour and a half, and while Shochu is not a very high proof, I like the Strawberry a little too much and drank it in 20 minutes! XD I got a little tipsy, to say the least.
It was a very upscale kind of place and we were a little under dressed and the youngest drinkers there, I'm glad I didn't go alone. But the staff was very kind and nice, the Chef came over several times to see our opinion on the dishes and the lady who I assumed was the manager of the ORO restaurant checked with us several times as well. No one looked down upon us by the staff, even if most people ignored us, not too rudely, but then again we weren't pressing for it. The entertainment provided was by a women based Taiko Drummers, I wasn't impressed by them during the Chinese New Year festival were many Asains celebrated their cultuer at the Texas Culture Insitiute in Feb but they were much better this time. My friend Patrick volunteered me to join in a dance when they called for volunteers, the coward.
Afterwards we went strolling down Alamo Plaza, the hotel was directly to one side of the Alamo, and Patrick was craving McDonalds down the street and around the corner. I got some large fries to help my system with slight shock of so much alcohol, I've never had three drinks in a day, not that good either, XD.
Afterwards we strolled back down Alamo Plaza and visited the Wax Museum, which needs to update some of their figures... Marry Poppins didn't look anything like her name sake, and she was freaky looking, really. Patrick got a wax model of his hand while were there too. And then we went to Ripley's Believe or Not, which was fun with Patrick. It was 9pm when we got out and started our way back to hotel to get my car, we saw a few carriage horses with lights and they were so pretty but I wasn't on the side of the street they stopped at and couldn't pet them. The horses only come out in the evenings for certain hours. Its too hot otherwise during the day for the draft breeds.
There is going to be another Shochu tasting in Aug and Sept with different drinks and apaitizers at each one. Patrick is gonna go with me in Aug for sure, its the week before school starts. September I might not be able too... work and all, but then I might, I wont' know till that month, and Patrick will be in Austin.
