Where do you drink sake? In San Francisco, where I live, we often see them at sushi spots, izakaya-style restaurants, ramen shops and so forth. Because of limited access to sake, most people think that sake only matches Japanese food.
As a matter of fact, unlike what you see in the U.S., it is very rare to see ramen shops in Japan carry any sake selections. This is because sake often does not pair easily with ramen. Some ramen shops do recommend sake with their ramen but they tend to be unique in their offerings.
These days in Japan, restaurants and bars have been increasingly emphasizing new pairing experiences with French, Thai, Chinese and other dishes aside from Japanese cuisine. Ramen is a Japanese dish, but it does not match sake; then what does it mean that cuisine from countries fit sake?
Let's learn about sake and cooking combinations.