When we think of food and tequila, a type of Tex-Mex food often comes to mind. But, despite what many may believe, tequila is versatile and pairs nicely with a variety of different cuisines, including sushi! This month, we will be featuring bartender, Joseph Le, from Aka Sushi House. Aka Sushi House is always on the cutting edge and was the first restaurant in the city of Houston to carry IZKALI Tequila!
1. Name: Joseph Le
2. From: Aka Sushi House
3. When and why did you get into mixology? I really do not like the term mixology…I prefer bartending. I got into bartending during graduate school to make extra money and to utilize some of the theories I learned from Sociology and Psychology.
4. Tell me a bit about your bar. What would you tell someone who has never been here before – an insider tip perhaps? Aka Sushi House is a neighborhood Japanese restaurant that offers sushi along with an Asian inspired menu. An insider tip would be to come visit me on Friday and Saturday nights, but come either when I get there around 6:30pm or closer to when I close around 11:30pm. This way, I can spend extra time with my bar patrons. If you come in the between hours, expect a delay because it gets hectic.
5. What is one thing behind the bar that you cannot live without? Why? I cannot live without my bar knife because I am constantly using it to cut garnishes and prepare drinks with fresh produce.
6. What do you love about working behind the bar? I love the interaction between bartender and patrons. The secret ingredient to any and all drinks in my opinion is the patron—listens carefully and intently to the patrons’ needs and wants and craft a drink with them in mind.
7. What is your favorite tequila memory? After tasting IZKALI for the first time, I secretly swapped out their “Patron Shots” with chilled IZKALI Silver shots dressed with a fresh kumquat drenched in Agave… the regulars, without my cajoling, informed me that this was their favorite tequila shots and asked what I did differently. I informed them, and they ended up buying a whole bottle.
8. Living in Texas you have the opportunity to work with hundreds of different Tequilas, what sets IZKALI apart from the others? I like the fact that the proprietors are from Houston. And, I like that they have a true devotion and love for their product, which is evident in the smooth taste of IZKALI.
9. What is your favorite expression of IZKALI (silver, reposado, añejo)? IZKALI Silver is smooth and is great in a margarita. IZKALI Resposado has a great finish, and I prefer it chilled. IZKALI Añejo to me is more complex in flavor, and I prefer sipping it a room temperature.
10. Tell us about your specialty IZKALI drink? I have two that I offer at Aka, when I have the fresh ingredients. The first one is IZKALI Silver chilled and dressed with a kumquat drenched in agave nectar. The second one is an IZKALI Japanese Margarita, which is made of IZKALI Resposado, Sudachi- Japanese limes and triple sec, served in a glass with a mixture of sea salt, seaweed, and Japanese peppers.
11. Are you on Facebook? You can find me on Facebook – my profile pic is a caricature of an individual looking at two directional signs – One going to Heaven and the other going to Hell.
