We were in Chicago for lunch, and one of my travel mates recommended a nearby place called Yu Mandarin for Chinese food. So of course what goes better with Chinese food than a Japanese beer… I’m joking. Actually, I couldn’t really understand the waitress, but I recognized Sapporo, so that’s what I ordered.
The beer poured a nice golden color and it had a nice soapy, foamy head on it. However, the head dissipated pretty quickly and almost no bubbles remained after a few minutes. Maybe it’s just because I had rice with my meal, but I thought it had a bit of a rice/barley aroma.
The body was very, very light and the taste was crisp and clean. It reminded me a lot of the American lagers – Bud Light, Miller Lite, etc. – with a bit more of that rice/barley flavor and a bit more hops in the finish. It was pretty plain and simple with not much to it.
Much like the other beers I mentioned, it is something that might be good on a hot day because it goes down very easily. With the slight rice aroma and flavor, I think it does go well with Asian dishes, and especially those with rice.
Overall, it was nice to try something different that did accompany my Mongolian Beef lunch dish nicely. I don’t think I’d seek this beer out, but if they carry it at the restaurant, it might be something to try again.
My Rating: 
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