Xi Home Dumplings and Shogun Sakes debut sake-forward cocktail pairing menu in Spitalfields

Spitalfields restaurant Xi Home Dumplings Bay has partnered with Peckham-based craft brewery Shogun Sakes to launch what the two businesses describe as London’s first sake-forward cocktail pairing menu, with five drinks designed to accompany the restaurant’s Northern Chinese dumplings. The menu launches on 1^st May at Xi Home’s Blossom Street site in E1, and aims to position sake as a cocktail ingredient suited to a broader range of cuisines beyond traditional Japanese dining.

Each of the five cocktails is built around Shogun’s additive-free Pure English Sake, which is brewed locally in Peckham. The pairings have been developed to match the flavour profiles of specific dishes on Xi Home’s menu.

The Cucumber Sake Spritz combines Pure English Sake with cucumber, elderflower and citrus, and is intended to accompany lighter seafood dishes including the restaurant’s Jade Lobster Dumplings and cucumber salad. The Apricot Gimlet, made with apricot liqueur, citrus and a rose petal garnish, is paired with richer, spicier options such as wasabi prawn balls or spicy pork dumplings.

A Shogun Margarita reworks the Mexican classic with sake, tequila, agave and lime juice, suggested as an accompaniment to beef steamed dumplings or Zha Jiang noodles. The Peach Cosmopolitan, featuring peach, cranberry and citrus, is recommended alongside fattier dishes such as sweet and sour pork or pork pancake. Completing the line-up is a Penicillin Highball made with Japanese whisky, ginger, citrus and orange blossom, paired with spicier serves including Dandan noodles and spicy pork wontons. The cocktails are priced between £12 and £14.

Sake has historically had limited presence on London cocktail menus and is rarely produced in the UK. Shogun Sakes, founded in Peckham, is one of a small number of British sake breweries seeking to broaden the drink’s appeal domestically.

Wenjun Xiang, owner of Xi Home Dumplings, said: “we’ve always believed the right drink transforms a meal, and working with Shogun Sakes felt like a natural fit. Sake is one of the most food-friendly drinks in the world. Shogun’s Pure English Sake brings a freshness and versatility that pairs beautifully with our dumplings in a way we haven’t seen anywhere else in London. Supporting local, craft producers who share our obsession with quality matters enormously to us, and this menu is a delicious expression of that. We can’t wait to welcome guests to experience it.”

Pete Troiano, co-founder of Shogun Sakes, commented: “Sake has always been one of the most versatile drinks in the world, but that versatility has been slow to show up on London cocktail menus. These serves sit in an exciting space: lighter and fresher than a classic cocktail, but with real depth and a natural affinity for food that other drinks struggle to match. Working with Xi Home Dumplings to map each cocktail to a specific dish was one of the most rewarding things we’ve done, and the pairing rationale behind every serve is something we’re incredibly proud of.”

Xi Home Dumplings Bay, founded by restaurateur Wenjun Xiang, opened on Blossom Street in 2023 and is the third site in the group, which specialises in handmade dumplings inspired by the culinary traditions of Dalian in north-eastern China. 

Food Desk

For further information and reservations, visit Xi Home Dumplings Bay’s website here.