My choices were many. To get advice on how to narrow the field I phoned Sushi Ran's owner, Yoshi Tome, who is also the president of the Northern California Japanese Restaurant Association.

"I heard you are the top expert in California," I said just to be cordial and not because I was hoping to get a table faster the next time I go to Sushi Ran.

"When buying nigori sake, what should a shopper look for?" I asked.

"Be very careful to ask first about how it is stored," he said. "In Japan a good sake brewery puts a date on the bottles. Ask if it is kept refrigerated. It tends to sour very quickly."