Leslie Sbrocco prepares piping hot bowls of ramen from scratch with owners/partners "JJ" Jerry Jaksich and Rayneil DeGuzman at Oakland’s Ramen Shop. Then watch as she and local rapper "LB" Lyrics Born slurp and sip their way to happiness.
Leslie and Lyrics Born paired the following Cava and Japanese whisky with their ramen:
Segura Viudas “Reserva Heredad” Cava, Spain $22-25
Spanish Cava delivers “Luxury for Less.” The retro-chic bottle looks like it costs far more than it does and the wine inside tastes the same. Made with native grapes such as Macabeo and Parellada in the traditional method for sparkling wine (aged in the bottle), this bubbly is lush and luxurious. The winery, located in the northeastern Penedès region of Spain, is known for affordable sparkling wine and this glamorous flagship bottle anchors the lineup. It’s the perfect pairing for the citrusy elements in the Veggie Meyer Lemon Shoyu Ramen at Ramen Shop. Enjoy!
Yamazaki 18 $479, average price from wine-searcher
Single Malt Japanese Whisky, Aged 18 years
Japanese whisky was born in 1923 when Shinjiro Torii dreamed of an artisinal whisky filled with the essence of Japanese nature. With the current incredible cult following of Japanese whisky it’s a treat to sip this delicate but beautifully complex spirit. Yamazaki, 18 year old, Single Malt not only works so well with the earthy flavors of mushrooms and rich broth in the ramen, it’s perfect for enjoying at the end of a meal all by itself.
Behind-The-Scenes Technique Demo
Watch Rayneil DeGuzman teach Lyrics Born how to make a smoky lard-enhanced miso broth for ramen.
https://youtu.be/U-NV6YMxGdY
(Video: Wendy Goodfriend, Editing: Byron Thompson)