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Sake meets ramen at Talent ‘supper club’ By Paula Bandy Oct 12, 2022 12:30 AM A A If you’ve had sushi, you’ve likely had sake — the warm, woozy kind. It definitely has its place. On a cold winter night, a bit of warm sake can soothe the bones. But sake as a traditional Japanese beverage goes way beyond this hot standard. Although known as a Japanese drink, sake was brewed first in China around 4800 B.C. It began in Japan around 2,500 years ago. These were likely coarser beverages than today’s modern and much refined, highly polished rice sake. The Rogue Valley now has its own sake spot to try many of these newer refined, traditional sakes. Many of you might remember the delicious family-run Daddy Ramen food truck in downtown Talent. A very popular place, it burned in the Almeda Fire. Rather than simply rising from the ashes, Phoenix Sigalove and Lichen Richardson, plus their children, have found new grounds in The Vintage Coffee House, now featuring Daddy Ramen Supper Club Weekends. This coffeehouse, with live music on some mornings, hosts the reopened Daddy Ramen truck and has expanded live music at night on the weekends. This vintage “supper club” experience also will feature sake, sake flights and, soon, izakaya-style bar-food nibbles and pairings. They also will have the ability to take the food truck on the road. Sigalove is a certified sake sommelier — level 1. He discovered the wide scope of sake much like the rest of us, after first trying the hot sake standard, then being introduced into the beyond. He’s now here to teach and tempt us into the interesting world of sake. “They say there are 200 descriptor words to describe the flavor profiles of wine,” says Sigalove. “With sake, there are 400. Such incredible subtleties, not just hot or cold sake, but with different temperature variants that bring out the best and different characteristics in various sakes.” He continues, “Getting to have tastings and pairings is something I’m really excited about doing. Sake goes well with Asian dishes but also goes well with chocolate, desserts, with cheeses ... Just like you can find the perfect wine for any dish, the same holds true for sake. “I love that the world of sake is so accessible,” Sigalove explains. “In Japanese culture, there are bottles for special occasions, and the price point reflects that, but there is also the everyday drinking sake. “There’s such a beautiful history and tradition that sake comes from. I feel so honored to be able to bring this to our community. I hope people will develop the same kind of love for sake that I have.” The Vintage Coffee House & Sake Bar and Daddy Ramen Food Truck are at 250 E. Wagner St., Talent. Follow @thevintagecoffeeandsake on Instagram. Reach Paula Bandy at [email protected] and connect with her on Instagram at @pbthroughthegrapevine