すみれ sumire: from the land of the lard
by rameniac | 24 Sep 2007
Perhaps it’s a good thing that Sumire doesn’t have a permanent setup in town. Keeping Sapporo’s most famous ramen shop around on an extended basis would be akin to the CIA selling crack on skid row; when a place serves up solid cubes of pork fat as chashu, you know a conspiracy’s afoot, even if the results are highly delicious.
Given the cold climate of northern Japan, lard in ramen might be an accecptable indulgence, as it functions to trap heat and keep the soup warm. For four glorious days this weekend, the Mitsuwa Marketplace was transformed into a Hokkaido shopping center, with Asahikawa’s Santouka holding court and Sapporo’s Sumire as the guest of honor. Yesterday afternoon, it was like watching a classic tennis match, Agassi and Sampras in a dogfight to see who could sell the most bowls, who could boast of longer queues.
I’ll come clean. I’m not a huge miso ramen fan. I have a history of flings with the gritty tonkotsu and firm, straight noodles of southern Japan; Kyushu is where I lived and where I typically return. Miso ramen, especially outside of Japan, is a largely disappointing affair; most places are far too straightforward with their bean paste, the standard noodles get too soggy in the thick soup, and you wind up feeling bloated by the time you leave the restaurant.
Like the best of authentic Japanese ramen shops, what makes Sumire’s miso work is their depth of flavor, that noticeable hint of sweetness and umami in the soup (Hokkaido seafood?) that transcends the ordinary. Their noodles aren’t half-bad either; thick and curly but firm, they lend heft even in this reduced portion size. Blame the styrofoam bowls Mitsuwa uses during their food festivals. As for the toppings, they were pretty spartan. Sapporo ramen shops are famed for stir-frying vegetables with the soup. Sumire, however, is much more traditional in its approach, with the standard accompaniments of negi, menma, and chashu, the latter of which comes in glorious, cubed and extremely fatty chunks. One of which, at least in my order, was solid lard.
Apparently, the guests of the fair (and they’ll be back, this was their second time here) were also pimping a “limited edition” ramen with corn and Hokkaido butter in the true northern style. They ran out the very first day. My arteries are glad I missed out.
| sumire serves up a wonderfuly flavorful (and notoriously oily) miso-based soup that gets high marks across Japan. Perhaps in the cold climate of Sapporo, one could eat this stuff every day. In southern california? yikes. tofu-sucking yoga students would recoil in horror. | 9 |
| thick and solid in all the right ways, sumire makes a strong case for traditional curly yellow ramen noodles. | 8 |
| pretty spartan on the toppings, sumire deviates from the famed sapporo-style of stir-frying cabbage and bean sprouts into one crunchy mass. they are much more traditionalist in their approach with fresh, if ordinary, bamboo shoots and chopped green onions. that said, their chashu, generous cubed chunks of tender pork and luscious lard, is a knockout. | 8.5 |
| if we were rating the mitsuwa hokkaido fair altogether, I would say that I picked up some great ikameshi stuffed squid to go with my noodles. but we're not. | NA |
| mitsuwa's food court is still mitsuwa's food court. torrance has the best vibe by far, but during these food fairs, things get even livelier. | 2.5 |
| sumire ramen! in LA! as this particular experience was a temporary setup, you may be wondering how this review can possibly benefit you in any way. well, the hokkaido fair is a periodic event, and sumire comes back to town every now and then. keep an eye out for one of japan's great ramen shops next time they roll into town! | 5 |
21515 Western Ave.
@ the Mitsuwa Marketplace
| 25.5 |
Sumire already move oot, and Santouka is this add already. You may need update.