Sapporo Ramen & Sushi @Canal Side Food Hall — Restaurant in Cambridge

On a bone-chilling, rain-filled day, I embarked on a hunt for foods to warm me up. What do I want? My fingers start typing my desires. "Soup." No. "Noodles." Not quite. Something that combines them both. "Ramen." Amen.

Following the address listed, I find myself at Porter and am so very confused. It looks like I'm at the right place, but where is this mysterious Ramen den? After sketchily walking up and down the block a few times, I figure out the hidden entrance: you go in through the Shops at Porter door. I had no idea this place was essentially in a Japenese food court! And what a food court it is.

I went a bit after the lunch rush (around 2:30 PM) so was surprised to see a line of about 5 people all waiting for a seat at the tiny, packed Sapporo. With the other Asian restaurants in the hallway completely deserted. I felt a bit bad for them, but that means that Sapporo is the place to be. And I'm already here, so shivering and hungry, I wait.

After about 20 minutes, I'm seated and order a Spicy Miso Ramen. Luckily it comes out in a jiffy, steaming and spicy and savory. And so, so perfect. There are noodles and pork and veggies in a delectable broth. If it weren't freezing outside, I probably would have broken a sweat as I slurped.

Honestly, I can think of nothing better on a rainy day than this bowl of Japanese love. I scarfed down as much as possible, my mouth and belly thanking me again and again, but still wasn't able to finish it. Even better! I get it packed up and have a scrumptious lunch the next...

My new go-to spot for casual Japanese takeout bowls.

Since Sapporo Ramen relocated from its Porter Square location to this new food hall, I’ve stopped by a couple of times for a quick meal. Maybe it’s my bias toward Japanese food, but among the options here, Sapporo stands out as the most solid choice.

Among the rice bowls, the Curry Pork Katsu is my favorite. Back in their Porter Square days, the pork katsu was underwhelming—often dry and over-cooked. But here, it’s been given a much-needed upgrade: crispier and juicier. A close second is their Beef Gyudon. The beef is not only well-seasoned but also has just the right amount of fat to keep each bite rich and satisfying.

Unfortunately, their ramen remained unchanged from what I remembered at Porter Square. While the noodles were perfectly cooked, the broth still lacked the depth and richness. I did, however, find the Spicy Miso ramen to have a bit more flavor complexity than the house ramen.

Much like their HMart location, this spot also offered pre-packaged sushi, and for the price, it was a solid option. The best time to grab one was around noon, as they’re usually made fresh in the morning—by dinner, the quality can be hit or miss. The prices are only slightly higher than what you’d find in grocery stores, so it was a reasonably priced choice for a quick sushi fix.

Favorites: Pork Katsu Curry, Beef Gyudon Solid: Sushi packs (if made fresh), Spicy Miso Ramen, Chicken Katsu Curry Decent: House Ramen, Gyoza, Chicken Karaage...

[+] Location is very good, walking distance from Porter Square, and next door to several Japanese restaurants. Seating is limited to 18, so if you can’t wait, there is Cafe Mami (teishoku), Tampopo (shokudō), Yume ga Aru Kara (udon), close by, which all looked pretty good. Parking is ample, either on the street or at the Porter Square shopping center, though public transport is also ample.

[+] Menu has the “house ramen”, the torigara (chicken stock) broth rich in collagen, with standard toppings: chāshū, boiled egg, nori, sprouts, and—because it’s Sapporo ramen—corn. No Hokkaidō ramen joint is complete without miso ramen, and it also offered tantanmen 坦々麺 (spicy) and sanrātanmen 酸辣湯麺 (sour and spicy). There were side dishes available that we didn’t try. Sapporo does not serve alcohol.

[+] Flavors were good, the soup was rich, and the noodles were properly cooked. Not all ramen shops stateside can clear those three and serve the dish at the right temperature.

[–] My two nitpicks were (1) that the spicy miso ramen, while quite good felt like just a combination of miso ramen and tantanmen, with the kochujan overpowering the miso; and (2) there were not enough noodles for the amount of soup, and so there was quite a bit of soup left at the end. You can ask for kaedama (extra noodles), but it was still too much soup.

I visited Sapporo Ramen more than ten years ago for the last night of Ramendan 2011. I’ll be back again, as it’s definitely worth revisiting.

pictures: sanrātanmen,...