Tampopo? Just So-So
I will admit, I haven’t seen the movie “Tampopo.” I know it’s one of those classic food-centered movies that all foodies should see. I also know the basic plot of this Japanese film revolves around two truck drivers who try to help a lady, Tampopo, build up her noodle shop to make it a paragon to “the art of noodle soup making.” Considering this rather loaded back story, it is a bold move indeed to give your own noodle and sushi shop the same name. That’s what the owner of Tampopo, in Chicago’s West Rogers Park neighborhood decided to do. Does this shop successfully elevate noodle soup to an art form? Empanada Boy and I were craving Japanese food and decided to find out.
A whole bowl of ramen wasn’t in the cards for Empanada Boy, considering his diet. He would order sushi, we decided, and try some of my ramen on the side. We started with a dish (pictured above) that was completely unique from anything I’ve tried. It was two large mussel halves topped with crabmeat and masago (smelt roe) and baked. The result was something like a Japanese version of escargot; beneath the lightly crisped, creamy, salty topping of crab and roe was the warm, juicy mussel. EB and I were impressed. We were also pleased with the quality of the nigiri sushi that EB ordered, including white tuna, red snapper, octopus, masago and scallop. These would have been better with more built-in seasoning from wasabi or vinegar, but the fish was firm, and the rice had a good freshly made texture. All fell into the reasonable $2 to $2.75 price range.
EB also ordered a tasty crispy unagi maki, which was filled with thin, sweet strips of eel and got its crunchiness from a thin layer of panko around the exterior. It was another winning sushi dish for under $8. You may be wondering why I have yet to discuss or picture the ramen. That’s because the Gomoku ramen, which I ordered, was a big letdown. (The reason I don’t have a picture, though, is that my camera ran out of batteries during the meal.) The dish was a huge bowl of soup filled with noodles, napa cabbage, baby corn, bamboo shoots, onions, bean sprouts and carrots. It was also supposed to come with shumai shrimp and fish cake. What I got was a few thin pieces of fish cake, one tiny shrimp shumai dumpling and one shrimp. When I found the shrimp, I assumed that it was one of many in my bowl and offered it to EB. Little did I know it was the only shrimp to be found in my huge $10.50 bowl. To make matters worse, the broth was under-seasoned and severely lacking in that inexplicable flavor found in many Asian foods, known as ummami. Empanada Boy defended the soup, but I could not be convinced. Maybe I had built my hopes too high, eating flavor-packed pho at so many Vietnamese restaurants. Still, there was no excuse for the skimpy seafood and the broth did not quench my craving.
I would definitely go back to Tampopo to eat sushi again. Everything we tasted in that department was fresh and reasonably priced. We also enjoyed a delicious cold sake. I don’t know if I would ever risk ordering the noodles again. The menu descriptions are tempting, and other ramen dishes, udon or yakisoba may, in fact, be tasty. But it would be hard to endure another disappointment when the noodle soup fails to hit the spot.
Tampopo
5665 N. Lincoln Ave.
Chicago, IL 60659
773.561.2277
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Ms. Potato Head said,
June 16, 2008 @ 10:09 am
That is a sad state of affairs indeed, especially when they called themselves Tampopo. That is a really great movie, and I definitely had to go out and get some noodle soup after I saw it. I think my favorite food movies have to be Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the original, obv.), Chocolat, and Big Night. Willy Wonka is probably the closest to my heart. I always had to have some candy on hand for the opening credits (consisting of shots of candy being made at a factory) and the scene where they walk into the first big room at the factory and realize everything is made of sweets. What could be better?
Empanada Boy said,
June 16, 2008 @ 5:53 pm
For me, the highlight was the baked mussels. I had never tried anything like that and found it delicious. I defended the flavor of the broth, but have to agree that the lack of seafood in the Seafood Ramen bowl is pretty unforgivable.
Peerless Produce said,
June 17, 2008 @ 8:29 am
How have you gotten this far along in life without seeing Tampopo?! I only own about ten DVDs and that’s one of them. But my all time favorite “food movie” is Eat Drink Man Woman. The opening cooking scene is dazzling. It think you need to order a pizza pie and watch some movies this weekend, Ms. Food Critic.
Mango Mama said,
June 20, 2008 @ 8:42 am
Here is a cool coincidence –
Last week Flav suggested that I try a new Japanese comfort-food place on NW 21st here in Portland. She was excited that they served okonomyaki, a pancake dish that our family has enjoyed several times when my brother and his Japanese wife have made it specially for us. The Mango Lassie’s grandma and I tried out Tanuki (http://www.tanukipdx.com) last night. They had ditched almost all of their regular menu for the night and were only serving three special kinds of Kagoshima style ramen. To honor this special menu they were showing Tampopo on the television over the small bar at the back of the restaurant (some interesting dental drill scenes were showing when we arrived… ) Here is how this tiny establishment describes itself on the website:
“In Japan there are little restaurants serving simple delicious foods to go with sake and beer. Often they are called “akachochin” after the identifying red lantern hanging outside or “izakaya”- a place where there is sake.
We offer wonderful dishes from sake no sakana (food that goes with sake) to fresh delicious noodles and yoshoku (Japanese foods that created under the influence of the European traders that traveled to Japan).
Please note that an izakaya is a place for adult relaxation and socializing. We do not allow small children in our establishment.”
The ramen that we got was good. The broth was really rich – we heard from the chef/owner that it took her four days to make it. There was lots of meat and fish in the huge bowl that was way enough for both of us to share. No shrimp but many pieces of the red-rimmed fish cake.
To start off our dinner we ordered a skewer of grilled scallops (sweet!). The chef even sent out a second one for free. We also ordered a yummy skewer of mustard grilled shrimp. The whole meal, including sake, was $20.
As usual, my mom was the oldest patron of this hip establishment and I was the second-oldest. Mom definitely hangs out in the coolest places! There was a group of youngish- men hanging out at the bar, commenting on the ramen and talking about food altogether. I recognized one of them as a server from Kenny and Zuke’s – another awesome spot that the ML should try when she is here!
Mango Lassie said,
June 20, 2008 @ 10:09 am
Thanks for the recommendation, Mango Mama. It’s places like that that make me miss the high standards of my fellow Portland foodies. I can’t wait to go. Japan is one of the top destinations on Empanada Boy and my travel list and any establishment that can get us closer to an authentic Japanese culinary experience would get us all the more excited. Thanks, also to the rest of you for sharing your favorite food movies. I am planning to sit down and watch Tampopo as soon as I can.