Restaurant Review - Suiryuu

One of the first places I dined at when I got here was a Chinese izakaya restaurant on the main street of the city centre (松明通り - Taimatsu Road), owned by a really hard working bloke. Hard working because the guy doesn't take any mid year vacations and keeps his shop open long past midnight. That's dedication for you.

The restaurant's name is 酔龍 which means "Drunken Dragon", and by definition is the kind of place I would seriously hang out at. The cuisine is Chinese, and by that I mean Chinese food that has been modified for local tastes. It's a little different from the stuff I get in Sydney, since some truly Chinese ingredients are a little hard to come by here. Notwithstanding, it's probably some of the best grub you can have in the city for a decent price (¥1200-1800 pp inclusive of 1 alcoholic drink), and here's why.

The Ebi Chilli looks fearsome, though being made for Japanese palates, is really mild by even Australian standards. Then again, I'd happily eat a whole bag of habanero potato chips in one sitting (with a glass of milk on standby of course), so it's a little hard to compare. Fans of Iron Chef might remember that they claim the dish was brought to Japan by Iron Chef Chinese's father, and everyone else jumped on the bandwagon afterwards. Don't take their word for it though, it's not like the show is a paragon of veracity ya know.

Back in Sydney, and pretty much the rest of the world, flied lice (hah) is made from chopped up leftovers so nothing goes to waste. None of that for Suiryuu though. The owner uses fresh eggs, chicken, pork and greens for his, and occasionally offers special variants with seasonal ingredients such as salmon. All this without a hint of added MSG! He'll also do special requests for allergy sufferers (no eggs!) so it's all good.

Oh, and it's "fried rice", you plick. ^^

Suiryuu's karaage seriously rocks my world. Boneless, seasoned fried chicken pieces delivered fresh and hot to your table with generous helpings of shredded cabbage and spiced mayonnaise for dipping. Excellent on its own or with a cold, tasty beer.

A somewhat unique dish at the restaurant is the cheese harumaki (springrolls). In addition to the usual turnip, carrots and mixed vegetables, these are filled with mozzarella (or similar) and freshly fried so that the cheese is still gooey. It takes some getting used to if you're more familiar with the traditional kind, but it's really quite tasty, especially with another cold beer.

One of the chef's extra-special specials is the gomoku ankake yakisoba, which is basically crispy noodles with a thickened combination sauce containing vegetables, chicken, pork and seafood. It reminds me a lot of the yee mee I used to eat in Singapore, so I can't help but get a little nostalgic on this one. Ah... good times. I'll have another Asahi, thanks...

One of the nicest things about the place is the way it's laid out. Diners can choose to sit at the bar where they can order mixed drinks or beer on tap with their food, or sit in the raised area (shoes off please!) and chill out with the zabuton and low tables. The interior is constructed mostly using timber, which gives the place a nice, cosy atmosphere. The latest pop music plays over the sound system, but is never so loud that you can't carry on a normal conversation. There's no pressure to order lots, and you can stay as long as you like (within reason of course... like not until 10am the next day).

In a nutshell:

Suiryuu
15 Taimatsu Doori
Sukagawa City Centre
Fukushima Prefecture
0248-75-5013

Cuisine: Chinese
Alcohol served: Yes
Capacity: 20-25 persons
Budget: Mid-range (under ¥2000)
Lunch: 12-2pm
Dinner: 6pm until late
Closed Sundays