For 33 years in Porter Square, Sapporo (can we call it the OG?) quietly made its case as one of the best ramen shops in the area. It never had lines around the block like Yume Wo Katare does just the other side of the Porter Square Shopping Center, but it was always full and there were often waits for the eight-ish cafe tables in the Lesley University building’s humble assembly of Asian eateries and shops. The reason to go was always Sapporo’s smooth and rich miso broth – chicken-based when most, such as Katare, are pork-based. Without fail, year in and year out, it was silky, puckering and warmly satiating, keeping me a Sapporo loyalist for decades.
But all good things must come to an end. Or do they? Some eateries in the Lesley building shuttered (Chocho’s and Yotopia bubble tea) while others relocated to the old Shaking Crab locale in the building (Katare’s udon-focused stepsister, Yume Ga Arukara, and Izakaya Ittoku) when Lesley announced plans to repurpose the central space for university needs. Sapporo, seeing the writing on the wall, opted for Plan C: a move to the CambridgeSide mall in East Cambridge, which is being remade into something more – the concept being a multifaceted destination with retail, fine food, lab space and apartments above. Part of that makeover was the refurbishment of a food court that had long been home to national fast food staples such as Burger King, Panda Express and Dunkin’ in favor of more local and fine casual. (Dunkin’ got swapped out for a Caffè Nero.) The new food hall, CanalSide, is akin to the Time Out Market in Fenway, Hub Hall Boston near TD Garden and the High Street Place Food Hall in Boston’s Financial District, though it’s more sterile. The generic storefronts rob the kiosks of a sense of personality, something that was part of the charm at Lesley.
Not all the eateries have opened, but there are upscale options (a relative term when the base is fast food), healthy Asian bowls, Mediterranean cuisine, a juice bar, gourmet pizza and pasta, a sandwich shop to come – and yes, old friend Sapporo. Like the the other “halls,” CanalSide (part of CambridgeSide, or something like that; so many sides, so little time) has a bar at the center, with reasonably priced wines and cocktails and a jumbo screen TV lounge area. There are a reasonable amount of outlets for plugging in and free Wi-Fi has been added since the hall opened in October an Internet dead zone. If you sit at the bar you can order from one of the eateries, get a text when your order is up and carry a meal back to your barstool and bevvy.
How has the transition worked out for Sapporo? As far as my bowl of spicy miso ramen goes, little has changed. The whole crew from Porter Square is there, which is reassuring, and ramen remains the centerpiece (hot and sour, vegetarian and cold noodles are some of the options), though Sapporo has added a limited selection of sushi and rice bowls. The one small bummer is that the ramen now comes in disposable plastic bowls versus the thick porcelain bowls at Porter. I grumbled for a nanosecond, but as soon as I had one slurp of that savory broth peppered with chili powder, I was in. I’ve always appreciated Sapporo’s healthy heaping of fresh, crisp sprouts atop, the corn kernels in the mix and supple, easy-to-eat noodles. In Porter the spicy miso ramen came with ground pork; now you have your choice of protein in beef or tofu, sliced pork or chicken, and spicy ground chicken. The spicy ground chicken is closest to what was before, and I barely noticed a difference, white the sliced chicken is a nice option not offered at too many ramen shops – and we have our fair share.
Sapporo has a sister outpost that’s part of the H Mart in Central Square. I do miss the homeyness of Lesley, but the new location allows you to sit without the pressure of table turnover. Given the colder temps, we are now officially into ramen weather, and with Xmas around the corner CanalSide might just be the spot to come get warm, buy that special something for someone and enjoy some of the best ramen in Boston with a glass of wine – or so says this fan of 33 years and counting. The location has changed, but the quality has not.
Scoop alert: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream opens Thursday in Harvard Square, offering $1 scoops from noon to 2 p.m. and offering 30 percent scooper discounts to students as part of its opening ceremonies.
Sapporo at CanalSide, 100 Cambridgeside Place, East Cambridge
Tom Meek is a writer living in Cambridge. His reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in the WBUR ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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