01 / ABOUT THE PLACE
About this place
When stopping by Suzuki in the residential quarter of Higashi-Nippori, Arakawa Ward, the first order of business is the shumai, served in generous, substantial portions. Biting into each dense, meat-packed dumpling reveals the gentle natural sweetness of onions alongside hearty pork flavor. The house way is to eat them with chuno sauce and hot mustard rather than soy sauce; the tang and depth of the sauce cut the richness of the meat, making them an easy partner for a bottled beer or oolong highball.
The signature bowl on the noodle side is the garlic chive noodles, topped with enough stir-fried chives and pork to blanket the soup. Lightly coated in potato starch, the pork stays tender and silky, while fragrant wok oils seep into the crisp shoyu broth. Wood ear mushrooms provide snap and onions lend balance, making it hard to put down your chopsticks between slurps of the straight medium-thin noodles.
The kitchen is run entirely by the owner, and listening to the rhythmic clang of the wok while waiting for an order is part of the classic downtown atmosphere. The menu also features chewy-skinned gyoza, stir-fried liver with garlic chives, and spicy rice soup with plentiful ingredients, accommodating quick lunches as comfortably as an evening drink. Payment is strictly cash, so bring coins and small bills when dropping in for freshly cooked fare.
