By Holley Long
Orlando recently gained a new restaurant offering ramen and other traditional Japanese dishes. Sapporo Izakaya & Ramen is located on the west side of Orlando in Metrowest, and it’s definitely worth a visit if you find yourself on this side of town.
The Restaurant
Sapporo Izakaya & Ramen opened this spring in MetroWest, near Orlando’s Chinatown shopping center. Previously, the shopping center was the location of Sapporo Ramen, a well-loved eatery offering authentic Japanese noodles and other traditional dishes, before the restaurant closed in 2019.
The restaurant is named after the city in Japan where it was founded - Sapporo. This is the largest city north of Tokyo, and the largest city on Hokkaido, which is the northernmost main island of the country.
The Atmosphere
Sapporo greets visitors with an adorable entryway, full of paper lanterns, sculptures, and knickknacks. Seriously, I think I let out an audible “awww!” when I spotted the sculpture of chopsticks moving above a bowl of ramen.
Fun decor continues throughout the restaurant, with light up signs, banners, and even a wall of cat masks. The booths also have high walls, offering privacy for guests enjoying their meal, and lighting from lanterns and soft music make it a cozy spot.
The Menu
As the name suggests, the restaurant specializes in ramen, a Japanese noodle soup. If you just had flashbacks to meals in your college dorm, think again. Sapporo serves the real deal; the restaurant has nine different types of ramen in chicken, pork, or vegetable broth, with different toppings like bamboo shoots, egg, corn, shrimp, and more.
Not a fan of ramen? No worries. Mini rice bowls featuring teriyaki chicken, deep fried pork chops, and bulgogi beef are also on the menu. If you’re still hungry, there are also BBQ skewers, with meats including jumbo shrimp and lamb, as well as fried tofu.
Appetizers include favorites like fried pork dumplings, steamed bao buns, and vegetable spring rolls, but there are also some interesting dishes like the fried cheese hot dog. If you have room for dessert, there are different flavors of mochi, a Japanese rice cake, available to order.
When I visited, I ordered the recommended dish - Japanese Curry Ramen. It had a savory flavor, with a hint of spice, and the marinated egg and breaded chicken took it to the next level. I also tried a strawberry slushie, which was very sweet, and I was delighted to find jelly candies at the bottom of the drink.
Overall
With traditional Japanese ramen, rice bowls, BBQ, and mochi desserts, Sapporo Izakaya & Ramen provides a delicious spot for lunch or dinner. I truly enjoyed the ramen I ordered, as well as my slushie, but there are so many other dishes I’ve made a note to order next time. So, if you’re in west Orlando and starting to get hungry, stop by Sapporo for a meal you’ll want to order again and again.
MetroWest
MetroWest is located on the west side of Orlando and is filled with families, professionals, students and businesses. It’s renowned for its golf courses and gorgeous homes and apartments, with the Valencia College West Campus right in the heart of this area. MetroWest is also in close proximity to prime entertainment such as the Mall at Millenia, Downtown Orlando, and the Universal Orlando Resort. If you’re interested in living in Metrowest, or Orlando in general, our team can help!
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