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Word of Mouth

Photo by Erin N. Calmes

Udon It: Toshiko and Isao Hayashi have made Sukeroku a neighborhood hit on the Westside, and the recent addition of lunchtime noodle specials to the menu makes the eatery a true destination restaurant.

Eat It Ramen:
During rainy-day weather, nothing warms the body and soul like hot noodles in broth

By Christina Waters

For 15 years, Sukeroku owners Isao (he's the big one behind the sushi bar) and Toshiko (she's the tiny one who rules the dining room) Hayashi have made their little corner of Santa Cruz's Westside safe for Japanese cuisine aficionados. And as much as we crave Isao's spicy tuna handroll and classic maguro nigiri, we invariably order up the house udon specialty, nabeyake--a rich broth laced with those fat, feel-good udon noodles, plus shiitake mushrooms, bits of chicken, halves of hard-boiled egg and a bouquet of crisp tempura on top. It's the sort of dish that chilly evenings were made for.

Now, just in time for the winter dining season, the Hayashis have added a few well-formed noodle dishes to their daytime menu. On one recent rainy day, we came in from the cold to our favorite table at the tiny restaurant and found that not only were there a trio of udon dishes available, but a few serious ramen possibilities as well. Since it's simply irresistible, we ordered a nabeyake udon ($6.35)--we could have had the udon with chicken or with pork instead of topped with tempura--plus an order of the shoyu ramen ($6), along with some extra chashu ($1.50), sliced roast pork that's been glazed with a bit of five-spice barbecue marinade.

Pasta--Japanese style--has every bit the comfort quotient of its Italian offspring, and these dishes of steaming complex broths and multi-textural ingredients can take the chill off a cold winter day.

The nabeyake udon cauldron arrived packed with thick noodles in a sweet/salty chicken broth. Long strands of julienned carrots, satiny shiitake and that crunchy froth of tempura--a prawn, sliced yam and broccoli--kept the noodles company.

The ramen dish--a newcomer to the Sukeroku menu--was just as delicious, the noodles leaner and tangling into great, soft knots in a soy-rich broth. A big pillow of fresh spinach lay suspended to one side, balanced by shreds of scallions on the other. Tender, lean slabs of the roast pork filled in the interior so that with one move of the chopsticks, we could retrieve noodles, pork and spinach, which quickly would be followed by a spoonful of the broth.

We were feeling so pampered that we split an order of exceptionally firm maguro sashimi for dessert. The good news is that Sukeroku is really one of the prime noodle emporia on our Asian culinary landscape. The bad news is that the ramen is served at lunch only, and lunch is only served Tuesday-Friday, noon-2pm. Keep that in mind as you make tracks over to Sukeroku at 1701 Mission St. in Santa Cruz (426-6660).

Scenic Discounts

Sure, the Shadowbrook Restaurant is big, beautiful and serves fine food. But today's cost-conscious consumer needs even more incentive--especially during foul winter weather--to get the lead out and have dinner at a favorite restaurant. That's why the Shadowbrook is offering temptation in the form of a familiar friend: The justly famed Monday Night $9.95 Prime Rib Dinner is back! That's a complete prime rib dinner, including soup or salad, vegetables and fresh-baked breads. You need only show up on Monday evening, from now all the way through the end of February.

But wait! There's more! The Shadowbrook likes this winter discount idea so much, it's also offering a Thursday Night Seafood Dinner--as in scampi, fresh salmon, etc.--for $9.95, and a Sunday Night Family Dinner featuring a main course of roast chicken, lamb or pork, complete with the familiar soup or salad, vegetables and breads, for $9.95. For reservations, call the Shadowbrook--you know where it is--at 475-1511.

Normally, we don't really connect whales and chardonnay on the same neural net. But hey, why not? Especially since the beautiful 70-foot yacht Chardonnay II offers whale-watching cruises every Saturday and Sunday starting at 10am. The two-hour-plus cruises leave from the Santa Cruz Yacht Harbor and get you up close to our favorite cetaceans. You can glimpse the migrating gray whales while sipping champagne (you, not the whale) or juices and breakfasting on muffins and pastries. All trips cost $37.50 (plus tax) per person and can be booked by calling 423-1213.

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