イカ釣り船の名を継いだパン屋さん？ : Boulangerie Sumiyoshimaru

Yamaguchi Prefecture's Hagi City is known for producing many leaders of the Meiji Restoration, and while it is famous as a tourist destination now, its thriving fishing industry often goes unnoticed.

In fact, the protagonist of the TV drama 'First Penguin', played by Nao from Fukuoka City, is based on the real-life Chika Tsubouchi from Hagi Island, which sits offshore. Some may remember the late Hiroki Matsukata catching a giant marlin in the waters off Minshima.

In the nearby waters, there's a brand fish known as 'Setsuki Aji', and it seems that high-end fish like Nodoguro and Amadai are also quite abundant here.

In the spring, the Matsuboto River in Hagi has a Shirouo fishing season, and although the catch has drastically decreased, you can still enjoy the unique sensation of the fish hopping in your mouth. A few years ago, I bought some at the roadside station 'Hagi Shimart' (though unfortunately, they all perished by the time I got home).

At the mouth of the Matsuboto River, there’s a port town called Hamasaki, which retains a strong historical charm.

In Hagi, there are plenty of buildings over 100 years old, but Hamasaki is designated as a Traditional Building Preservation District.

This area flourished as a port for the Kitamaebune (northern coastal ships), and in recent years has bustled as a shipping port for the fishing industry, including for iriko and summer oranges.

Narrow houses with lattice windows line the streets, and the old Yamanaka family residence, a luxurious former house, has become a community facility. They seem eager to invite tourists, especially those from abroad, to explore the area, which includes well-known spots like Kikuya Yokocho.

Before entering the center of Hamasaki, you’ll find Boulangerie Sumiyoshimaru located along a road diagonally near a convenience store, specifically at the corner of the Yoshidacho intersection.

To put it simply, it’s right next to the convenience store, marked by a large fishing flag.

The only drawback is the lack of dedicated parking, and the nearest coin parking is quite far away, but you can probably guess from the previous sentences what that might entail.

Also, be mindful of their business days.

With a name like Sumiyoshimaru, it feels like they either chose an interesting name just for fun or aimed to catch attention, especially since it had a relatively high rating on Tabelog. I was under the impression that a trendy young couple was running a bakery focused on hard bread, something Hagi lacked until now, but I was surprised to find it was actually an older couple running the place.

However, it doesn’t really matter how old the owners are, as long as the food is delicious. The name alone doesn’t determine the taste. Nowadays, there’s a trend favoring unique names and being eye-catching.

Interestingly, Sumiyoshimaru was named after the squid fishing boat that the owner's husband used to be on. They may not have continued with fishing, but they wanted to keep the boat's name.

So, at this uniquely named bakery, I purchased the following four items:

1. Seasonal King Pan (Winter Strawberry Chocolate) - JPY 230

2. Beef Stew Bread - JPY 250
- A bread filled with rich beef stew flavored with red wine.

3. An-Butter - JPY 280
- Red bean butter that pairs perfectly with matcha-flavored bread.

4. Sumiyoshimaru’s Cream Bread - JPY 200
- This cream bread is slightly different from others! It has a unique dough and an overflowing homemade cream. It’s exceptionally soft, so be sure to try it out!

I bought item 1 out of curiosity regarding the name 'King Pan'. This is because in Mojiko of Kitakyushu, there's a type of melon bread that has been called 'King Pan' for ages, and I wanted to know if they also call it that in Hagi. However, I immediately forgot to ask, which is a sign of getting older—I only realized it when I returned home.

So, I did a little search and found that various towns have a similar name for King Pan, including one bakery company with the exact name in Toyoake City, Aichi Prefecture. However, it seems that only the areas like Mojiko and the surrounding places refer to their melon bread in that manner.

It appears that various names exist for melon bread. For instance, in parts of Kansai and Shikoku, it's called 'Sunrise'; in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, it somehow goes by 'Koppe Pan'; and for those from Hiroshima, the melon bread in Kure City is rugby-ball shaped and filled with a white bean paste-like cream.

While I am unsure why they use the term King Pan here, the taste was quite good, with a subtle strawberry flavor that felt youthful, yet in an endearing way. The exterior was crispy and the inside fluffy, making it rather perfect.

However, it’s a simple flavor that is undoubtedly geared towards children, yet oddly enough, I believe adults may also secretly enjoy it.

Item 2 had a delicious stew inside, first and foremost ♡

It had a nice tang and depth without coming off too preachy or overwhelming. Although the beef's flavor had melted into the stew, the crust had a lightness reminiscent of a fried curry bread. After lightly rebaking and toasting it, the texture was quite enjoyable.

That said, it was originally meant to be targeted towards curry bread.

Item 4 is, frankly speaking, a type of wagashi?

I felt like this was the first time I’ve had such a red bean butter. Of course, the matcha bread contributes to this Japan-inspired flavor.

Although it’s quite filling, the overall fluffiness makes it feel light. However, if you find the natural sweetness of wagashi burdensome, then it might feel a bit heavy for you.

Even I didn't like wagashi when I was younger, but with age, I find it becoming quite pleasant.

The butter might be soy butter, but its saltiness serves as a nice accent.

I personally have limits when it comes to cream bread and don’t buy it often, but when it's stated that 'it's different from others', of course I felt compelled to try it.

Upon arriving home and picking it up, I thought the cream might spill out due to its weight!

Once I tasted it, it was indeed noticeably different from the others.

The bread was stretched remarkably thin, just barely containing the cream inside, and honestly, it was incredibly stuffed.

The cream had a slightly grainy texture; it lacked refinement, but perhaps that’s why it suited me so well (Who says I’m tasteless?!)

To summarize, Boulangerie Sumiyoshimaru has a calm atmosphere just like its owners, yet they have a standout deliciousness that clearly deserves the high ratings.

It seems the husband has worked in a bread-making company for a long time, while the wife has worked at a famous bakery in Kansai, which suggests they didn’t just open the bakery on a whim, despite Hagi being a rural town hidden away during the Edo period. They likely have the skills that have led to their current success.

I definitely plan to revisit, as I really want to try their reportedly award-winning curry bread!

● My Personal Tabelog Rating...3.9