Noritama egg sandwich from Norimoto Bakery in Portland. Photo by Leslie Bridgers
WHAT: Noritama egg sandwich, $7.50
WHERE: Norimoto Bakery, 469 Stevens Ave., Portland, norimoto-bakery.square.site
WHY: I can think of several breakfast sandwiches worthy of spotlighting in this space – the behemoth from St. Joe’s in Scarborough, Ugly Duckling’s Yinzer, and the inventive selections (with ingredients like gochujang aioli) coming out of the new Catface Cafe in Biddeford among them. But Norimoto’s Noritama egg sandwich serves a special purpose for me. When you live in walking distance of a James Beard-nominated bakery, you feel a certain responsibility to take advantage of it. And while I visually admire the many sugary creations that emerge from baker Atsuko Fujimoto’s ovens, I’m just not a pastry person. To make the most of my proximity to such talent, I have tried – and very much enjoyed – all she offers for savory menu items: quiche, sausage on a brioche roll (a sort of giant pig in a blanket), even the rice ball, though that doesn’t exactly show off her baking skills. But once I had her breakfast sandwich, I knew what I would be coming back for. The sandwich looks simple from the outside: a slab of steamed egg on two slices of a version of her shokupan Japanese milk bread, the bottom one covered in a layer of melted cheddar. The components are precisely constructed into a neat square that’s wrapped in foil for grab-and-go, and each contributes to perfect bite by perfect bite. The bread has a crust that reminds me of pan pizza, and the egg looks as perfectly shaped as if it came from a fast-food chain, with a fluffy freshness in place of preservatives. But it’s what you can’t see that packs the biggest punch. Lift up the top slice of bread to find a few flecks of green. Those little pieces of nori seaweed and spicy takana pickles (made with mustard greens) give the sandwich a salty, earthy heat that would be hard to find elsewhere. When this one’s a 10-minute walk away, however, there’s no need to go looking.
Is there a locally made food item you think we have to try? Let us know about it by sending an email to go@pressherald.com.
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