“Haenuki” harvested at a farm in Yamagata Prefecture is provided by Hanamoshio from Nagasaki Prefecture (Sweets Paradise Umeda Store)
The weather is gradually becoming more comfortable, and the desire for autumn is finally coming to an end. The sweets buffet restaurant “Sweets Paradise” (operated by Inoue Shoji, headquarters: Kita-ku, Osaka), where you can enjoy all-you-can-eat sweets, is perfect for autumn when food high, and they have started offering unexpected dishes.
In one corner of the store lined with colorful and cute sweets, “Salt Musubi” is made from shiny rice just seasoned with salt, and “Shio Musubi” is made from plenty of vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, daikon radish, carrots, and even pumpkin.
The restaurant’s unusual menu received many happy comments such as “I want to go to Suipara just for this,” “This is all I need,” and “Just the most better,” and there were also comments not only “Suipara” but also “pork soup” and “musubi salt.” It has become a hot topic on SNS, with several major words moving. We asked Mr. Imamura, the restaurant’s public relations representative, to tell us more about the amazing menu.
■ Special salt musubi made by Haenuki from Yamagata Prefecture
── Salt rice balls and pork soup are directly opposite to Suipara’s image, but why did you decide to offer them?
This project is one of the menu items for the “Autumn Festival,” but there are several things involved in making salt musubi and pork soup.
First, six years ago, we started an all-you-can-eat fruit course called the “Full Para Course,” and the fruits we offer in this course are bought directly from producers. Some fruit producers also grow crops other than fruit depending on the season. Because of this, we were able to buy rice from rice farmers, and we decided to make salt musubi using haenuki mushrooms from Yamagata Prefecture.
Store with salt musubi and pork soup (Sweets Paradise Umeda store)
— The record is the result of a relationship with the producers.
That’s right. By the way, the pork soup also uses Kuri Shogun, a local vegetable from the Edosaki area of Ibaraki Prefecture. It’s steamy and sweet and delicious.
— So it was really a harvest festival.
That’s right. You might think I was aiming for something unexpected or a hot topic, but it’s because I want people to enjoy delicious food. So, we didn’t expect such a response, and we were surprised too!
■ Office workers use Suipara for lunch
── It was a good answer, but what are the people like when they come to your store?
Pork soup is so popular that it is sold three times more than normal soup, and the amount served is higher than expected. There were also reports that groups of office workers come to the shop at lunchtime and enjoy salty musubi and pork soup for lunch.
A store with a cute and stylish interior (Sweets Paradise Umeda store)
── This is a sight I’ve never seen before at Suipara!
That’s right (laughs). People from Generation Z often visit our store, such as students, but with this project and the buzz, many people who came to the store for the first time or came here when they were younger returned to the shop. Sounds like you get it.
── The charm of pork soup and rice balls is amazing. What course can I enjoy pork soup and salt musubi?
Enjoy every course. The appeal of Suipara is that you can enjoy sweet treats and savory side dishes in an endless loop. You can enjoy it starting from 1,490 yen, so we hope you can feel free to come and enjoy it.
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The Autumn Festival, where you can enjoy all-you-can-eat sweets such as salty musubi and pork soup, as well as freshly squeezed Mont Blanc, can be enjoyed at Sweets Paradise nationwide. The period is expected to end around the end of November.
Interview / text / photos / Maho Nomura
