Portland Food Heads

When I heard that Siam Thai went under, all I could think about was what a great little space they had. The brick walls and small, cozy atmosphere would surely go to waste if no one was to take advantage of it. That said, it's no surprise that Shima opened their doors not more than a month or so after Siam shut down. With so many great Japanese restaurants in the area these days, it's tough to get excited about another one coming to town. Hell, with Kon Asian Bistro around, why bother go anywhere but there for "Asian-inspired" food and drink from now on????






(Is he serious? I think he's serious!)

No. The fact is, Shima seems to have a concept that
differentiates them from area competition; its not exactly a "Japanese" restaurant in the traditional sense. Chef Shima - formerly of Fuji - told me himself, "I cook what I like to eat."

This becomes apparent immediately after a glance at the dinner menu. Even though I was in for lunch, I was given a dinner menu as well and while there is definitely a good amount of traditional Japanese fare included, the "a la carte" section suggests that chef Shima is interested in more than the average walk-in diner might expect. If not in the mood for sushi, why not try the "Duck Confit a la Japanaise," or the Moules Marinieres? Sounds like someone has a thing for France, and it's hard for me to call that a problem.

As I mentioned, Shima's room/decor is very comfortable and makes for a great dining experience. When I was in on the second day that they were open for lunch, it was still somewhat quiet due to the fact that most people didn't even know whether or not they were open yet. In fact, the only way I knew was by driving past the place, as I couldn't locate a phone number anywhere. It seems they're still getting situated and nothing is concrete as of yet; certainly no indication of their future.

At the moment Shima's lunch menu is fairly standard Japanese fare. I decided to go with the Salmon Bento Box, as I figured it would offer me the most amount of food to try in one sitting without breaking the bank. The Bento Box came with a bowl of miso soup per usual, although this was one of the better incarnations I've had in town. Normally miso and I are not the best of friends, but the flavors were perfectly balanced and served as an excellent accompaniment to the rest of the meal. The only issue was that it came out after the Bento Box.

Although I wouldn't say it was the best "lunchbox special" I've had in the area, it certainly was not a poor plate of food. The salmon was cooked perfectly, with beautiful, crispy skin, and garnished with some incarnation of ginger that I couldn't quite put my finger on yet served as a nice contrasting flavor to the fish. The micro-salad that accompanied the dish had nice flavor and was a refreshing contrast to the other elements on the plate. The tempura was fairly by-the-book; not bad, not great. To top it off, the sushi - spicy tuna roll - was fine. Just fine.

And so was my luncheon experience at Shima; not great, not at all bad, and certainly not without elements of potential. I see no reason to "rate" a restaurant after they've been open for a week, and I'm not even going to attempt to. I would say that Chef Shima's confidence in serving the type of food "he likes to eat" will allow the restaurant to carve out a small niche for itself in a city already filled with options for Japanese. If the dinner menu I saw is any indication of things to come, Shima may well become a downtown gem before long.

Shima is located at 339 Fore St. in Portland, ME.

~E~

Have you eaten at Shima? Be sure to leave a comment about your experience!