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Am I an honorary Phoenician now that eating hot soup and drinking hot tea in the middle of summer doesn't faze me?
No matter -- the promise of a steaming bowl of noodles come fall still thrills me to the core. I can't tell you what kind of mood I was in until I sat down to this simple, comforting bowl of udon at Cherryblossom Noodle Cafe and cheered up as if I just got a call from Santa Claus. This sansai ("mountain vegetables") udon had really mouthwatering broth, which I sprinkled with shichimi togarashi and proceeded to drink until my cheeks were glowing.
Keep Phoenix New Times Free... Since we started Phoenix New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we would like to keep it that way. Offering our readers free access to incisive coverage of local news, food and culture. Producing stories on everything from political scandals to the hottest new bands, with gutsy reporting, stylish writing, and staffers who've won everything from the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi feature-writing award to the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. But with local journalism's existence under siege and advertising revenue setbacks having a larger impact, it is important now more than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" membership program, allowing us to keep covering Phoenix with no paywalls.