3 Recommended Curries to Try When You Can't Decide on Hokkaido Gourmet

Conclusion

The vast land is home to a wide array of unique curries.

Hokkaido's Curry Appeal

When it comes to Hokkaido gourmet, it's not just about seafood, ramen, and Genghis Khan. There are also unique curries found throughout the region. From Sapporo Miyoshi's Gyoza Curry to Obihiro's Indian Curry, there are specialties limited to various parts of the island.

In this article, I will introduce some local Hokkaido curries that I haven't had the chance to cover yet.

Sapporo Soup Curry

When visiting Sapporo, soup curry is a must-try gourmet dish. It is as convenient as ramen, yet very filling.

First, you savor the combination of soup and spices, then scoop up some rice with your spoon and dip it into the soup. You eat it while taking bites of the large ingredients as a palate cleanser. The charm of soup curry is the sensation of gradually warming up from the inside out as you enjoy it.

Spice curry is overflowing with the shop's personality in its combination of soup, spices, and ingredients. It feels like a complete nutritional meal, as you can get plenty of vegetables in addition to meat. It warms you to the core, especially in winter when the temperature doesn't rise all day.

The prototype of soup curry was born in 1971 at the coffee shop "Ajanta India Curry Shop" in Sapporo. It originated from a medicinal curry made when the owner was feeling unwell. It was added to the menu at the request of regular customers, and thus soup curry was born.

What I want to talk about this time is the ingredients.

The combinations of ingredients are infinite. I have even created an unknown soup curry that no one has ever seen before by incorporating AI ideas.

The combination of vegetables and chicken leg is a classic. The large-cut vegetables that lead you to say "Ah" and the whole chicken leg give the soup curry a satisfying texture. The chicken leg, which has been simmered for a long time, easily falls off the bone.

The combination of minced meat and natto spread through Sapporo starting from "Murakami Curry Shop Puru Puru," founded in 1997. When it was offered as a limited-time menu item, it was so popular that it created long lines, so it became a permanent signature dish. Natto curry spread throughout Sapporo, centered around soup curry shops.

I ate minced meat, natto, and vegetable curry at Tiger Curry. There are three types of soup: normal, stamina (garlic-based), and shrimp, and you can choose from 6 levels of spiciness. The natto acted as a savory seasoning. The distinct flavor of minced natto is stronger than that of small-grain natto. However, by combining it with soup curry, it turns into a savory flavor similar to miso. The texture and graininess also match the minced meat. When deep-fried, the oil coating enhances the appeal of the vegetables. At first, a dashi-like umami spreads, and then the spiciness gradually spreads afterward.

Kakuni (Braised Pork Belly)

I wondered what kind of flavor it would have if I added a chunk of pork belly like a chicken leg. If you simmer it in a sweet and spicy soy sauce-based broth, it turns into kakuni. I am drawn to the thick, tender pork belly (three-layer meat) that has soaked up the flavor.

I ate pork soup curry at Ramai. When I entered from the cold outside just before it started snowing, the atmosphere of Bali, Indonesia, spread throughout the shop, making it feel even warmer.

The chicken-based soup was well-spiced. The pork was prepared in a way that the fat wasn't greasy, and the muscle fibers came apart easily. Unlike kakuni, the way it integrated with the spices became addictive.

I wrote in detail about Sapporo soup curry in this article.

Furano Omu-Curry

Furano is located in the center of Hokkaido. July is the season for lavender. Even after the lavender season ends, agricultural products like Furano melons are worth noting. They have built the Furano brand by processing these agricultural products into retort-pouch foods, sweets, and more. Direct sales outlets like Furano Marche are also very appealing.

Furano Curry + Omelet Rice -> Furano Omu-Curry

Furano Omu-Curry combines curry and omelet rice, with a focus on ingredients from Furano and Hokkaido, as well as the style of service.

I ate Omu-Curry at Yuigadokuson.

This time, I went to the popular curry restaurant "Yuigadokuson" in Furano City. Yuigadokuson is a place I had been curious about in Furano. It is a mountain-hut-style curry shop located in the city area, about a 5-minute walk from Furano Station. Even within the city, the shop is surrounded by greenery. I headed to Furano Station on the Biei-Furano Norokko Train No. 1 and went straight there. There was already a line of about 6 groups. However, the service was fast, and I was able to enter in about 15 minutes.

Attracted by the sign that said "Curry and Coffee," I also ordered an iced coffee. I added the homemade sausage. It was a one-plate lunch that also included a salad. If you bring your curry sauce bowl, which has ingredients melted into it, to the counter and say "Rurururu," you can get a refill. The deep, medium-spicy curry has a bit of a kick, but it is wrapped in the omelet. The homemade sausage is juicy.

The coffee, with its deep-roasted bitterness, blows away the drowsiness that comes after lunch. It provides energy for the afternoon.

Hakodate Gotoken Curry

Gotoken

Gotoken is the oldest Western-style restaurant in Hokkaido, founded in 1879. At the time of its founding, Russian cuisine and bread were its signature menu items. The restaurant was named after its first head chef, Eikichi Goto. The second head chef, Tokujiro Wakayama, trained at the Imperial Hotel and brought Western cooking techniques to Hakodate. After the Great Fire of 1886, it changed into a French restaurant.

The current main building was rebuilt in 1934. The interior is unified with Western-style decor that evokes a sense of history. While preserving tradition, it has adapted to the changes of the times through the generations. Today, they also sell retort-pouch curry. The retort-pouch curry also recreates the taste of the restaurant. It is a staple souvenir from Hakodate.

When you think of Gotoken, you think of curry. You can feel the history in their Meiji Curry and British Curry. Since I wanted to eat both types at the same time, I ordered the combination curry. The rice is used like a dam to keep them from mixing.

Meiji Curry was created by the first head chef, who introduced techniques derived from Russian cuisine. It is a medium-spicy pork curry. The British-style curry was perfected by the second head chef, who incorporated French culinary techniques. It is a spicy beef curry. It is made by adding various spices to a homemade bouillon simmered for over 6 hours. It is a rich and mellow curry.

Meiji Curry felt like a classic rice curry. Like a traditional rice curry, you can taste the flavor of the flour. It felt like it was based on a white sauce. The British curry adds depth. If you taste them in the order of Meiji Curry followed by British-style curry, you can feel the history of curry.

The garnishes were also unique.

The garnishes are fukujinzuke (pickled vegetables), peanuts, and garam masala. Peanuts are rare. The fukujinzuke and peanuts play a role in enhancing the curry. You can add garam masala to adjust the spiciness to your liking. The nuttiness and textural accent of the peanuts go well with the curry.

You can also taste various other curries at Gotoken.

At Gotoken, you can enjoy 9 types of curry, including French-style curry (mild beef curry), Indian-style curry (spicy chicken curry), and Nepalese-style curry (medium-spicy vegetable curry). Sometimes, special ingredients like duck or scallops are also included.

This time, I introduced three curries I ate in Hokkaido. For those who will be fully enjoying a trip to Hokkaido during the upcoming summer vacation, please use this as a reference.

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