Hige-Danshaku Soup Curry – Two Thumbs Up

Hige-Danshaku

Soup Curry

Last month, I went to Hokkaido for the second time since I came to Japan. It was a real pleasure to see Sapporo again, to go skiing in the pristine powder of Rusutsu, and of course, to enjoy the variety of amazing foods on offer in Japan’s northernmost prefecture. But I realized there was one thing that had escaped me during my first visit: soup curry! This warm, satisfying meal was apparently invented in Sapporo in the 1970s, and has been a mainstay in Hokkaido cuisine ever since. I adore curry in pretty much any form, so it seemed like a great choice after a few days on the slopes – our final meal before heading to the airport.

There’s no shortage of soup curry restaurants around downtown Sapporo, but we approached the front desk of our hotel to learn where the locals go. The clerk smiled, pulled out a pen, and circled an unmarked area in the margins of the map. “This place is a little far,” he told us, “but you won’t regret it.”

After a 10-min walk, we arrived at a small, inconspicuous shop at the base of an apartment building. There was only one small sign with the name written in black and yellow letters: ひげ男爵. But as we stepped inside, we realized this small, cozy shop was packed with business people having their lunch break - not tourists. We knew we had found something special.

Soup curry is more “soup” than “curry.”  It’s a relatively thin broth, but filled with an abundance of spices and large chunks of meat and vegetables. It’s probably more flavorful than your average Japanese curry, and the rice is served on the side. Mine also had coconut in it, which I highly recommend. You can adjust the spice level, add a variety of toppings, and even choose from several types of rice.

We passed the better part of an hour at Hige-Danshaku, filling our bellies and enjoying the warmth of the shop. It was the perfect way to restore our energy at the end of a fun, active week.