Okushiba Shoten in Sapporo: The Best Shrimp-Based Soup Curry You Must Try

When it comes to must-try gourmet dishes in Sapporo, Hokkaido, the top choices include miso ramen, sushi, Genghis Khan (grilled lamb), and of course, soup curry.

Compared to these classics, soup curry is a relatively recent addition to Sapporo’s famous foods. However, it has quickly gained popularity, with hundreds of restaurants competing to serve the best version.

One of the most popular soup curry restaurants is Okushiba Shoten.

Their soup curry is known for its shrimp-based broth, but just how good is it? Let’s find out!

Popular Soup Curry Spot “Okushiba Shoten Ekimae Soseiji” – Walking Distance from Sapporo Station

Okushiba Shoten has several locations across Hokkaido, each with its own unique characteristics.

This time, I visited “Okushiba Shoten Ekimae Soseiji,” the branch closest to Sapporo Station, making it the most convenient option.

It is located in a retro shopping arcade called Pearl Town Meiten-gai, which has a nostalgic Showa-era feel. The sign for “Hair Salon Osharé” also caught my eye.

I arrived around 3:00 PM, thinking that since it was a weekday and well past lunchtime, I’d be able to get in right away…

Whoa, what is this?

There’s a massive line…

The Sapporo Snow Festival is already over, yet this place is still packed.

Surprised by the unexpected queue, I took a look at the menu handed to me by the friendly staff.

First, you choose your soup base.

The three main options include:
– The signature shrimp broth, “Okuoku.”
– The chicken broth, “Shibashiba.”
– The oyster broth, “Teratera.”

Additionally, this branch offers exclusive smoked versions of each: “Mokuoku,” “Mokushiba,” and “Mokutera.”

The menu includes a variety of options such as hamburg steak, chicken, and vegetables. After some deliberation, I went with the store specialty: the “Okushiba Hamburg Curry.”

Sapporo’s soup curry restaurants typically serve dishes packed with large chunks of ingredients, and they are priced higher than regular Japanese curry. At ¥1,450, this dish is on the pricier side, but let’s see if the quality justifies the cost.

Next, you choose the spice level and toppings. One topping is free, so don’t forget to pick one!

The back of the menu lists drinks, desserts, and details about the ingredients. They use locally sourced vegetables and rice from contracted farms in Hokkaido.

Aromatic Shrimp Broth with Bold Spices – Absolutely Delicious!

After waiting for about an hour, I was finally seated.

The restaurant is quite small, with only two tables and around seven or eight counter seats.

While waiting, I decided to order a Sapporo beer to enjoy the moment.

After a short wait, my Okushiba Hamburg Curry arrived. The dish featured a large hamburg steak and plenty of chunky vegetables—very satisfying. At this point, the slightly high price seemed entirely justified.

Here’s a close-up—so colorful and appetizing!

I took my first spoonful of just the soup.

The shrimp aroma spreads gently, but it’s not overpowering. Instead, it blends harmoniously with deep umami and spices.

The combination of shrimp essence and well-balanced spices made this soup curry far richer in flavor than any I had tried before.

This is… absolutely delicious!

Next, I tried it with Hokkaido-grown Nanatsuboshi rice.

The rice is cooked with slightly less moisture to pair well with the soup curry, ensuring that the grains remain distinct rather than soggy.

The hamburg steak was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—absolutely delicious. As expected from 100% Wakkanai Soya Black Beef, a premium Hokkaido beef. Honestly, they could run a dedicated hamburg steak restaurant with this quality.

The vegetables were individually flavorful yet complemented the curry perfectly—no complaints whatsoever.

Final Thoughts

Considering how long the wait was even on a weekday outside of peak lunch and dinner hours, I can only imagine how much longer the line gets on weekends, holidays, and during major events like the Snow Festival or summer vacation.

If you want to avoid a long wait, it might be a good idea to visit one of their other locations in the city, even if it’s a bit further from the station.

(There wasn’t a single consolidated official website for all their locations, but you can check their Facebook or Twitter pages for updates.)

That being said, this was hands down the best soup curry I have ever had.

Even if you have to wait in line, it’s absolutely worth it!