Silence, no words are spoken; only the sounds of spoons clanking against the sides of bowls and the slurping of ethereal broth can be heard. Speaking at this point would cheapen the experience – and would cut into valuable “Soup Curry enjoyment time.”
The city of Sapporo stands at-the-ready, waiting to offer its visitors and inhabitants alike any number of culinary delights. Soup Curry, born and bred in Sapporo, Hokkaido is yet another one of the seemingly unending delicious food options available.
Upon the recommendation of a local epicurean enthusiast, it was decided that a visit to Chutta! Soup Curry Shop located near the Nishi 11 Chome station of the Tozai Line of the Sapporo Subway, was in order. Our group arrived, me with a slight hangover, convinced that the spicy curry soup would prove to be the cure for what ailed me, hoping to get a taste of the famous dish.
First off, let’s establish the ordering process. You select white or brown rice in either a small, medium or large serving. Next, it’s time to choose the type of dish you want, and then what type of broth and finally the level of spiciness. You also have the option of adding additional toppings such as sausage, cheese or natto, but our entire group skipped the final optional step.
I went with white rice, a tomato-based broth, spicy level three (it goes all the way up to ten) and my dish was a soup of curry filled with vegetables and a roasted chicken thigh.
To say the meal for ¥1000 was delicious would be like saying Michael Jordan is kind of athletic. Halfway through my bowl of goodness and I hadn’t even looked at the roasted chicken. The vegetables were incredible, the cabbage and potatoes absorbed the flavor of the spice and broth and I went back-and-forth between adding the vegetables to my rice and dipping a spoonful of the rice into the broth.
I knew I was eating something special when I blurted out, “I think my favorite bit is the carrot.” Its sweetness cut through the spice and it had somehow retained its crunchiness while absorbing the flavor of the magnificent liquid gold that surrounded it. It was so good that I firmly believe I could have enjoyed it as a purely vegetarian offering.
A visit to Sapporo requires a visit to a Soup Curry Shop. Chutta! Soup Curry Shop couldn’t have been a better introduction to one of the many dishes the city is famous for. Happily, it also turned out to be the ultimate hangover cure to boot!
