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Soup Curry King Central Store in Chuo-ku, Sapporo

Staff Rating:

+81 112131230

A short walk from Odori or Susukino Stations

カタオカビルB1, Minami 2 Jonishi, 3 Chome−13-4 Chuo Ward

[see on the map]

Here at SapporoCity.com, we have the best collections of reviews of Sapporo soup curry restaurants on the internet. For our latest addition, we present this review of the Soup Curry King Central Store, in Chuo-ku, Sapporo; a very convenient shop, not (quite) as crowded as the other shops, with very tasty soup curry.

Online, this location is simply known as Soup Curry King, but it is one of three locations from that company in Sapporo. This Soup Curry King shop is their Central Store (セントラル), which is in Chuo-ku, about five minutes from Odori Station, very close to the PARCO department store in Sapporo. Their Main Store is in Toyohira-ku. And they have their Gateway Store in Kita-ku.

Sapporo’s Soup Curry King Central store is located on a side street, a few shops to the east from Sapporoekimaedori (the main street in downtown Sapporo). It’s a B1 basement shop (in the カタオカビル building), and you’ll see the bright yellow signs from the street.

As you’ll discover, soup curry is Sapporo’s most famous food. It is absolutely worth trying (and even eating more than once) when you’re in Sapporo. The only problem is, everyone that comes to Sapporo knows that, and the local Sapporo soup curry shops can get very crowded (particularly during holiday periods).

You might have a wait a while.

Because we are locals here in Sapporo, we know to expect long lines. If we want to eat at one of the popular shops, we will often show up early, so we don’t have to wait as long.

Recently, toward the end of the tourist season (in early March), I stopped by for another visit to Soup Curry King. I arrived at 11:15, which is 15 minutes before they open. The line was not that bad (a much shorter line than the Garaku Main Store, or nearby Okushiba Ekimae). Getting there before they opened, I was maybe #15 in line.

As I stood in line, they passed out menus.

They have an old-school physical menu at Soup Curry King, and you get to talk to the staff as you order; which I appreciate. It’s a low-tech solution; human, friendly, and rare (almost every other shop in town is forcing you into a screen). The menus are laminated, like a guidebook, and printed in four languages (Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese).

In addition to the ever-classic Chicken Soup Curry, the menu at the Central Store of Soup Curry King also features Chicken Vegetable Curry, Stewed Pork Curry, Stewed Pork Curry with Vegetables, Vegetable Curry, Beef Belly Yakiniku Vegetable Curry, Natto Minced Curry, Lamb Sinewe Chinese Chives Curry Curry, and their Seafood Curry.

They took my order as I stood in line, before they even opened the doors.

This was not my first time to Soup Curry King. Previously, a friend and I had lunch here (in 2024). Not much has changed.

The shop is a classic, simple, no frills, Sapporo-style shop. It’s like a lot of simple Japanese restaurants: box of tissues on each table, plastic pitcher of ice water, that little “buzzer” you can use to call the staff if you need them. I forgot to order a beer, so I hit the buzzer to place that part of my order.

On my visit, since I was alone, they sat me at the counter. They also happen to sit me at the end of the counter, facing a wall, in a seat I like to call “the Punishment Corner.” Like a teacher correcting a student that had been misbehaving in class, “go sit in the corner and think about what you have done.” Okay, I’m sorry. Lesson learned.

They sat a Korean woman next to me, in a slightly better seat (just one spot out of the corner). She made a face as she sat down. Then she realized we were near the bathroom… Yes, the punishment seat is also directly next to the bathroom door.

I say all this with a sense of humor, actually. That is really not a nice seat, but I was reasonably comfortable. It is funny to me that they sat the guy writing the review in a corner, facing a wall, next to the toilet. At another time in my life, as a tourist, trying a place for the first time – it would have left a bad impression. When you come to Soup Curry King, you too just might get that seat in Punishment Corner… but even still, I like Soup Curry King and will still say nice things about their restaurant.

(I am sympathetic to the owners, and someone has to have that seat. If I were the owner, I’d lower that wall so these seats had a view into the kitchen – which would change the nature of those seats from being somewhat depressing to the best seats in the house.)

As I mentioned earlier in this review, the staff (who were all great, by the way, very friendly and nice) had already collected my order before I was even in the door. With me an my friendly Korean neighbor seated, it wasn’t long until the food arrived to my “corner” of the restaurant.

On my first visit years ago, I had the classic chicken soup curry:

Chicken Curry: Chicken Leg, Potato, Carrot, Green Pepper, Cabbage, Quail Egg
— From the Soup Curry King menu

This shot above was actually from my neighbor’s meal. I asked her a few questions, and we talked a little over lunch. She was here visiting on vacation. She chose Soup Curry King because it was very close to her hotel – it is a great location.

This was her first soup curry, and I told her that for locals or visitors alike; the classic chicken soup curry is always a good choice. I very often go straight after the Chicken Soup Curry myself.

This season, I’ve been out trying more of the soup curry restaurants in Sapporo, and also trying to sample some less-common flavors of Hokkaido soup curry.

While we love soup curry here in Hokkaido, we also love lamb. Recently at the Maruyama location of Picante Soup Curry, I had the Grilled Lamb Soup Curry (and it was excellent). As there was a lamb soup curry on the menu, I wanted to see what that was all about.

Lamb Sinewe Chinese Chives Soup Curry: Lambs Sinewe, Tofu, Chinese Chives, Cloud Ear, Potato, Lotus Root, Carrot, Green Pepper, Cabbage, Quail Egg
— From the Soup Curry King Central Store menu

What is “sinew?,” you might ask. I wasn’t 100% certain at first, but I imagined that was a translation of “tendon.” In my younger years in the US, I would never have wanted to try “lamb tendon soup.” But spending more time in Japan; Asians like tendon soup. I was strictly after a tasty meal, but many people think tendon soup has health benefits as well. I was excited to give it a try.

I’m getting to be pretty “pro” at this process, and I know there is “formula” for ordering soup curry in Hokkaido; first you choose what kind of soup curry you want, sometimes to you choose a type of broth (Soup Curry King only offers one type), then you choose the spiciness, and finally choose the size of your rice.

What level of heat-spice you want is always a personal choice. I often choose “no spice” at all, or some low number. On this day, I experimented by going “up” to Level #2.

As the food was delivered to my table, the first thing I noticed was the smell; I can’t say exactly what the scent was, something familiar, reminded me of a smell you might encounter at a Pho restaurant.

For my first bite, I dug down into the yellowish broth with my fork, searching for a taste of the lamb tendon. As I pulled a fork full up from the bottom of the bowl, it looked like ground beef (maybe a little more hearty than that). The first taste was mostly spice (I mean heat, the chili flavor in particular), even as I had only selected #2-level spice (out of a range from 0 – “14”).

As my taste buds fought past the chili flavor, that minced-lamb “sinew” taste emerged and was fantastic. Finely chopped, soaking in soup, that natural strong lamb flavor is robust enough to shine through the that spicy broth.

The tofu was another main ingredient. I don’t particularly like tofu, but against the spiciness of the soup, the tofu provided a soft, almost creamy relief – a nice compliment. I was surprised to like it as much as I did.

Soft accommodating tofu, chewy lamb, crisp pimon green pepper, elastic wood ear mushroom (they call them “cloud ear” mushrooms), still-crunchy cabbage, the crumbling feel of the yoke from the quail egg – texture, texture, texture.

It was a fantastic soup curry. I loved it.

Finishing up the soup, after all the larger parts of vegetables were finished, alone with the lamb and the broth simplified the flavors, leaving you with spice (both flavor and heat), with a strong gamey-lamb taste, and with the rich fatty soup to coat your tongue.

Again, the spice is no joke.

As I placed my order, I chose #2 on the scale of 0 – “Joker” (Joker being an almost comically hot, uppermost, 15th level of heat). If you look at their heat chart, you can see them encouraging you to order hotter – at level 7, you get a “good job!” I bet #7 is crazy hot. I promise you I will never find out.

My Korean neighbor was exhibiting the telltale signs of “spicy soup” with her *sniff sniff* as soon as she began to eat. I asked how much spice she ordered: She chose a #5. While I could certainly manage a hotter soup, it is my opinion that while some spice enhances the flavor, too much will compete with the other flavors, and push the experience from a relaxing meal to a state of survival (where it’s hard to notice the other tastes).

As I ate, and chatted with my neighbor, music played overhead. It was modern, auto-tune R & B “bedroom” tracks. A somewhat random, but comfortable choice. Not too loud, not too bad.

There were a much higher percentage of locals at Soup Curry King – local Japanese having lunch, as opposed to visitors “doing a touristy thing.” You could feel it; everyone was more familiar with their surroundings, it was more a casual, comfortable feeling.

I like Soup Curry King. I would definitely go back (again), and I’m curious to go check out their Kita-ku “Gateway” shop. Having recently eaten at all the most popular/over-crowded spots, Soup Curry King’s main store was more relaxing experience.

This is a good shop. It’s a little dark and old fashioned, or I’d give it an “8” (out of 10). As it is, calling it a “7” is humble rating, but it’s a strong 7, and I’d be glad to go back anytime.

Recommended.