Home > Sapporo Soup Curry > Grandma’s Okushiba-chan Soup Curry in Minanomori, Sapporo

Grandma’s Okushiba-chan Soup Curry in Minanomori, Sapporo

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0116886454

Tozai line to Nishi Nijuhatchome Station

10 Chome−7−20 Chuo Ward, Miyanomori 1 Jo, Sapporo

[see on the map]

Near the top of the list of best soup curry places in Sapporo, is the Okushiba Miyanomori store called Okushiba Shoten Okushiba chan. It’s not central or particularly easy to get to, but it is very good soup curry in one of the most charming locations in the city.

There are something like 11 different Okushiba soup curry stores (most of them in Hokkaido, but they have a store in Tokyo as well). This store’s name is in Japanese (奥芝商店おくしばぁちゃん); translated to English it is something like Soup Curry Okushiba-chan, or Okushiba Grandma’s Soup Curry. The Okushibaa Chan Soup Curry shop is located a few blocks from the Hokkaido Jingu Shrine, and a 15-minute walk from Nishi Nijuhatchome Station (on the Tozai Line).

(If you’re staying downtown, it may be easier to try Soup Curry Okushiba Ekimae Soseiji, one of their downtown stores; it is much more crowded, the location is not as beautiful, but you can taste the same flavors, and easier to get to without a car).

The landscape of Sapporo can really change when the snow is heavy, and it was a very snowy day the first time I came to Grandma’s Okushiba Soup Curry in the quiet neighborhood of Miyanomori. I was coming from Sapporo Teine Ski Resort, on a cold but sunny January afternoon; soup curry sounded perfect. I turned off a larger road, and with snow up nearly as high as the top of my truck, I began a series of tight turns in effectively “one lane” private roads. I found a place to park and had my first look at Soup Curry Okushiba-chan.

Here is how you are greeted when you arrive at “Okushima Grandma” Soup Curry:

For me it was love at first sight; Sapporo’s Grandma’s Okushiba soup curry restaurant is wonderfully charming. After waiting in a dingy basement to try soup curry at their Ekimae shop (near Sapporo Station), the Miyanomori location was a completely refreshing vibe.

Almost everything about Okushiba-chan Soup Curry is a comfortable shade of retro, of a classic expression of Japan that (to be honest) is rarely found in Hokkaido. I won’t claim to know the history of the location, but it’s been there a while. A friend that joined me on a second visit (this is the kind place that makes you want to come back) said the thick, long wooden counter looks to him like it used to be a sushi restaurant. It is a business, but one with very “homelike” feel.

To experience Grandma’s love, you do have to get past the “ticket machine,” though.

Between the gorgeous wooden sign outside and your first taste of their shop-made both, there is the technically jarring moment as you’re faced w/ the very modern touch-screen kiosk.

It is always a bad idea to push cold technology into a moment that should be about warm hospitality. For whatever reason, the classic “ticket” system in Japan doesn’t bother me at all. (I’m not sure why.) Those ticket machines are not “nice,” but they are practical and simple and I accept them. Compared to QR codes and kiosks, I prefer the classic push-button machines.

In the case of Okushiba’s Grandma store, the very big, awkward, confusing digital screen was a small hurdle worth clearing to get into the richness of this spot.

Even as you flail around trying to get past the “convenience” of the display, the “Grandmas” are saying hello, and their warm, nurturing attention spills over the wall and begins what will be a very good meal.

I arrived early in the lunch hour, so there was only one couple behind me, watching me gawk and push at the screen, changing the language to English, touch touch, being confused, touch touch, feeling rushed, backing up, touch touch, making mistakes. Another couple arrived, I felt like I needed to hurry. I didn’t read though the choices on the menu, because I didn’t want to keep the others waiting.

(Kiosks really are a close 2nd only to QR code menus for the worst experiences in the restaurant business. Always miserable., there is zero love for the customer in those models.)

I completed my order and felt relieved. One of the many grandmothers was standing by to take my ticket, and I relaxed, and felt as if was in a friend’s home. In the main room now, a soothing feeling, and I could make eye contact with more of the staff. In addition to the squad of older ladies, there are a few men working at Okushiba, all behind the counter.

You take your shoes off at Okushiba-chan. I did so, and placed my big boots in a compartment of one of the shelves, and pushed my big, monster-sized paws into plastic slippers built for Japanese feet.

There are a few narrow benches. And a couple of seats next to the library of shoes. There is often a wait, but as I was there early, I was shuffled into a seat, right away.

This is a good time to mention that the shop plays classical music; which is wonderful. The tradition of the music is (presumably) European, but points backwards in the way the rest of the shop points backwards. From completely different cultures, the shop and the music seem natural together, like old friends.

Sapporo is quite popular in the winter season, before, during, and after the snow festival. On this day, the Okushiba shop in Miyanomori initially seemed like all of the customers were tourists. Guests from China sat on either side of me. One of the grandmas (a very sweet women), about sixty, saying “thank you for coming” in perfect English (even to the Chinese).

Isn’t it beautiful? Nothing plastic or modern. A lot of old wood. Relatively high ceilings. One of the nice things about being outside of downtown is there is that the rooms are more spacious.

Back to the process of ordering:

Because the experience at the kiosk is unfriendly, I still don’t know what is on the menu. I was feeling shy about the crowd growing behind me, so I quickly chose the standard chicken leg curry (which is a great choice at almost all of the soup curry restaurants in Hokkaido).

Chicken Leg Soup Curry: Simmered Chicken Leg, Potato, Crispy Broccoli, Diakon, Leeks (naganegi), Watermelon Radish, Cabbage
— From the menu at Okushiba-chan

As I completed my order, I moved thought the usual series of soup curry steps: I chose the type of curry (chicken leg), then the flavor of the both (I like their chicken broth much better than the shrimp broth), then the spiciness level (on this day, I went for #2, out of the range of 0 to 10+), and finally, the size of rice (“M” size for me).

In a moment or two, my soup curry was ready, and one of the ladies delivered it to where I sat at the counter next to the tourists.

How does that look? Absolutely beautiful.

The first thing I noticed were the rainbow-colored, bean-sized balls of something that looked like toasted cereal (???). These are instantly soggy in the broth, but look fantastic perched above the vegetables as the meal is served. Absolutely beautiful presentation.

Chicken, stewed, delicious. The leeks were also a surprise; I don’t think I have had leeks in my soup curry anywhere else, and they were a delicious addition.

As I had previously noticed at their Ekimae location, they serve the soup curry with a big portion of cabbage on the bottom, beneath the other vegetables. I don’t assume the cabbage is big selling point, but both the flavor and texture are fantastic.

With the leeks, and the cabbage, and the colorful balls, the Okushiba-chan is a soup curry that is somehow original, without being overly complicated or gimmicky.

Along with the soup, there is served a portion of an unusual green paste – unusually for me, anyway.

The first taste of the paste was something very sweet, almost like ice cream, and then, the next taste was onion-like. On a subsequent visit I learned this is a type of miso combined with onions (which is where the green comes from).

One of the sweet grandmas instructed me to eat the miso paste with my rice.

This green miso paste may be called “negi miso” (which is a very literal translation). There is a small sign that uses the Japanese word for nickname; perhaps there is another name as well (?).

There were also some few Japanese pickles delivered with the meal. I have never been provided pickles at a soup curry restaurant, and they were a most welcome compliment; the bright-vinegar taste of pickle was a perfect contrast to the savory soup. It is now my “professional” opinion soup curry should always be served with pickles.

What a great meal. Wonderful. Shockingly good experience, that is centered on the food, and fanned by the exceptional atmosphere.

I finished my soup curry like I always do, with a spoon, savoring some broth, one spoonful at a time. While I thought the shrimp broth at the Ekimae store was unremarkable (for my tastes), this chicken broth was fantastic. Rich, a little tomato-y. I could taste the pepper. As an American, the broth brought home a very “European” comfort food familiarity.

From my seat on my first visit, I could see my neighbors had ordered beautiful soup curry, with white tempura-ed whole shrimp; the shrimp red, with dark black eyes, beneath their white rice-floured tempura coats. As served, these tempura set dishes at Okushiba chan are among the most beautiful sets you will ever see anywhere in Japan.

(I’ll get a picture for you next time.)

On a trip with friends one day, someone in my party order the Nato Soup Curry.

Soup curry meals are a bit heavy. Each time to Okushiba I leave feeling full, very satisfied, and warm (with the longing to take a nap).

As I was leaving there were some local Japanese guests among the tourists; they all seem to know the staff. So much laughter. Very family like. The shop smelled like Sunday afternoon.

I don’t like “touristy” things, and (as you can tell by the focus of this site) I often chose more western choices, however; the location of Okushiba soup curry was instantly one of my favorite places in all of Japan, a place I wanted to return, a wonderful place to bring friends and other special people.

The organic wooden sign out front, the very modern ticket kiosk machine, all this mixed with old-style Japanese interiors and soft classical music. A study in contrasts, and minor miracle of culture in this day and age.

As for parking at Okushiba-chan Soup Curry, they post this sign on their door: