Soup Curry Garaku in the Sitatte Buidling, Sapporo

As we work to present an excellent list of soup curry restaurants in Sapporo, we bring you this review of the “new” Soup Curry Garaku in the Siatte building, near Sapporo Station.  For this review, we had several meals at Garaku Sitatte, and their soup curry lives up to the hype; absolutely some of the best soup curry in the city.

There are several Garaku locations in Sapporo, in Japan, and even a couple of shops in other countries (in Thailand and Canada).  In downtown Sapporo, they closed their original location near Tanukikouji, and opened a new Soup Curry Garaku Sapporo Main Restaurant near the fish market (on the eastern side of Soseigawa).  There is a RuuuuuCurry Garaku in Toyohira-ku.  This location is their Soup Curry Garaku Sitatte store, which is centrally located downdown, on the B1 of the Sitatte Building, a few minute south of Sapporo Station.

Let’s check out the soup curry at Garaku:

Having lived in Sapporo City for a long time, I’ve had a chance to try a lot of soup curry, and Garaku has always been at the center of my attention.  This Sitatte Garaku is a welcome addition, it’s very convenient.  And if you have to wait (and during tourist season, you will probably have to wait), this location is more comfortable than waiting outside.

You can get into the Sitatte Building from the street, of course.  For many visitors, however, they will travel via the underground passage network, and the B1 level of Sitatte is an inviting path.  Garaku is on the B1 level, along the left (as you enter) toward the rear of the space.

On an average day, most of the year, the line is not bad.  You might wait outside for five or 10 minutes.

During the winter season, and certainly around the time of the Sapporo Snow Festival, the line can be long.  But for a meal at Garaku Soup Curry Sitatte, this is one of the rare cases where I’d say it may be worth it.

The picture of the line above is with peak Snow Festival crowds (the line is much shorter on a average day in summer). In this case, I came yesterday (Sunday), at 2 PM there was a line of about 40 people. Today, on a Monday, I arrived at 10:40, thinking they opened at 11. I was wrong, they open at 11:30. I was #3 in line. By 11:15, there were 27 people in line. At 11:20 an employee came out side and passed out some menus – the line was easily 50 people. They broke the line into multiple parts, moving half the crowd down the hall.

Soup curry is probable “the” example of a distinctly Sapporo food, and Garaku is perhaps the signature brand of soup curry – particularly for tourists.  This is a popular place.

Why is it popular?  It’s genuinely good soup curry.  Probably the best broth in town.

This Sitatte Garaku shop is somewhat “new” (a little over one year old at the time of this review).  Compared to the original locaton of old shop, this spaces is simple, more modern (a little less charming), with more smoke from the kitchen in the air – but much less stressful.

Let’s get into the menu.

Garaku offers a simple menu; five choices of soup curry, nothing crazy, all moderately priced.  There is the classic “Tender” Chicken Soup Curry (cooked in spices), the Fried Chicken Soup Curry, an all Vegetable Soup Curry, and two pork options, one with Pork Sausauge and Pork Belly Soup Curry, and then the Braised Pork Soup Curry.

I have been eating at Garaku (and their sister restaurant Soup Curry Treasure) for a long time.  I have mostly ordered that simmered chicken curry.  The more soup curry I eat, the more I come to the Hokkaido classic chicken curry as the right choice.

On a recent visit, I  was hungry, so I ordered that simmered chicken option (braised, not fried), with an extra chicken leg (pictured above).  You can add “extras” to your soup curry, and it’s easy to get a little extra protein if you need it.

Tender Chicken Leg and Vegetables Soup Curry: Chicken Thigh, Pea Spout, and G Set
— From the soup curry menu at Garaku Sitatte

If you’re looking at that description and wondering what “G set” means, that is their standard “Garaku” collection of vegetables.

G Set includes: Carrot, Broccoli, Cabbage, Paprika, Wood Ear Mushroom, Lotus Root, Quail Egg
— From the Garaku Soup Curry menu

First bite of the chicken, wow. The really do nail the spices. Probably lots of salt, but much more than that.

A small boiled quail egg. One slice of red pepper, a slice of renkon, a big slice of carrot, some butter clover-leafed greens (pea seedlings), a few crowns of burnt broccoli, a first deep friend then submerged and soggy potato, and then the chicken, with lots of broth.

The “burnt” broccoli is always one of my favorite parts.  I love that broccoli.  I had always assumed it was deep fried, but now I believe it is blackened; I think they might take a small blow torch to the broccoli to give it a few notes of char flavor.

What separates Hokkaido soup curry from the more generic category of “soup” is the spices.  Legend has it, the original spice mix was inspired by the Hindustani region, but has taken on a unique quality of it’s own.  Of all the soup curry restaurants in Hokkaido, Garaku has really nailed the spice mix.

The broth is rich, it coats the ind\aise of your mouth, with plenty of fat to make it almost creamy.

I have wandered off the path of the chicken soup curry to try the Pork Sausage (which they call “frankfurter”) curry.

It was good, but I have not been swayed from the chicken – which is excellent.

Part of the experience at Garaku (or soup curry more generally), is the paper apron.  Soup curry is not a particularly messy food, but all that broth, delivered via a spoon, may indeed generate a splash or two.  The paper apron will keep the spots off your shirt, when necessary.

Another part of the experience of Garaku culture is the music.  As I sat down to eat recently, they were playing the very “Japanese classic,” “Stop,” by the Jackson 5.  Classic American disco songs are always playing in the background at Garaku.  Which kind of makes you wonder; is it “Fun to Stay at the YMCA?”  There was some sone that made a point of affirming that idea. It was a “Celebration” – as they say.

I don’t know why Garaku has a disco soundtrack, but it’s awesome. Not so much loud, as simply funky.  It’s fun.

I really appreciate that Garaku (as of this posting), has a simple physical menu, and will come around to your table to take your order.  No goofy technology; just old fashion human service.  It is another way they are better than every other soup curry spot in town.

As you finish your meal, you might want to remember to grab your number; you pay at the counter on your way out.

You also have a chance to grab some spices to go, or one of the cool Garaku stickers.  I want one of those yellow ones.

We have added a lot of reviews of soup curry shops to Sapporo City recently.  It has been good – and delicious – to come back to Garaku again.

Great food.  Good prices.  Friendly service. Highly recommended.

For more Sapporo Soup Curry see:

— Soup Curry Garaku Main Store
— Okushiba Ekimae Soseiji Soup Curry in Chuo-ku, Sapporo
— A wonderful experience at Okushiba-chan Grandma’s Soup Curry in Miyanomori, Sapporo
— Soup Curry Treasure
— Okushiba Soup Curry, Ekimae Soseigi shop in Chuo-ku, Sapporo
— Dehli Soup Curry (Indian flavors)
— Miredo Suage4 Soup Curry shop in Chuo-ku, Sapporo
— Picante Soup Curry Maruyama