With four locations in Sapporo, Okushiba Shoten is a popular soup curry restaurant known for its rich broth made from sweet shrimp heads. While seafood-based soup curry is common today, this restaurant was the pioneer. We visited the Okushiba Shoten Jikka-ten (the name means "parents' home") to uncover the secrets behind its dedication to quality and its luxuriously deep flavor.

The raised tatami seating area, which the staff renovated themselves.

The Jikka-ten was originally located in Paseo, directly connected to JR Sapporo Station. Due to construction for the Shinkansen extension to Sapporo, it relocated to its current address at South 1 West 5. Situated in the basement of a building along the streetcar line in central Sapporo, its retro exterior catches your eye as you descend the stairs.

The restaurant also has counter seats, perfect for solo diners.

The interior is filled with old wood, featuring tiled walls, raised tatami seating, and decor like a black-and-white TV and tin signs, creating a Showa-era atmosphere. The soup curry, enjoyed in a setting that offers "the comfort of coming home," has won over many fans.

The "Soya Misaki Ranch Okushi-Hamburg Curry" (1,980 yen). The overflowing meat juices seep into the soup.

The rich shrimp soup, synonymous with Okushiba Shoten, is made by simmering the heads of 2,000 sweet shrimp in a 60-liter pot, with cabbage cores added to extract a natural sweetness. The mixture is then left to rest overnight to mellow the flavors. This soup was inspired by the shrimp soup the founder's mother made for him as a child. When the restaurant opened in 2006, shrimp broth soup curry was unheard of, but it quickly gained immense support and became a huge hit.

The most popular dish is the "Soya Misaki Ranch Okushi-Hamburg Curry," topped with a hamburger steak made from Hokkaido beef raised at Soya Misaki Ranch, Japan's northernmost ranch. Each 180g patty is grilled on a hot plate after an order is placed, making it juicy and aromatic!

The "Pumpkin and Potato Croquette Curry" (1,320 yen) features a freshly fried, fluffy croquette that is simply irresistible.

Curries topped with fried items made in-house, such as the pumpkin croquette and tonkatsu (pork cutlet) using domestic pork, are also popular. The restaurant is particular about the freshness of its vegetables, which are so flavorful they can be enjoyed on their own! The standard curry includes six types of vegetables: cabbage, carrots, eggplant, bell peppers, lotus root, and pumpkin. There are also many free vegetable toppings to choose from, allowing you to fully enjoy their delicious, carefully selected produce. You can select a spice level from 0 to 5, and for the rice, you can choose the portion size and whether or not to have a lemon wedge on the side.

The "Jikka's Special! Whole Shrimp Furikake" is an incredible 10 yen!

A surprisingly recommended item is the homemade furikake (rice seasoning). It's made by crushing whole dried and aged shrimp and blending them with green seaweed and sesame seeds. It's served in a grinding bowl, so you can grind it to your desired coarseness. Freshly ground, it's incredibly fragrant. You can sprinkle it on your rice or add it to your soup, adding another layer of depth to the flavor.

"Okushiba Craft Beer" (980 yen). The label features a picture of the founder's father.

For drinks, besides the classic lassi, they offer cola, oolong tea, and guarana in nostalgic glass bottles. They also have an original craft beer, which features a refreshing taste from a blend of green tea and cardamom. It's specially brewed to complement the shrimp flavor and spices of Okushiba Shoten's curry.

There's also a super ball lottery for elementary school children and younger.

The Jikka-ten tends to be frequented more by locals. It's characterized by its customer base of families, in addition to nearby office workers and students. The raised tatami seating area is equipped with children's chairs and toys. They also offer a one-plate kids' meal (750 yen), which is a great convenience for families with children.

The heights of various characters are marked on a pillar in the restaurant.

"Of course the taste is important, but we also aim to create a space that is so welcoming and comfortable that you'll want to stay for a long time," says Kentaro Terashima, the manager of the restaurant. Their motto is "to put love and thought into it," and they take pride in carefully preparing each and every bowl.

Mr. Terashima has been with Okushiba Shoten for two years. Before that, he honed his skills in Western cuisine for nine years at a hotel in the city.

※All prices include tax.

Ganso Ebidashi Soup Curry Okushiba Shoten Jikka-ten

■Address: President Matsui Bldg. 100 B1F, 16 South 1 West 5, Chuo-ku, Sapporo
■Hours: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM (L.O.), 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM (L.O.) *Closes when soup runs out
■Closed: Mondays
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