Now, "soup curry" has become one of the representative food cultures of Sapporo, Hokkaido. This beautiful curry, with a light soup made with dashi and spices, topped with meat, seafood, and colorful, hearty vegetables, is a soul food that is full of charm and allows you to taste the city's bounty in one dish.

 

Starting in the 1990s, the number of restaurants specializing in soup curry began to increase, and with the emergence of restaurants with their own personalities and philosophies in the way they make their broth, the time it takes to heat and prepare the ingredients, the blending of seasonings and spices, and how they make the most of the ingredients, the flavor has evolved to the present day.

The taste of the closed restaurant has been perfectly recreated and revived

Among the soup curry dishes that attract both locals and tourists with their diverse flavors, there is one famous restaurant called "Curry SAVoY," which is said to be "probably known by all soup curry lovers in Sapporo."

It was once nicknamed "the bad girl's soup" for its deliciousness that made people want to return again and again, and was loved by many for the personality of the owners and their warm, comfortable atmosphere. However, in 2017 it sadly closed its doors after 23 years of business.

That's when IDATEN Co., Ltd., which operates restaurants in the city such as Motsunabe Specialty Restaurant Kuro Hanabi, stepped up to try to preserve the flavor somehow.

With the full cooperation of the previous owner, they perfectly recreated the beloved taste, and the following year opened a store just a few minutes' walk from the north exit of JR Sapporo Station. With the concept of "The story never ends," they continue to cherish and protect the inherited taste.

The trigger was "an impressive taste that stayed in my mind"

The person currently making the soup in the kitchen of the now-fully revived Curry SAVoY is Seiya Kunii, a Sapporo native and store manager.

Kunii, who has had work experience in a variety of occupations, decided to join the restaurant because he felt a desire to try something new and was impressed when he first encountered the taste of "SAVoY."

"I love soup curry and wanted to make it myself someday, so I started studying cooking. I've eaten curry at many different restaurants, but what really stuck with me was the way the seasonings were used, and the natural umami flavor.... I thought to myself, 'The curry here is amazing. I want to learn how to taste it.'"

A light and refreshing soup made with great care and effort

The soup that has touched the hearts of many people, including Kunii, takes two days to complete, then another two days in the freezer, and finally about four days before it can be served.

The ingredients are simmered for a day, steamed to let the flavors soak in, then cooked again and this time carefully strained by hand. The soup, which has been painstakingly prepared, is infused with the flavors of beef bones, chicken carcasses, onions, carrots, celery, apples, and other domestically grown vegetables and fruits.

After the aging process, most of the oil is removed to create a light and refreshing soup, a method unique to "SAVoY." The deep and refined flavor is its greatest appeal.

A taste loved by people of all ages

Even now, six years after the store reopened, it still receives the same positive response as it did back in the beginning.

There are people who ate the soup curry at "SAVoY" when it was run by the previous owner as students, and even after they move out of Hokkaido, they still stop by when they return home from other parts of Hokkaido. There are also people who return saying, "My elementary school-aged child loves the curry here."

For those who know the taste from back then, it is a familiar, nostalgic taste, and for those who are discovering the restaurant for the first time, it is a fresh, surprising taste, and it has gained support from a wide range of people, regardless of generation.

One of the features of the traditional "Classic Villain Soup" is that the taste impression changes greatly depending on the ingredients served. Instead of cooking the ingredients and soup separately, they are simmered together to bring out the natural umami of the ingredients.

"Chicken is chicken, seafood is seafood." Many customers like the dish they ordered once and end up ordering the same curry every time they visit.

"I think it's the energy you get from eating it, and its high nutritional value gives you vitality. Of course, your brain is pleased when something tastes good, but it's also a feeling that makes your body happy," Kunii said, explaining the appeal of soup curry.

Taking on the challenge of creating the “complete opposite” soup

SAVoY, which has faithfully inherited the same flavor as its predecessor, developed and began offering a new dish in 2023 called "Re・SAVoY," a "complete opposite, rich soup."

This hearty dish is made with a cloudy soup cooked in a different way, topped with grilled and fried vegetables. This soup, which is made using the exact opposite process to the classic soup, is also a step towards making our restaurant more enjoyable for more people.

You can choose according to your mood or preference at the time, or order different soup bases to compare with your friends or family. Having completely different soup bases expands the range of ways to enjoy the restaurant, which leads to a new appeal of the restaurant.

What we protect is "the flavor and feelings put into each dish"

While taking on new challenges, the restaurant's core value remains "maintaining the same taste and attitude."

"I heard that the owner (the previous owner), who loved pottery, decided to start serving soup curry when she was thinking about what kind of food to put on the dishes she made. The curry at SAVoY is presented beautifully, and you can really sense her personality and passion for cooking from these aspects."

"That's why I always try to imagine what it was that the chef valued most when he cooked the curry, and I try to preserve the flavor, including the things in the background," said Kunii, as he shared his thoughts and dedication to SAVoY's soup curry.

The dish presented to us was filled with a never-ending story, a faithful taste that continues to be loved, and the heart of a heir that was nurtured by the heart-stirring dining experience.

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Curry SAVoY（カリー サヴォイ）
電話番号：011-717-5959
住所：北海道札幌市北区北8条西4 ブランシャールBLD地下1階
アクセス：JR「札幌駅」より徒歩5分程度
SNS：https://www.instagram.com/currysavoysapporo/
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