Almost unbelievably, soup curry tastes as good as it smells. It’s something I didn’t think possible as the enticing waft of masala stewed vegetables hit my nostrils – my mouth watering before I’d even picked up a spoon.
Coined soul food by the handful of Sapporo restaurants who’ve been serving these bowls since the 1970s, soup curry is fresh as food comes and as spicy as you request. “These vegetables are all from Hokkaido?” I ask my waiter in Soup Curry Treasure, who smiles kindly. “Yes, all of our ingredients are from Hokkaido.” A few days later I realise just how naive a question that was; Sapporo, the capital city of Japan’s north island, Hokkaido, has had a farm-to-table food ethos since inception – the city is enveloped by agriculture and mountains, with the sea within reach too.
