6 Gourmet Dishes to Try in Sapporo

With approximately 2,000 ramen shops all over the city, Sapporo reigns supreme as Japan’s kingdom of ramen. There are a variety of types of ramen available, like traditional miso ramen with its origins in Sapporo, seafood tonkotsu ramen with soy sauce flavor, shrimp-based ramen, ramen made without any artificial flavors, and ramen made exclusively with local ingredients. Before your trip, be sure to research ramen shops that will suit your preferences.

This take on curry began here, in soup-loving Sapporo. Curry soup is characterized by a thin curry sauce made with spices and vegetables, chicken, and seafood bouillon. It pairs well with sweet and fresh Hokkaido-local vegetables. The same as with ramen, each soup curry restaurant has its own unique take on the dish, so there’s a certain fun to finding one that matches your tastes!

Jingisukan is a local dish that is made with mutton, unusual even in Japan. There are many restaurants in Sapporo that specialize in jingisukan, and the dish pairs amazingly well with a cold draft beer. The meat used in jingisukan is usually either “mutton” or “lamb,” depending on the age of the animal used. “Lamb,” the meat of young sheep, is more tender and has less odor to it. The meat is usually either pickled in sauce or cooked then dipped in sauce, and the cooking style depends on the restaurant. Heat up the special jingisukan grill that’s raised in the center, and try the meat and vegetables with your preferred seasonings, whether sauce or salt or even lemon!

As it’s surrounded by ocean, Hokkaido is a veritable treasure trove of fresh seafood. Feast on seafood prepared by skilled chefs that bring out the best of the ingredients in Sapporo, where you can get the top-notch ingredients. The options are almost limitless, from seafood donburi topped with plenty of seafood like uni and crab, to sushi at the counter where you can watch the chef shape the nigiri before your eyes, to conveyor belt sushi where the sushi is carried around the belt on plates. Choose a restaurant based on your budget and personal preferences!

Blessed with an abundance of high-quality milk and wheat, Hokkaido is renowned as a “paradise of sweets.” As they’re made with quality cream and butter, sweets here like soft-serve ice cream and pancakes are exceptionally delicious. In Sapporo, “finishing parfaits,” eaten as a tasty ending after drinking, have become super popular, so many shops are open late. We also recommend visiting cafés that offer popular sweets that make great souvenirs from Hokkaido. Be sure to check out popular shops and enjoy some freshly-made Hokkaido sweets!

When you go out to eat on your vacation, you’re sure to want to try local drinks as well. Hokkaido produces many different types of alcohol, including sake, beer, wine, shochu, whiskey, and brandy, in its variety of climates. Sapporo is packed with restaurants and bars where you can enjoy those local alcoholic beverages alongside local wild game, quality vegetables grown in mineral-rich soil with snowmelt water, and quality cheeses. Take a while to enjoy your time in Sapporo, a true gourmet city.