Curry Lab Sapporo

Here’s a polished, natural Google-review version: I love curry—like many Japanese people—and this place hits the spot. They offer both Japanese soup curry and Japanese-style spice curry, which are bit different from Indian or Thai curry. The meats are always tender, and the big chunks of vegetables are such a treat. You can choose your spice level for both types of curry. I tried level 6 (out of 10) for the soup curry, and I totally could go higher level. For the spice curry (like the beef brisket vindaloo), level 3 out of 5 already brings good heat. When I want spicy curry, I would go for spice curry than soup curry. I really enjoy their side menu items like the pickled onions and pickled chicken. They offer both dine-in and takeout. It’s self-service place. This is definitely going to be my regular spot whenever I’m craving curry.

We tried the beef brisket soup curry (level 5 spicy) and the pork katsu soup curry (level 0 spicy). The brisket one was flavorful, though the level 0 still had a bit of a kick. However, at $24 and $23, the prices felt quite high for the portion size. The authentic soup curry I had in Sapporo was much more generous and hearty. As for service, it’s mostly self-serve — you order from a machine and get your own table, water, and utensils.

We did take out our dinner tonight. Ordered Chicken leg and Pork Katsu with spicy level 10. They were not too spicy so don’t be scared. The takeout packaging was nice! It was our first time ever trying Sapporo soup curry and was super excited to try them. However, the curry and veggies were just too oily for me. The carrot and potato was fine but eggplant was literally soaked in oil.. couldn’t eat after one bite. Soup was a bit oily as well and I’m just not sure if this is supposed to be this oily. The vegetables were not fried nor grilled but soaked up too much oil. Other than this issue, they were fine. Curry had nice flavor and flavor. Both chicken and pork katsu were cooked perfectly. I just wish they were less oily.. felt like I was straight up eating vegetable oil.

I checked out a new Japanese curry spot that recently opened near my place because I was curious. You order from a machine and most things are self-service The vibe was cozy and very clean. Food came out so fast. The part that disappointed me the most was the flavor. I already knew from reviews that the portions were small and the prices were high, so I was prepared for that—but the taste itself fell short. The carrots in the curry weren’t fully cooked, and the chicken drumstick didn’t absorb much of the curry sauce, so it felt a bit bland. I got spice level 8, and if you love spicy food it’s not that hot, but it has a nice mild kick. If you prefer lighter seasoning and enjoy more subtle flavors, you might like it. But if you’re someone who likes bold, strong flavors, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Soup curry is my favorite food! I lived above a soup curry restaurant for a while and I have been waiting 8 years for a shop to open up around here, so I was very excited to try Curry Lab. The two main things I want are an assortment of different veggies/toppings, and a flavorful soup for them to be nestled into. There are limited options for toppings here. You get a protein, a piece of eggplant, shishito pepper, broccoli, and very large chunks of carrot and potato (the larger chunks seemed a bit undercooked to me). I would have really liked to see ingredients like quail egg, lotus root, kabocha or even burdock root as options. There's no ability to add extra of any particular vegetable yet either. The soup base was 'ok', a little bit on the mild side and I was hoping for something thicker/heartier. I'm quite fond of the tomato soup base at SAMA for instance. Maybe I should give the beef version a shot next time. So on both of the things I was looking for I don't really feel like Curry Lab delivered. One more thing that bothered me was that the paper bowl and plate that the curry and rice were served it allowed it to get cold pretty quickly before I was done eating. I would gladly pay $30 for a luxurious hot bowl of soup curry with all the trimmings but I'm not really interested in paying ~$23 for the basics in a paper bowl. This place just opened up and is still getting everything going, so I hope this feedback will help! I am really rooting for them and will be back soon to see if anything has changed.

Highly recommend this place. I got the Fried Tofu Soup Curry and it was so good! My friend had the chicken and said it was the best chicken curry they ever had. Vibes: Chill Food: Delicious Service: Very friendly

We ordered chicken leg and pork katsu soup curry with level 10 spicy. Both curries were flavorful and satisfying spiciness. However, curries and vegetables are a bit excessively oily. Never had soup curry before so I cannot say if it is supposed to be oily. Overall, soup curry would be definitely a great food to try and see if you like it!

The beef curry was sooooo good. Fall apart in your mouth. I got a 7/10 spice and it was definitely not too spicy. The people who work here are awesome and super nice

Incredibly delicious. Will definitely be back, perfect for a cozy winter day. The beef soup and the vindaloo were amazing, excited to try the katsu next time

Excited to try out Curry Lab. Lunch hours 11:30-2 but the curry was sold out at 1 pm when I got there. But I wanted to try this place today so I killed time until 5pm at Samosa place next door and at Macrina bakery I was able to order beef vindaloo curry and chicken soup curry online both with 3 stars and picked up at the restaurant around 5 pm. This time no one was at the restaurant.. maybe because it was raining and windy out. The food was well packed no drip after 40 minutes drive back home. I tried vindaloo curry first and it was spicier than I thought but very good! The beef was tender and flavorful, the curry had a complex flavor with spices. I can tell the rice they use is good quality. Rice is really important when it comes to curry or any rice bowls. Soup curry was rather light flavor with after taste of dashi, seafood stock? Not too hot. A chicken leg, big chunk of carrot and a whole potato all well cooked with deep fried vegetables like eggplant, broccoli and shishito pepper? For topping. I wish I could dine in as Deep fried vegetables would have been crispier. This soup curry reminds me a little bit of very soupy spice curry I used to have in Osaka at the steak house that was served during lunch time once a week. Full of flavor of vegetables and spices with super tender beef, which is something I still search for. That said, I like vindaloo curry better from this restaurant. I wish the soup curry had more flavor.. I know they are two different curry but the two combined in some ways might be good.

This place has been in its soft opening for a little over a week, yet it deserves a lot more people coming in for all the right reasons! I came here on a Sunday noon for lunch around 12pm just a half hour after they open. Street parking or the parking lot on the side of the building are good choices in getting here if you drive. This place mostly serves Hokkaido-inspired Japanese curry in soup, and wow it's still making my mouth water as I'm typing this review! The dining area is casual and quiet-ish, and composed of about 14 seats split among 5 tables and a bar to the right-hand side of the restaurant. Calm, non-heavy beats play in the background which is perfect since it means people don't rush when they eat. You place your order on one of two kiosks at the front, and staff do come and help you if needed to describe Japanese curry or to help with working the kiosks themselves. For this visit, I got the chicken leg curry soup as part of the recommendation that I saw from an IG video my friend sent me earlier in the day. This comes with a plate of rice and a slice of lemon to squeeze onto the rice. From past restaurants I've eaten at, I've started enjoying curry a lot more, and this place was no exception. The curry soup was light, hearty, not too fatty or oily, and had a ton of spice despite me getting only 2 out of 10 for spice level (1-2 is their standard mild spicy here). The chicken is so tender it rips right off the bone and matches so well with the curry soup. The curry soup also comes with potato, eggplant and other veggies. This whole dish was so good I drank all the soup after, and was moderately full. All of this was for $20 before tax, so this is on the pricier end yet you get richly flavored meats and taste as a result. My picture does not do it justice on how presentable and delicious everything was! It was really nice being able to talk to one of the staff members Ken after eating as well. He greeted me and everyone walking in and showed us how to use the kiosk. He was also really helpful when explaining Japanese curry and the origins of the restaurant. Both the owner and chef are from Sapporo, and they use a ton of spices for at least the chicken leg curry soup I got. Those spices can actually be seen on a tall shelf rack near the counter to the left-hand side of the restaurant. And there are a LOT of them! It's pretty criminal that the food here is so awesome yet I was the only one in there eating by myself for a good portion of my half-hour stay; there should be more people enjoying this place with me. I'm happy to have gotten to try this new spot, and I can't wait to come back again for their grand opening and beyond that!

We got takeout on a Saturday night and the food was delicious! My husband picked up the food. It was nicely packaged in takeout containers. I got the katsu soup curry. I found it super unique that they give the vegetables cooked and whole! There was a potato, jalapeño, shishito pepper, carrot and eggplant for our curry soup. I wish they have just a little more soup because it was so good and I wanted just a bit more to have with my rice and katsu. Overall, the flavor is delicious! You can choose from 1-10, I got a 4 and it was perfect, a nice kick but not so hot that I would sweat. I'll definitely be back for more curry soup! Especially with the colder Seattle weather! So glad this spot opened!

TL;DR: MUST TRY JAPANESE CURRY SHOP. Serving Japanese soup curry which is a Hokkaido-take on standard Japanese curry. It's soupier like curry ramen for example--but not thick or oily. Bright and cute dining area but limited to 14 seats (including bar counter). We tried out Curry Lab Sapporo after we heard it was opening. It's a sister restaurant of Yoroshiku, Secret Fort, and Indigo Cow which are all delicious spots so we had to try this one... and it did not disappoint. 1/LOCATION. It's located in a cute storefront off 65th. You can usually find street parking or park in the free lot to the west of the building. 2/ORDERING. It's a self service ordering system managed by 2 kiosks. If you need help, there is staff available to help. 3/FOOD. The menu is focused on soup curry. It's Japanese style but lighter and brothier... like curry ramen. It's not oily or heavy, so it's an easy eat. Lots of big vegetables and meat cuts within the broth. It's served alongside a plate of rice. Recommend the Chicken Soup Curry. You get a large tender cut of chicken alongside eggplant, carrots, and other fresh vegetables. The special curry was beef vindaloo. It wasn't heavy like the traditional Indian style. It was more like a traditional Japanese curry with tender beef brisket and Indian spices. You can also adjust the spice level from 0 to 5 on all curries. The 0 and 1 levels aren't spicy at all, so you can definitely eat here even if you usually don't do well with curry. 4/VALUE. Prices are $20. It's a bit steeper than a cheap curry spot. You're paying for the high quality ingredients and the large cuts of meat they include with each curry. All in all, I highly recommend you check out this new spot!

This was my first time having Sapporo soup curry. As you'd expect from a dish with soup in its name, this has a more soupy consistency than the stew version of a Japanese curry you might think of. TLDR: Whether it's worth a try or not will come down to your preference when it comes to curry and whether you prefer a soup or the traditional stew base. I love a thick stew curry but glad I gave this a try!! I went with a level 2 spice which was more than enough for me and I could really feel it towards the end of my meal lol I think the beef soup was richer in flavor because the beef itself added a little more dimension, but my brother felt the opposite and liked his chicken curry more. I thought the chicken lacked a bit of seasoning, but the soup itself helps add in that flavor. The vegetables were one of my favorite parts of the meal. Their broccoli was made so well I think it was roasted or sautéd and I really enjoyed the char on it! Service was wonderful! Everyone was being checked on to make sure tastes were up to expectation and the staff made sure all guests were satisfied with their experience. They were even giving recommendations on how to best enjoy: squeeze some lemon + scoop rice to dip on the soup ;) Space is a bit small so during busier hours I imagine it will be a longer wait/harder to dine in, but that fortunately wasn't an issue for us since we arrived right as they opened and during a weekday of soft opening. There's free parking on the side/back of the building! They have a map with the area marked posted on their IG page.

Amazing new Japanese curry stop! The curry is rich in flavor and full of spices. Definitely going to be a to-go spot for cozy rainy days. Currently still in soft opening with a limited menu, and is the former location of Muto.

We did take out our dinner tonight. Ordered Chicken leg and Pork Katsu with spicy level 10. They were not too spicy so don't be scared. The takeout packaging was nice! It was our first time ever trying Sapporo soup curry and was super excited to try them. However, the curry and veggies were just too oily for me. The carrot and potato were fine but eggplant was literally soaked in oil.. couldn't eat after one bite. Soup was a bit oily as well and I'm just not sure if this is supposed to be this oily. The vegetables were not fried nor grilled but soaked up too much oil. Other than this issue, they were fine. Curry had nice flavor and flavor. Both chicken and pork katsu were cooked perfectly. I just wish they were less oily.. felt like I was straight up eating vegetable oil.

Fantastic! The broth is lovely, the portions are big (I have seen complaints on the price but this was two large meals for me?), the vegetables are cooked to perfection. I've made Japanese soup curry at home but never experienced it elsewhere so I'm VERY excited to have such a fantastic spot serving it up as their specialty. The location is super cute, too, which doesn't hurt!

There is NOTHING more warming, tasty, and delicious than soup curry in Seattle winter!!! I hadn't had soup curry before but absolutely fell in love with it when I tried it here - it's still just as rich with deep flavor, but lighter than thicker curries im used to. Got 7/10 spice which was perfect for me (I like spice). Staff is amazing as well, so nice and friendly. This opened at the perfect time - Cant wait to be back.

Tried this out last weekend with a friend. We had the chicken soup curry and the katsu don curry. I'd never had soup curry before, but thought it was quite good, especially for a cold Seattle day. Also, the restaurant's suggestion to add lemon to the rice (Sapporo style apparently) was a nice touch. The only ding was the price -- $21 for the chicken soup curry, $23 for the katsu don. At the same time, Seattle is expensive so I can't blame them.

Delicious. Perfect for fall. Savory, deep flavors, expertly executed. Get the pork katsu and/or chicken!! Will be back