Perth’s first shop specialising in Hokkaido-style soup curry brings a new nourishing experience to Shafto Lane.
Launched by Hokkaido native Nobukazu Muraki this year, the first international outpost of the Sapporo soup-curry shop Rojiura Curry Samurai offers a unique take on Japan’s northern island’s famed dish that’s renowned for packing a day’s-worth of vegetables into one bowl. Rojiura’s version is built on an umami-rich tomato base, delicately balanced with spices and herbs, including cumin, turmeric and oregano. Each bowl is then accessorised with a rainbow of either 11 or 17 fresh, seasonal vegetables, each cooked to best maintain its flavour and texture. The dish is then served with a bowl of a special blend of Hokkaido Kirara 397 rice and glutinous barley on the side.
Each bowl is then accessorised with a rainbow of either 11 or 17 fresh, seasonal vegetables, each cooked to best maintain its flavour and texture.
It’s testament to the depth of flavour Muraki coaxes from his soup that the large, airy restaurant often packs out, city goers filling the sparely decorated space, which is decked out in wood and neutral tones. Another draw is how customisable your experience is: guests pick from six soup bases (including vegan options), select their spice level (be warned: even a four or five out of 10 packs a punch), then choose their proteins (popular picks include fall-off-the-bone chicken Maryland or jiggly braised pork belly).
Sides like cheese potato mochi add interest, as does a list of beer and wine from Hokkaido, something rarely, if ever, seen in Perth. Come winter, expect this place to be even more pumping.