SOUP CURRY OHMIYA

SOUP CURRY OHMIYA (formerly known as Donabe Soup Curry OHMIYA Seiwemon) is the second curry store opened in August 2018 by Sohonke Kinse, a long-established pickle shop in Kyoto. This restaurant was established after a limited-time-only soup curry menu at the first restaurant, European-style Donabe Curry Omiya Seiwemon (now CLAY POT CURRY OHMIYA), was a big hit, and is one of the few restaurants in Kyoto that specializes in soup curry and is highly valued among curry lovers.

I was so impressed with the curry at the first store in Marutamachi last year that I made up my mind to visit the second store in the near future, thinking, “How could it possibly be bad?” More than a year has passed since then, but I finally had a chance to have lunch in Shijo-Kawaramachi and went to SOUP CURRY OHMIYA to fulfill my wish. Well…

SOUP CURRY OHMIYA is a pop-up cafe-like atmosphere with a surprisingly high percentage of female customers…

SOUP CURRY OHMIYA is located in the Uradera area, which has a quiet atmosphere that is a far cry from the busy intersection of Shijo-Kawaramachi. I arrived at the restaurant around 11:20 a.m., 10 minutes before opening time, and was a bit surprised to see that all the customers in line by opening time were young women speaking foreign languages, except me.

When I entered the restaurant at the time of opening, the interior was cute, like a pop-up coffee shop, and I thought to myself, “Of course the percentage of female customers would be high….” It may be a little difficult for male customers to enter the restaurant, especially when there is a line of female customers. The restaurant has five counter seats and four tables with seating for 12 people. It is a very cozy restaurant and can fill up quickly, especially during lunch time…

Now, ordering is done by scanning the QR code on the table and opening the dedicated page on your smartphone. There are a total of five types of soup curry that can be ordered. After deciding on a curry, you specify the level of spiciness from 1 (no spiciness) to 5 (very spicy) (you can also order very spicy and super spicy above that for an additional charge). Finally, choose the amount of rice from the four levels of S, M, L (+50 yen), and LL (+100 yen) to complete the order. Incidentally, this ordering system seems to be the same system used at Itoshima Shokudo Head Shop in Fukuoka. You can proceed directly to credit card payment after ordering, which is very convenient when paying with a credit card.

SOUP CURRY OHMIYA’s most popular menu item: “Kyo Aka Jidori” chicken wing soup curry

I ordered SOUP CURRY OHMIYA‘s most popular menu item, “Kyo-Aka Jidori” chicken wing soup curry (price: 1,480 yen including tax). I customized the spiciness to 3 (medium spiciness) and the amount of rice to M size (200g)…

Less than 10 minutes after ordering, the soup curry arrived in front of me. From a man’s point of view, the overall volume is quite small. On the other hand, the ingredients are colorful and abundant in the earthenware pot, and the soup curry itself, as well as the atmosphere of the restaurant, seems to be popular among women.

I took a bite of the soup curry… Behind the moderate acidity of the tomatoes, I could taste the flavor of the seafood broth made from shaved bonito flakes. It reminded me of the curry at Soup Curry GARAKU, which is known as the restaurant with the longest line in Sapporo. The sourness and the dashi taste are well balanced, giving it a mellow flavor. On the other hand, perhaps because I set the spiciness level low this time, I did not feel much spice… I finished the whole dish and it finally warmed up my body.

This soup curry is served with rice. Perhaps I was a little forceful when shaping the rice, but the rice was not quite as broken up when dipped into the soup curry. I wanted it to be a little softer, soft enough to break apart when dipped…

Now, the main ingredient this time is this Kyo-aka Jidori chicken wing…

Personally, I felt that the fried vegetables were the star of the show. This broccoli was delicious. It was as good as the vegetables at Soup Curry Suage+, another popular restaurant in Sapporo. In addition to broccoli, there were young corn, potatoes, bell peppers, okra, potherb mustard, eggplant, and plenty of other vegetables…

SOUP CURRY OHMIYA‘s soup curry was like this, giving the impression that they have studied the popular soup curry restaurants in Sapporo. The ingredients are locally sourced from Kyoto and Shiga, but the flavor lacks a little originality. On the other hand, for those who don’t have a chance to visit Sapporo, this soup curry will surely be a welcome addition to their menu. I would also like to have a little more volume…

Other soup curry menus at SOUP CURRY OHMIYA (prices include tax)

• Kyo-no-niku” red wine stew soup curry: 1,760 yen
• Kyo no Miyako Mochi Pork Hamburger Steak Soup Curry: 1,720 yen
• Pork Kakuni Soup Curry: 1,500 yen
• Colorful Vegetable Soup Curry: 1,100 yen

You can also take out and have lunch at Kamo River… To get to SOUP CURRY OHMIYA, walk 2 minutes from the nearest station, Kyoto Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu Kyoto Line.

SOUP CURRY OHMIYA also serves take-out soup curry. Due to the small size of the restaurant, take-out is a wise choice if you have a place to eat. The Kamo River is close to the restaurant, so on a sunny day, it would be pleasant to have a curry lunch while enjoying the view of the Kamo River. If you are interested in take-out, please call the restaurant to discuss your desired pick-up time.

Now, here are the details of the restaurant…