The rule of coffee shops that fill your stomach, too.

Sapporo’s Delicious Old-Fashioned Coffee Shops

Yakiniku Fried Rice — affectionately known as "Yaki-cha." Some regulars sit down and, without even glancing at the menu, simply order, "Yaki-cha, please." Passed down from the previous master, this dish is one that Kamihikoki (literally "paper airplane") has cherished for generations. The sweet-and-savory sauce on the pork loin, spiced with ginger, mingles with the aroma of sesame oil from the fried rice to create an irresistible, appetite-inducing scent. Originally the dish paired grilled meat with butter rice, but one day a regular customer asked for it "on top of fried rice" instead — and it instantly became a signature item. Later, the meat was cut into thin strips so it could be eaten easily while reading a manga or newspaper, giving the dish its current form. The shop is now run by the son of the previous owner, but customers of twenty years still vouch that "the taste hasn't changed a bit."

Ever since the shop opened in 1977 (Showa 52), one thing has remained constant: house-roasted coffee. Both the roasting method and the bean blend are original, perfected through the previous master's own painstaking research. Even today, the beans are roasted every single week in Tobetsu, his family's hometown, and brought to the shop. Master Kondo began helping out at the shop as a high schooler, and while assisting the previous owner, he naturally absorbed the knack and flavor of both the coffee and the Yaki-cha. The shop uses locally sourced ingredients whenever possible — even the flour for its homemade pizza comes from Tobetsu. Each cake in the display case is handmade, from seasonal fruit cakes to chiffon cake made with Tobetsu rice flour, offering a gentle sweetness that puts you at ease.

By the window, a grand piano commands attention. Jazz plays softly from the speakers, and on weekday evenings or Saturday afternoons, live performances sometimes take place. Thanks in part to its location just steps from the subway station, requests to perform here come in from Sapporo and beyond, nationwide. The genres range from traditional jazz to modern jazz and fusion. Some customers came in for a meal, happened to catch a live set, and became devoted fans of live music ever since. And what do the musicians order to refuel after a performance? Naturally, the "Yaki-cha." Over nearly 40 years, the flavors built together with customers live on in this amber-toned space.

A nostalgic tabletop arcade game that instantly catches your eye — the kind you'd often see in coffee shops and snack bars back in the late Showa era. Kissa Kan sits right in front of Asabu subway station. It opened in 1978 (Showa 53), started by proprietress Ms. Sanada, who had just moved to Hokkaido from Chiba and wanted a place to connect with people. Its bright red awning gives the exterior a memorable look. The tabletop arcade machine inside was installed about ten years ago at customers' request, and it's still in use today. The area was already bustling when the shop opened, but over time more buildings and apartments went up, completely transforming the neighborhood. Even so, the shop itself hasn't changed, and residents of nearby apartments along with longtime regulars still stop by as part of their daily routine.

Some people arrive for a late lunch. Others claim a seat in the back and get absorbed in a game of mahjong. Someone else spreads out a sports newspaper beside a cup of blended coffee. Each person spends their hour or so here in their own way, like taking a moment to catch their breath.
The menu ranges widely — from drinks and desserts like blended coffee, café au lait, and parfaits, to Western-style dishes such as pizza toast, Napolitan spaghetti, shrimp pilaf, and curry rice, all the way to soba set meals, katsudon, and hot pot udon. "After running this place for so long, I end up having to make all sorts of things," Ms. Sanada says with a smile. Even if something isn't on the menu, she'll make it as long as she has the ingredients. The most popular item, the daily set meal, is a hearty dish where you can choose your main from tempura, mixed fried items, pork cutlet, or grilled meat. A customer digging into that day's set meal chimed in, "The selling point is that the food is made with the proprietress's love."

The name "Kan" (Hall) was chosen with the wish that it become a place where everyone could gather. Thirty-seven years since opening, Ms. Sanada says she has never really felt it as hard work, and that what she looks forward to is seeing familiar faces from the past stop by. There's a bus stop right nearby for Hokuryo High School, and former students who used to hang out here after school sometimes drop in again, now grown into adults. The weathered red awning and entrance have been kept just as they are, so that these longtime customers can immediately recognize the place. As we left, a regular who had just finished a leisurely meal smiled at us and said, "Take your time and enjoy," before heading out the door.

"This is the one thing we've kept as the pillar of the shop," says the owner of the signature tarte Tatin. With its fragrant caramelized surface, the first bite is surprisingly juicy, as apple juice bursts through. The method is simple in principle — just apples simmered in butter until the surface caramelizes — but the baking has to be adjusted depending on the variety of apple in season, and getting that right took a great deal of trial and error.
The café opened in 1991 (Heisei 3). The name "Crémaillère" comes from a café depicted in an old French painting, and it means "pot-hook" or "housewarming party." A crémaillère is a tool hung above a hearth for suspending a pot. Since a household could only begin cooking once the crémaillère was hung, in France it came to symbolize proof of having a home.

Besides the tarte Tatin, there's also cheesecake and gâteau au chocolat. When the café first opened, cakes, coffee, and tea were the main offerings, but today there's also a wide range of food items such as gorgonzola gnocchi, quiche lorraine, and pasta. The food menu was gradually expanded for the benefit of local residents, and many female customers now stop by after watching ballet or theater performances at the Hokkaido Kosei Nenkin Kaikan (now Nitori Culture Hall) or the Sapporo Education and Culture Hall. At one point, a film crew is said to have been regulars here throughout their entire location shoot in Sapporo.

What leaves the strongest impression, above all, is the Art Nouveau interior. From Lalique glassware to the cups, saucers, and spoons, every piece of furnishing reflects careful attention to detail. The comfortable layout was arranged seat by seat, with the owner actually sitting in each spot to check the feel before deciding on the placement. When opening the café, Mr. Sahara received advice from a wide range of people in Tokyo and Sapporo, including acquaintances well-versed in art and other café owners. "A lot of people's thoughts and feelings went into this place," he told us, glancing around the interior. He has also continued a long musical career under the name "Risuke Yoshida," and the café occasionally hosts live performances. It's a place where, over a single cup of coffee, you can also encounter art and music.