Land of Fresh vegetables.
20% of Japanese land belongs to Hokkaido, and thanks to this fact they produce lots of fresh vegetables. L’Esperance (レスぺランス) is a restaurant located close to the Sapporo city center, Maruyama. The area is known for posh and elegant ambiance.
Is the restaurant Halal？
L’Esperance is a newly opened restaurant in 2022. The restaurant is closed on Sundays and Mondays, because the restaurant is sharing the space with Aoisora Nagarerukumo (青い空流れる雲), which is also a vegetarian restaurant known to many Muslims.
You have to carefully check on the days if you want to go to one of the restaurants, however, whichever you choose, you can find a great vegetarian gourmet.
L’Esperance is serving vegan menu in a French style, without food additives, which means you do not have to worry about animal ingredients. Unfortunately, they might use a little bit of alcohol in their meal, so it is not a complete Halal restaurant. Still, you can ask them if they can remove alcohol or try to prepare another one, preferably when making a reservation.
What is special about the restaurant?
The chef Mr. Shirayama has learned French cuisine in Europe, and finally opened his French vegan restaurant in Sapporo. He chose vegan style as he believes that vegetables will make everyone healthier. He also believes that making a great food is how he can show his respect for vegetables.
For non-vegetarian people they might think that vegan food is too plain or tasteless, but the quality of the food Mr. Shirayama cooks is amazing. You can never believe that the food is totally free from animal products, even cream or milk! The sweetness of vegetables from Hokkaido is the key to the delicious cuisine, he says.
How is the course served?
It is a French cuisine, but we can casually enjoy the gourmet. During lunch time, there are two courses: four dishes or five dishes. It comes with soup to start with, salad, 1 or 2 main dishes and a dessert! All this for only 1,800 yen or 2,400 yen, tax included.
The first dish was a whole onion soup. With a sweet and juicy onion harvested in Hokkaido, it needs only a little bit of water to be made into a soup, with beans, celery and herbs.
The next dish was a salad, but it is not just a plain salad! A long broccoli was roasted to crispy, with steam rising, along with chopped vegetables and risotto. With some carbs inside, it satisfies our stomach.
Main dish was so interesting, and we could not tell what was inside. It was a spring roll with mushrooms and seaweed! With creamy vegan sauce and mushed potato has put all the taste together and we could not believe it was a vegan meal.
After all these dishes, dessert was served. It was a Vegan muffin with mashed banana filling, whose surface is baked so crispy but inside is fluffy. Along with a freshly brewed coffee, it was a perfect lunch experience.
Details of the restaurant
Name: L’Esperance (レスぺランス)
Address: Aoisora Nagarerukumo 1st Flr., Urasando Terrace, 7-1 Nishi 22, Minami 1 jo, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 北海道札幌市中央区南一条西22-1-7 裏参道テラス 1階 青い空流れる雲
Tel: 090-5988-5984
Closed on: Sundays & Mondays
Information as of April 2023. The restaurant is not certified as Halal, so there might be a small risk of contamination, which we cannot be responsible. Please visit the restaurant at your own risk.