Food in Sapporo

NIJO MARKET AREA

Nijo Market is a great place to see local fresh seafood and other Hokkaido products, as well as eat some of those items. The market itself isn't that big but it's fun to wander the narrow corridors and talk to the vendors. There are a number of restaurants, mostly on the street rather than inside the market, although a few vendors also prepare items based on what they sell; for example, we saw a sushi bar with just 2 seats at one seafood vendor and a crab boil at a crab vendor.

On our first trip to Nijo Market, we ate at Daiichi Kaisenmaru. We both had uni-hotate don (sea urchin roe and scallop on rice) (4500 yen) and it did not disappoint. The bowl was also served with crab miso soup, which we learned is the typical miso served in the area. After tasting crab miso at several locations, this one proved among the best, with a deep crab flavor.

Morning donburi at left and center. Some of the fish on display at Nijo Market.

Another morning we headed for Yoichiya, which is famous for uni.

Did you come to Hokkaido for the uni? We did! Ultimate uni tasting!! Ok, it's an expensive breakfast (or lunch) but compared to USA prices it's a steal. Their most popular item (which is what we got, and all the tables around us too) is 5 types of local uni plus crab miso. You get unlimited rice (vinegared or plain) and unlimited soup.

They have a little card naming each uni you are eating. We had a preference for the Murasaki (purple) uni over the Bafun (red) uni, but found the Bafun quality at another restaurant was better (see Kitanotakara review below). Bottom line: this place has great uni, you can try several types, and it's in Nijo Market area.

We liked the 1st and 5th uni in the sample bowl the best, but all were amazing. You also get a blob of salmon sashimi. We copied the Japanese couple next to us and put it in our nori, adding ginger and seaweed from the condiment pots on the table and soy sauce. Unlike other restaurants in Japan, the English-language menu online seemed to have the same selections as in Japanese.

Their main restaurant is in Yoichi, the same city as Nikka Whisky, but the restaurant is not very close to the distillery so we came to their Sapporo branch instead. It's right across from the Nijo Market. We got in at the opening time but if you are coming at another time or with a larger party, do make reservations.

Nijo Market. Minami 2 Johigashi, 1 Chome, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 〒060-0052. Open 7 AM - 5 PM every day.

Daiichi Kaisenmaru. 1 Chome Minami 3 Johigashi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0053. Open 7 AM - 3 PM every day except Wednesday.

Yoichi-ya Open 9-2PM every day Kita 11 Jonishi, 22 Chome−1−26, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 〒060-0011 . Reservations available online.

CENTRAL MARKET AND CRAB MARKET AREA

In search of more uni-don, we headed to these markets on a Saturday morning.  In the market, there are plenty of places serving fresh fish. We stayed away from those on crab street which are both fish stores and restaurants. These are often reviewed on Google and other platforms because they draw tourists. Perhaps they are ok, but we liked the atmosphere of the smaller, traditional spots more.

We chose Kitano Takara, which is not on GoogleMaps but we have included the business card in the photos so you can show it to locals if you can't find it. It has 2 locations: one in the seafood market (the address on the business card and the one we visited) and a second outpost on "crab street" nearby (can map to 22 Chome126, Kita 11 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Hokkaido, Sapporo, 〒060-0011. There is a ramen restaurant next door)

Kitano Takara had awesome uni, scallops and maguro. After eating at Yochiya in Nijo Market, we thought we like Murasaki (purple) uni better than Bafun. So we ordered the Murasaki bowl here and it was amazing. But then we thought, maybe we should try the Bafun here instead of rely on our Yoichiya tasting. We went back to Kitano Takara 2 days later and ordered their sampler bowl (which is half and half murasaki and bafun). At 9am on a Tuesday they only had enough Bafun left for one bowl!

Turns out the bafun here is better than Yoichiya’s. It was SO GOOD and we had trouble figuring out if we had a preference between the two types, though they certainly had different flavors. Note that October there may be less Bafun, or both types, of uni available as some (all?) harvesting is halted during the spawning season.

What we loved about Kitano Takara was:

1. excellent uni--first and foremost this is what we wanted. The price was reasonable, and cheaper than some others in the area.

2. added sides: sometimes the combinations at these places are not what I want. Here, they have a whole page of "toppers" you can add as sashimi. We got hotate and maguro.

3. Good crab miso: it has zero dashi in it, meaning more crab taste, and the crab piece they added was a claw with good meat in it (whereas other places just stick some shell with non-accessible meat in it). It also had a nice piece of wheat gluten in it as well. We've had crab miso at several places now and this one was one of the 2 best. If you don't order the crab miso, they give you regular miso. The regular miso (which we tried on the second visit) was also excellent.

4. good soy sauce. They had 2 types. One was slightly sweet and we loved it, though the other was good too and a little better quality than many spots.

5. The tamago served with the uni don was also good, and the pickled ginger good quality too. Lots of shiso leaf garnishes are also appreciated.

The pictures are easy to order from and the service was friendly. There were about 14 seats in the place. There's a bamboo screen up in front of the restaurant and it is just inside one of the entrances to the market.

Scroll through the photos to enjoy Kitano Takaru food and information.

Central Market/ Curb Market: 20-2-1 Kita 12 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0012

Crab Street/Market: Sapporo Crab Market, 21 Chome-2-3 Kita 11 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0011

Kitano Takara: 1 location in the Central Market near one of the entrances. There is a photo of the market entrance above, and Kitano Takara is just inside the right-most entrance immediately on your right. The business card pictured above is for this location as well. There is a second location on Crab Street next to 22 Chome 126, Kita 11 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Hokkaido, Sapporo,〒060-0011

GHENGHIS KHAN

Genghis Khan (or Jingisukan) is very popular in Hokkaido. It's grilled lamb, often accompanied with a sauce and grilled vegetables. Most places offer "all you can drink" and/or "all you can eat" versions, though there are a few that will let you do a la carte. In the photo below, you can see the beer tap visible at the table for the all-you-can-drink set up. Some outposts have very long lines of 20-somethings every night. There is a lot of lamb on menus of other restaurants as well. We didn't end up eating Ghenghis Khan while here, but did enjoy lamb (and venison) at yakitori restaurants.

Group of friends enjoying an outdoor ghengis khan all-you-can-drink experience.

DEPARTMENT STORE TAKE-AWAY AND SPECIALTIES

Mitsukoshi department store (or Daimaru). Not unique to Hokkaido, but a thoroughly Japanese experience, is perusing the food floors in major department stores. The bottom floor or two is reserved for this (with restaurants on the top floors). In the Mitsukoshi, floor B2 is all desserts. Floor B1 is savory and groceries. This is a perfect place to pick up lunch, find breakfast for tomorrow or picnic dinner for tonight. If you are travelling with a group, it's also nice because everyone can pick what they want, from skewered meat, to salads, fried foods, sushi and sashimi, Chinese bao or dumplings, and--new this visit--frozen entries from ANA in case you really miss the airline's food!

If you are planning to pick up dinner, be aware that there is an after-work rush as the locals grab food for their families, and also the department store may close before you are thinking about dinner. It can add to the fun (and your wallet!) to go in the last hour. Vendors with perishable foods discount everything 30-50%. You will not see the widest variety at this time, and the person in front of you might take the last of whatever you wanted. However, you can also get sushi for half off or more. The grocery stores here and similar department stores also have more specialized cooking items. Hon Mirin, a special type of cooking alcohol, is hard to find in the USA. If you have cooked with the regular mirin easily sourced in America, you will love the more complex flavors of hon mirin. We found 2 bottles at Mitsukoshi's sake department this trip. In the past, we have also found small-batch sellers at farmer's markets.

Above: 12 pieces sushi for $10, and maguro for $7; hon mirin for cooking; tofu stuffed with chicken (2 pcs) and an okra salad--both for under $2 total

IZAKAYAS

Robatayaki Kushiro

Website : https://akr9836532284.owst.jp/ You can make a reservation online.

Wow, great izakaya find. As with many restaurants in Japan, if you don't make reservations you might not get it. The place is small and others DO make reservations!! We lucked out with a walk-in at 6:45 on a Thursday night and got 2 seats. They said we could only have the table until 8 pm. No problem!! Just try to order most of your food at the start, instead of in sequence, if this happens to you. While we were eating, four other parties came asking for space and were told they were full all night.

Excellent renditions of grilled foods. We especially loved the eggplant which was perfectly seasoned and had tons of high-quality bonito on top. The hakaku fish is a local favorite that isn't well known outside of Hokkaido. It is rich and delicious. We had it prepared with miso. Easy to eat around the bones and a wonderful new fish for us to try! They had this and other dried fish hanging on display at the bar. The dango was also a stand out. It was perfectly chewy, the sauce had just the right sweet/salt balance, and the addition of seawood to 1/3 of the dango was a great counterpoint.

We went back here a few nights later and ordered different fish and veg. Anything on the grill is superb. This chef knows what he is doing. The dango will ruin you for any dango in the future. It is perfect.

We ate lavishly and it was about $50 per person.

Note that the English menu online is smaller than the real menu. Use your translator to read the Japanese menu.

Scroll through the images from Robatayaki Kushiro, above.

Utari Yakizakana is the oldest grill restaurant in Sapporo, and the restaurant is filled with ambiance. The massive hollowed tree trunk used for the charcoal grill is impressive, and the walls exude old-world charm. We also appreciated seeing a woman managing the grill. The location was used for a TV show, and many fans of the show want to eat here. Thus, you must make reservations in advance. (We did 2 days in advance and they only had a 5 pm slot available.). The food here tastes like what it is--good fish that tastes like fish, good vegetables that taste like vegetables. There isn't any finesse with the food, and we would have preferred a little. A great example of this is the eggplant. Everyone does grilled eggplant and tops it with bonito. At Robatayaki Kushiro (reviewed above) , the eggplant had a soy sauce added, while at Utari Yakizankana there was nothing added. This dish really does benefit from the salty/sweet combo of the soy. There is a jar of soy sauce on the table, and we used it, but a more complex sauce that considers how to bring out the best in an ingredient is appreciated. Same for the fish. It was fine, but not perfectly cooked or sauced as a true master chef can do

Utari yakizakana 5 Chome-1-7 Minami 5 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0805 website: https://suginome.jp/shop/utari

Ginza Amakusa Sapporo Susukino store Horse sashimi. Very tasty appetizers also

On the search for another izakya, we popped in here and had a tasty dinner. They specialize in horse and chicken sashimi. They started us with a complementary/ included trio of sashimi: chicken, Hokkaido yam, and horse. They were all very good. If you are hesitant about either meat sashimi, you can decide after you try these appetizers about the larger dishes

We went for the half size horse sashimi. It was very good, similar to a high grade beef sashimi, and served on a bed of greens which the waitstaff turned into a salad for us after we finished the meat

We also had lotus root with ground chicken on top, tempura style, and an omelette with chopped chicken and mushrooms, and skewers of chicken breast and mushroom, All were excellent, moist, and flavorful.

They permit smoking here. Luckily the grill fan sucked it all up and we were seated in the opposite side of the restaurant from the smokers. Still, that meant we didn’t want to linger

銀座あまくさ 札幌すすきの店. (Ginza Amakusa Sapporo Susukino store). Japan, 〒064-0805 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 5 Jonishi, 4 Chome−1−6 N・Star, １階. Open every day 5 PM - Midnight.

TOFU

Kanemasu Yahei Tofu  

OMG this was delicious!! Highly recommend this place as a top choice for your time in Sapporo.

Tofu depends upon the quality of the water and the soybeans used. (Kyoto is known for good water and, thus, good tofu and, of course, sake.) Hokkaido actually grows the soybeans, and they have "good water" so we figured a tofu house was good goal. Vegetarian options are available and they ask if there are food allergies when we reserved by phone (with the help of our hotel), but note that many dishes here are prepared with milk or meat that might not be obvious from the description.

The menu offers 3 price fixed menus and then a bunch of a la carte items. We went for a la carte because there were so many things we wanted to try, but didn't hunger for the shabu shabu which is included in all the fixed menus. We ordered so many items that the chef and waiter worried about our ability to eat everything and we took 2 items off our order. Below is the list of what we ordered with the menu descriptions and price, followed by our commentary.

A complimentary corn mousse cream started us off. It was so delicous we asked for the recipe, but they said it's secret.

松前漬け (Matsumae Pickles) – ¥660--slightly sweet and totally delicious. We'd order these again.

熟成フライドポテト (540-Day Aged Sweet Potato Fries) Incredibly sweet fries made from sweet potatoes aged for 540 days. ¥880--in our photos you can read the description of these special potatoes. These are regular potatoes which become sweet through cold storage for over a year. It was a very special experience to try them and definitely recommend.

弥平とうふ３種盛り (Yahei’s 3-Kind Tofu Sampler) – Taste the differences in flavor, texture, and aroma. Served with dashi soy sauce and five condiments (rock salt, wasabi, olive oil, sudachi citrus, anchovy pepper). ¥1,180--we loved trying three types of tofu with a variety of toppers. It was enough to have it once. We would not get this again if we return, opting instead for other versions, but we recommend for first-time visitors. This is included in all of the price fixed menus.

幻の揚げだし豆富 (Legendary Deep-Fried Tofu) Crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft inside – a must-try specialty.¥990--aka agadashi tofu. This is HANDS DOWN the best agadashi tofu we have ever had. The tofu was perfectly friend and creamy and fresh. There was lots of bonito and green onions on top and the broth was rich and amazing.

蜂蜜のみたらし胡麻とうふ (Sesame Tofu with Honey) – ¥700--we loved this combination. The 3-Kind sampler also has sesame tofu, but honey was not one of the toppings. If you get the 3-Kind tofu, save some sesame tofu to try with honey that will come with one of your other dishes.

生湯葉刺し (Fresh Yuba Sashimi) – ¥990--we love yuba, which is tofu skin. This was incredibly creamy and one of the best yuba we've ever had.

発酵唐揚げ (Fermented Fried Chicken) Chicken thighs marinated in sake lees sauce for a tender, juicy texture. ¥990--holy chicken how did we not think to marinate poultry in sake lees? This was incredible, with the sake lee taste penetrating the chicken. It was served with a slice of lemon which was a neat flavor profile.

弥平のマーボー豆腐 (Yahei’s Mapo Tofu) Chef’s special version with a hint of soy sauce koji for depth. ¥990--Nice texture and flavor. It was a little spicy for Sarah but that is to be expected!

Yes, we had 3 desserts. This was research and we needed to be thorough!

ミルクの天ぷら６つ (Milk Tempura, 6 pcs) – ¥880--so yummy. It's soymilk and cream, and then tempura'd. How'd he do that? These are mild and creamy alone, but also served with honey and salt. Glad we had 6 so we could try various combinations, which were all good. Soy Milk Mascarpone – topped with honey – ¥770 tasted too good to be only soy milk, and we were right. It has cream in it. It was amazing.

Kuromitsu Kinako Anmitsu – red bean paste, kinako (roasted soybean flour), kuromitsu (dark syrup), and kanten (agar) – ¥770--kinako is ice cream and the soybean flavor was strong and so interesting. You can order this on its own, or in this version with the red bean paste and agar adding texture and layers of flavor

We also ordered one beer and one go of sake (the koshu--aged--sake Kito no Nishiki brewery, Kurakaoi "secret junmai")  We liked the sake very much. If you have not had a koshu before, try it.

Closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations needed and can be made online. The menu is here   Location: 1F Sansuri Building, 1-3-1 Minami 3-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, 060-0063

TEMPURA

Tempura Kasumi 加津味 Minami 5 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0805 Phone 0115119355

What a lovely experience! We have dined in many excellent tempura restaurants --low middle and high end--and would recommend this place. When choosing a tempura place, we tend to go upscale because the cheap tempura won't be much better than what you can get in the USA--which is terrible and greasy imho. But a GOOD tempura place is light, not greasy, and a culinary treat. A high end tempura place adds more expensive ingredients and/or makes fancy toppings. This is a great example of a midrange tempura place and it cost about $75 per person, including 2 alcoholic drinks.

It is a very small place so you will need to make reservations. Ask your hotel to call for you.

A traditional tempura set menu has courses that highlight the vegetables, fish and fruits of the season. This is a good reason to add a tempura restaurant to your list of restaurants to visit. There will also be 2 small salads and a rice course to end, plust tea and dessert.

All the items were excellent. Especially memorable was flounder wrapped around leek, the sweet potato, and both salads. We chose ten don as our finishing rice dish and the kakeage was fantastic.

The chef was able to tell us all the ingredients in English. His wife was so attentive in serving. They gave us t-shirts and aprons with the restaurant's name on them as gifts!

Another plus for choosing this restaurant is you can experience finding a place that is tucked upstairs--as so many are in Japan. Often the buldings have about 5 restaurants on each floor. This one is on floor 2, at the end of the hall. (We didn't recognize the Japanese name on the exterior and popped into another spot (a bar) to ask for directions. They all laughed at us and pointed next door :)

Mantenya Seafood and Tempura. Japan, 〒060-0063 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 3 Jonishi, 4 Chome−１９−1 Nobu3.4ビル １階. sapporo-mantenya.owst.jp Open every day except Sunday 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM

UNAGI

Unagi Naruse 〒064-0809 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Minami 9 Jonishi, 3 Chome−1−17 あさひビル 地下１階

It was right around the corner from our hotel.

This is one branch of a chain of restaurants.

Good unagi. We had the middle of three quality tiers, plus edamame and it was less than $20 per person

They also will do to-go (but also you can get good to-go uni from the department store food floors)

Casual but nice vibe. This location is brand new and had plenty of room for larger parties.

It's near our hotel and the subway stop Nakajima Koen

Unagi with the traditional toppings you can add as you like plus dashi soup and a green tea.

KARA-AGE AND ZANKI

Zanki is Hokkaido's take on kara-age (fried chicken). There are several stories for how it arose, but they all agree that zanki arose about 1955-1960 at a Chinese restaurant to make use of local chicken. Zangi pieces are usually larger than that for kara-age (though both typically use chicken thigh meat). However, Zanki is different in that it is marinated in the coating first, and is typically sweeter than kara-age. That sweetness comes from a little sugar and sake (or mirin). Garlic, ginger and soy sauce are also usually in the batter. Here is a recipe (and another here) I found that seems to reflect all the unique aspects of zanki.