The Freshest Seafood In Hakodate, Hokkaido: Two Must-Try Restaurants

Gorgeous onsen and fantastic squid cuisine: Yumoto Isaribikan

Yunokawa Onsen is amongst the famous onsens in Hakodate and is located conveniently near Hakodate airport. One of the best hotels to enjoy the Yunokawa Onsen is Yumoto Isaribikan. You will get an amazing view of Tsugaru Straits while enjoying the relaxing open air natural hot spring.

Yumoto Isaribikan is also known for the gorgeous breakfast served. When you visit the hotel during the squid season from June to December, you will be served the famous Ika-Sashi during breakfast. Japanese squid is served as sashimi together with various other seafood such as scallops.

The dishes are able to maintain a high quality as chefs from the hotel will bid for the best seafood at the morning markets, allowing guests to savour the most delicious ingredients.

湯元漁火館 Yumoto Isaribikan Restaurant (Isaribikan Hotel)

Address: 375-1 Nesakicho Hakodate Hokkaido,

Access info: 3 minutes by car from Hakodate Airport, 15 minutes by car from JR Hakodate Station

Opening hours: 12 pm - 6 pm

Fixed holiday: No fixed holiday

Contact: +81 138-57-1117

Official URL available only in Japanese

Indulge yourself at the Donburi Yokocho Market

Located just a minute walk away from the Japan Railway Hakodate station, Hakodate Asaichi (Hakodate Morning Market) is the best place to spend your mornings in. It is famous for the Donburi Yokocho market located at the entrance of the Hakodate Asaichi. There, you can enjoy numerous seafood in Donburi style (Donburi is a type of Japanese rice bowl dish with ingredients served on rice). One of the best shops to visit is Ebisu Sushi Shokudo where over 50 varieties of seafood Donburi are available. The shop opened in 1992 and their great recipes have been delighting both locals and tourists for a long period of time.

A recommended choice is the “Jusshunen Kinen Don”, which literally translates to 10th anniversary Donburi. This recipe was created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Donburi Yokocho Market. The bowl is filled with two huge shrimps, king crabs, red caviar, herring roe, scallops and egg roll. You can add soy sauce and wasabi according to your preference and this unbelievably extravagant Donburi only costs 1,500 JPY (14.60 USD)!

恵比寿屋食堂 Ebisuya Sushi Shokudo

Address: 9-16 Wakamatsu-cho, Hakodate, Hokkaido

Access info: 1-minute walk from JR Hakodate Station West exit

Opening hours: 6 am - 6 pm

Fixed holiday: No fixed holiday

Contact: +81 138-23-1602

Official URL available only in Japanese

Donburi for salmon lovers

The “Shake Ikura Don” is another item available at Ebisuya Sushi Shokudo. On top of rice, a thick layer of Shake (salmon fish) flakes and red caviar are laid out to fill the entire bowl.

Huge red caviar pop in your mouth while the soft salmon melt as you bite into them, making this one of the best salmon dishes available in Ebisuya Sushi Shokudo. This simple yet addictive menu is ideal for salmon lovers.

Want to try different varieties? Choose the Koburi Don

Koburi Don literally means “small serving donburi” and is a great choice for those who are planning to indulge in a little bit of everything. This is also one of the popular dishes in Ebisuya Sushi Shokudo.

The amount of rice in Koburi Don is lesser than usual while an amazing amount of shrimp, sea urchin, crab and scallops are served to the brim. This Donburi allows you to savour in the highest quality seafood in a lavish manner, yet leave enough space for you to try out more.

The best salad ever: Seafood Salad

Some might not be inclined to try out the Donburi because of rice. However, great seafood is something that you cannot afford to miss while in Hakodate. For seafood lovers, the Kaisen Salad (seafood salad) is the recommended choice.

The Kaisen Salad at Ebisuya Sushi Shokudo serves a wide variety of seafood including tuna, shrimp, scallop, sea urchin, surf clam, red caviar and salmon. The fresh seafood look almost like jewelry and they are soft yet chewy. Together with soy sauce and dressing, a fantastic breakfast can be enjoyed. Kaisen Salad is also available during dinner time and it is great when enjoyed together with Japanese sake or beer!