I’ve often been told that you should NEVER miss out on eating sushi in Hokkaido. After all, Hokkaido is famous for its seafood and sushi. On my trip to Hakodate, I stumbled upon the opportunity to do just that, at one of Hakodate’s most famous sushi restaurants – Shunka Sushi.
I had to wait for some time as I visited during lunch hour. I asked for a table instead of a counter seat and the staff were kind enough to provide a clean table for me. The menu was extensive, serving everything from raw sushi to cooked seafood dishes and sushi. After deliberating for a while, I decided to order 2 plates of Tobiko(flying fish roe) – 400yen per plate, sushi, 2 plates of Ikura(salmon roe) sushi – 600 yen per plate, 1 plate of Hokigai(surf clam) – 600 yen per plate and 1 seafood chawanmushi – 1000 yen.
I ate the Tobiko sushi first and it was superb! The Tobiko had both a crunchy and chewy texture to it, and it paired well with the vinegar rice below it. It was both sweet and salty. The Ikura on the other hand, stole the spotlight for me. The texture of the ikura was incredible as the “pop” sound when you chew on the salmon roe was gratifying. The smooth taste of the salmon oil was salty with a hint of sweetness to it. Moreover, the freshness of the salmon roe was indescribable! The Hokkigai, or surf clam, was fresh and crunchy. It also had a subtle sweetness to it.
The seafood chawanmushi came with 2 toppings – ikura, crab and uni(sea urchin). I’ve tasted uni before and it was salty and had the taste of the sea. The crab was soft, sweet, juicy and fresh, as expected of crabs from Hokkaido. The egg was silky smooth and sweet from the addition of mirin during the cooking. I dug out a few small menma(bamboo shoots) inside the chawanmushi, a few pieces of small chicken, and a ginkgo egg. It was a scrumptious chawanmushi and one which you won’t be able to find in Singapore.
My only complaint is I had to wait for some time before I was served. That could be due to the fact that I dined during the busy lunch hour and because the branch was understaffed in my opinion. However, the service was excellent as the staff were kind and patient when I passed them my orders.
As expected, everything I ate at Shunka Sushi was extremely delicious. It does live up to its reputation as one of if not the best conveyor belt sushi restaurants in Hokkaido. The price is also very affordable. I paid a total of 3600 yen/$28.90. It’s cheaper than sushi in Singapore and the quality cannot be compared to. I’d highly recommend Shunka Sushi if you’re in Hakodate and a sushi lover.
Ratings:
Food: 9/10
Service: 7.5/10
Affordability: 10/10
