I didn't know at all as a local, but there is a seafood restaurant a little away from the morning market. You might not notice it unless you stay at a nearby hotel. There is a fish tank inside the restaurant. I had the recommended seafood bowl for 2090 yen. It includes abalone and is more reasonable compared to the shops in Donburi Yokocho. You can bring your dog inside, and overall, I was satisfied despite some concerns about hygiene.

I heard from my business partner while on a business trip in Hakodate that "Kuishinbo Hakodate," located just a short walk from the Hakodate Morning Market, is a reasonably priced local izakaya/restaurant popular among locals. I decided to visit in the morning. The exterior of the restaurant is modest like other shops in the area. I entered and sat at a random table, and ordered the special set meal. I chose the grilled mackerel. After a short wait, the special set meal arrived. The squid looked fresh and shiny. I could feel the freshness. I enjoyed the squid with rice dipped in ginger soy sauce. The sweetness of the squid and rice combined made me feel happy from the morning. The grilled mackerel was also substantial, and the side dishes such as simmered vegetables, salad, and mentaiko were also generous in portion.

I have been to Hakodate Morning Market many times, but I have never found a standout restaurant until now. However, this time, I randomly walked into this restaurant without checking any guidebooks, and it turned out to be a great find! I was happy to find shirako (milt) in the miso soup. The ikura, scallop, and salmon chirashi bowl was delicious without any issues. I was surprised to see a cat inside the restaurant though!

At the station market on the second floor, I planned to try the famous seafood bowl for 500 yen and grilled salmon for 550 yen. However, when I checked the waiting list, there were already more than 10 people waiting by 7:20 am, so I decided to give up. I remembered six years ago when I had the 500 yen bowl, it suddenly became crowded after 7 am. If only I had arrived 20 minutes earlier... I turned back and headed to a restaurant for food lovers! I ordered the special set meal that I had tried six years ago. It had increased in price from 1000 yen to 1200 yen, but considering it was originally cheap, I was completely satisfied. With this special set meal, I could enjoy squid sashimi and grilled fish at the same time, which made me very happy. And there was secretly some fresh cod roe included. There were various options for the grilled fish, but I narrowed it down to pink salmon and trout salmon. When I asked what the difference was, I was told that the salmon had more fat. So, I decided on the salmon! When I tried it, I thought, "Hmm, is it delicious?" It certainly had fat, but it felt a bit heavy. The tasty one was the salmon. A little bit of a mistake and a lesson learned. However, the squid sashimi was truly delicious! It paired perfectly with the ginger soy sauce favored in the Tohoku region and northward. The sweet and crunchy squid sashimi was delightful to eat. The simmered dish had a rich flavor that was surprisingly delicious. It included radish, frozen tofu, burdock, lotus root, and more. But I could do without the macaroni with curry flavor. It seemed to muddy the classic taste. Also, I wish smoking was not allowed nowadays. It affects the taste of the food.

I visited "Kuishinhou Hakodate," a restaurant located a little away from the Donburi Yokocho in Hakodate. The restaurant has a fish tank and cats wandering around inside. They offer a student discount and allow pets, which is quite unique. This time, I had the "Okonomi Sanshoku Don" (1,500 yen), where you can choose three toppings. I chose ikura, uni, and kani. Unfortunately, the uni was not the best quality this time. However, considering the lower price compared to nearby restaurants, I recommend it.

Even though they didn't have fresh squid, they offered sautéed dishes and sea urchin, so there were plenty of delicious options. The hostesses took good care of us.

I visited for lunch. It's located in Wakamatsu-cho, at Kuishinbo Hakodate. It's on a street near the Asaichi Hiroba. If you enter next to the Aqua Garden Hotel, you'll find it right in front. It's a walking street, so you can't enter by car. The ramen restaurant Hoshiryuken is also nearby. On this day, despite moving around since the morning trying to go to the places I wanted, I found myself past 2:30 pm without realizing it. Many restaurants had already finished their lunch service, so I was in a bit of a fix. I decided to switch to seafood and thought maybe somewhere was still open, so I came to the Asaichi. When I arrived at the Asaichi, there was a Yosakoi event happening on the main street. What timing! That's how I ended up at this restaurant. Lunch is until 3 pm. I've seen it a few times before, but it was my first visit. The interior of the restaurant is like a regular cafeteria. There's a fish tank inside. I was hungry, so I immediately placed my order. I decided to try the Sansei Don, where you can choose the ingredients. It costs 1,620 yen including tax. When I was choosing the ingredients, they told me they didn't have sea urchin and squid that day. What a surprise! It's like missing a vital piece in a seafood bowl. I asked why, and they said it was because of the typhoon. It's understandable. It was the first time they didn't have sea urchin since they opened. What a lucky coincidence to visit at that time! Well, in a way, it's a bit unlucky too. The tuna and salmon roe I chose were delicious. The crab wasn't that great, but the tuna and salmon roe were tasty. The miso soup had a good flavor too. The taste was satisfying. The restaurant was run by a woman alone. When I entered, there was only one group of customers, but later three more groups came, all tourists. It was interesting to see scallops being taken out from the fish tank when someone ordered them. I just dropped by the restaurant, but it turned out better than expected. I'm taking a photo of a cat, but this was taken a little while ago. There was also a cat there on this day. It sits quietly, but if you get closer, it will show a defensive posture. Well, that's cats for you. It's a bit away from the main street of the Asaichi, so you can have a relatively quiet meal. Thank you for the meal.

The final meal in Hokkaido is here at "Kuishinbo Hakodate"! This restaurant is located just one block away from Hakodate Morning Market, and the building has a lot of history. I chose this place because I wanted to bring my dog with me for the last meal, and it was the perfect choice! I ordered the three-color bowl with shrimp, salmon roe, and squid, while my wife ordered the two-color bowl with shrimp and salmon roe. Both were delicious! The salmon roe was plentiful, the shrimp was sweet, and the squid was fresh and chewy. This was the best seafood bowl I had during this trip out of the four I tried. The prices were also more affordable compared to other places. Even the tour guide and locals were eating alone here, so I think this place has the best value around here. I was very satisfied. After this, we said goodbye to the rental car that we traveled 1695 km with, took the Hakodate Liner to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, and then took the Shinkansen "Hayabusa" back to Tokyo. It was so much fun to travel to Hokkaido with my dog. I'm glad the Shinkansen is now operating. When I come back, I will definitely visit this restaurant again!

Strolling around the Hakodate Morning Market. The touts are loud, even louder than in Tokyo or Osaka. They should be regulated here too. Especially the famous "Ki***yo Shokudo" lady. While walking around after having ramen at Seiryuken, I came across this restaurant. It was quiet so I decided to go in (especially since I had room for a mini dish after the ramen). I ordered the 3-color mini bowl: abalone, sea urchin, and salmon roe for 1200 yen (excluding tax). The lady grabbed the abalone from the tank... Fresh abalone, sea urchin, and delicious salmon roe. For those who don't know, the skin of the salmon roe is chewy and firm... It's not supposed to be like that. The salmon roe from salmon caught in the river is not tasty. It should be soft. Delicious. The sea urchin also doesn't have a chemical aftertaste. The miso soup was piping hot... I went back the next day. This time I got the 4-color bowl: abalone, crab, salmon roe, and sea urchin for 1700 yen (excluding tax). It was just so delicious. Very satisfying. If they had grilled fish with it, it would be perfect. It's a great restaurant. Much better than the restaurants in the Donburi Yokocho area of the market. And the price is good too. A big hit after a long time. The sea urchin without the chemical aftertaste is great. I revisited and had the recommended 1700 yen bowl: salmon roe, abalone, sea urchin, and crab. Plus, piping hot miso soup. Delicious, and you can really taste the freshness of the seafood. Very satisfying.

When it comes to breakfast in Hakodate, I usually end up going to the morning market for a seafood bowl, but feeling that many of the restaurants are geared towards tourists, I decided to try a slightly off-the-beaten-path place. The area around the restaurant is filled with menus targeted at tourists, but inside, it's just a regular eatery where locals who work in the neighborhood come in one after another to order their meals. As a tourist, I ordered the scallop set meal. They brought out four large scallops fresh from the tank, with one served as sashimi and another grilled. Since they were alive just a little while ago, the texture and the sweetness of the meat were irresistible. I had scallops the day before as well, but the taste of these scallops was incomparable in its deliciousness. The side dishes were also quite good, although the rice could have been a bit better. Enjoying the taste, the next morning I opted for the salmon belly, which was tasty but didn't quite evoke the same excitement as the scallops from the day before. I highly recommend the scallops.

・Unlike other shops, it was open until late at night. ・They serve a bit more seafood than usual. ・In a not so spacious interior, there are two huge fish tanks. We were walking around Hakodate around 8:00 pm, discussing where to eat. We wanted seafood since we were there. Among all the closed shops, we found a cozy restaurant. It had good reviews on Tabelog, so we decided to give it a try. Surprisingly, students get a 100 yen discount. We decided to go for the extra large portion since it was only 100 yen more. We chose the 3-color bowl with crab, salmon roe, and sea urchin for 1,500 yen. When it arrived, the rice and toppings were in extra large portions. Moreover, the waitress mentioned, "I put quite a lot of crab in there." And indeed, there was plenty of crab. The amount of toppings was so generous that we had some leftovers. The taste was not extremely fresh, but it was delicious nonetheless. It's great to dine at small local restaurants. Thank you for the meal.

Unlike crowded tourist areas like Donburi Yokocho, this place is relatively quiet as it is a bit away from the station. It is located near Hoshiryuken, which was not delicious. Even during the busy month of August, it was easy to find a seat. The staff recommended the rice bowl dishes, but I opted for the special set meal (1000 yen) which included grilled fish and squid sashimi. You can choose from several types of grilled fish for the main dish, along with fresh squid sashimi and cod roe. In comparison with other shops in Donburi Yokocho, where similar sets were priced at 1500 yen, this was a great deal. After ordering, you may have to wait for over 10 minutes for the grilled fish to be served, but it is worth it as the fish is thick and flavorful. The squid sashimi is fresh, and the combination of raw cod roe and rice is delicious. The side dishes are also included, but honestly, they are not necessary. Overall, I was very satisfied. By the way, there is a shop called "Donburi-ya" on the way from Hakodate Station to the Mashumaru, which is a branch of this restaurant and offers the same special set meal at the same price.

Kuishinbo Hakodate Theme: Gourmet Diary When I visited last month, I was turned away because they had a banquet coming up... but today I went back again. This restaurant is the sister store of a donburi shop in the morning market, so the menu is almost the same and the prices are also similar. It's great because you can eat delicious seafood at a low price for lunch and dinner. The location is on a dimly lit street between Hakodate Morning Market and the tram street, behind Aqua Garden Hotel. The restaurant has a big aquarium with crabs and scallops inside. Today, I ordered something a bit contrary to the norm... a raw lamb set for 1000 yen. It came with small side dishes and tarako, but compared to the morning market stores, the tarako seemed a bit tired. The miso soup didn't have crab legs in it. The main dish, raw lamb, is basically like Genghis Khan but with lamb. It had a slight smell, but not as strong as I expected. It was hot and delicious on the hot plate, and the sauce was tasty. Overall, I felt like the quality was slightly lower than the morning market store, but still enjoyable.

I came all the way to Hakodate~ Recommended seafood bowl I came all the way to Hakodate from Sapporo, about a 4-hour drive. Without eating, I can't fight, so I headed to Kuishinbo Hakodate near the Hakodate Morning Market for a meal. This restaurant offers various seafood bowls to choose from. Among them, I chose the recommended bowl (1700 yen). It was wild - with a mix of sea urchin, salmon roe, abalone, and crab. Delicious! The place's cat saw me off as I left. Nearby, the famous Shio Ramen restaurant, Hoshiryuken, was also crowded. A little further, Hakodate's famous Lucky Pierrot and Hasegawa Store were all lined up. Now, it's time for work.

I went to eat seafood bowl after having Hakodate salt ramen. It was a windy and cold day. I ordered the recommended bowl, but the sea urchin was a bit low quality, so the recommended dish wasn't really recommended. The taste of the sea urchin had a lingering alcohol-like aftertaste, and I couldn't really enjoy it. I also had grilled collar as a side dish for drinking, but I got drunk and forgot the name of the fish. The fish also had a dry texture and wasn't tasty. I ended up leaving most of the food this time. I'm sorry.

I visited this place once in 2006 and couldn't forget the whale bacon I had there. When you think of whale bacon, you might imagine a rundown bar where an old man is snacking alone while watching TV, and it's not a popular dish anymore. However, the whale bacon I had here had very little white fat and a lot of meat, served in a generous portion. It had a melt-in-your-mouth taste that made me question what I had been eating before. It was not cheap at 1,800 yen for a set meal, but it was definitely worth it. I visited again with high expectations, but unfortunately, I was disappointed. The whale bacon served this time was of a more common type, but the portion size was good. I thought maybe the taste would make up for it, but when I tried it, it was unbelievably tough. It was more like sinewy than just tough. I felt like I was exercising my jaw muscles. The hokke (Atka mackerel) dish was also nothing like the famous one at the morning market's renowned eatery. It was a shame because they have convenient late hours and a nice atmosphere that I like. I hope this was just a one-time thing.

Returning from Mount Hakodate, I stopped by "Kuishinbo Hakodate" for a drink. It seems to be a popular spot not only for tourists but also for locals. The atmosphere inside and outside the restaurant really gives off a vibe of a seaside town eatery. I love this kind of ambiance. And there was a big grill inside the restaurant. That got me excited. First, I had a grilled abalone. I tried to take a video, but compared to that other one... it's kind of plain (laughs). After a short wait, the grilled abalone was ready. The smell of the sea and the crispy texture were irresistible. The meat was delicious, but the liver inside the shell was even better. Just with this, I finished three glasses of draft beer. I still wanted to drink more, but I had to stop since I had an early morning the next day. I moved on to the final meal, a seafood bowl with sea urchin, scallops, and snow crab. Every ingredient was fresh, especially the scallops which were directly two pieces from the grill!! The portion was satisfying, and everything was so fresh and delicious. All of this for only 1500 yen is a great deal. Feeling pleasantly tipsy and full, the sleepiness hit me. At this point, the pattern of waking up early and staying up late was set for the second day. I went back to the hotel and immediately fell asleep.