Near Hakodate Station, there is a seafood restaurant in the morning market. There were several seafood restaurants lined up on the street, but only about 3 were open on a weekday at 3 pm. Among them, I visited "Shijitsu" that caught my eye. The interior of the restaurant had 7 counter seats, 3 tables for 4 people, and a tatami room in the back. Surprisingly spacious! The menu featured various seafood bowls such as tuna, squid, salmon roe, shrimp, sea urchin, etc. (The grilled fish set meal also looked delicious!) What caught my attention the most was the Uni and Ikura bowl (¥2800). With a satisfying volume, miso soup, and pickles included, this seemed like a great deal! The two female employees were very friendly, making it a place I would like to visit again.

I had lunch at a historical place. I had some business at Hakodate Morning Market and decided to have lunch there. Since I'm not a tourist, I didn't want to spend too much money on the touristy prices in this area. Everyone wants to try the seafood bowls like ikura-don, uni, or kani-don when they come to Hakodate, right? I get it. But they cost around 2,000 to 3,000 yen. As a local, I know a cheaper place. However, since I was already there, I decided to treat myself. The cheapest option in Donburi Yokocho is here. I had the mini hokke set meal for 1,000 yen. The hokke was half a fish but the taste was more than satisfying. The flesh was firm and the flavor was delicious. It came with squid and kombu delicacies, cold tofu, miso soup, and pickles. For those who want to save money for evening activities during their sightseeing, take note of this place. Thank you for the meal.

It was close to 3:00 PM and most of the shops in Donburi Yokocho at Hakodate Market were still preparing. Feeling like I should have come earlier, I noticed customers dining inside one of the shops and decided to give it a try. Half resigned, I asked, "The squid fishing isn't going well today, right?" "No, we have fresh squid today!" "Really!?" I ordered the squid sashimi set and the three-color bowl (squid, sea urchin, salmon roe). Thank you. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the squid sashimi set that my companion ordered. The rice in the bowl was warm, not vinegared, which personally I prefer over cold vinegared rice. In fact, slightly warm vinegared rice would be the best for me. The salmon roe was small but delicious. I'm glad I could have the sea urchin and squid at this timing. It's a shame there was no squid liver. Thank you for the delicious meal.

This is one of the shops in the "Hakodate Asaichi Donburi Yokochō". Most of the shops here target tourists, so they are open until late in the afternoon. The name of this shop is pronounced as "Shijitsu", written as "Fumi". On this day, all the shops were crowded, but we found a table with a few seats available and decided to dine here. The menu was similar to what you would find in other shops at the market. I ordered the 'Ikura and Hotate Donburi / 2,000 yen', and my companion ordered the 'Uni, Kani, Ikura Donburi / 2,800 yen'. The dishes arrived without much excitement, and I couldn't help but think, "Well, this is what I expected." The ikura was small in size and the hotate was thin. They weren't particularly fresh either. The side dishes included pre-made simmered beans, kombu, pickled radish, which were quite disappointing. "Is this worth 2,000 yen?" was my honest thought. The service was not bad, but lacked enthusiasm and felt somewhat mechanical. Since they cater to tourists, I believe a more energetic approach would be more appealing. In the end, if you're willing to spend 2,000 to 3,000 yen on a meal in Hakodate, I think there are better options than the market.

I visited a restaurant at Hakodate Asaichi Donburi Yokocho where the other donburi shops had long lines and I found it bothersome to wait. I thought that the food wouldn't be much different no matter where I ate, so I decided to give it a try. I ordered the Service Donburi for 1800 yen. After placing my order, I noticed a sign on the counter saying that they were using trout roe instead of salmon roe due to the price increase. It seemed like the sign had been put up recently, so I thought they should have updated the menu instead. This experience made me realize that maybe Donburi Yokocho is not meant for locals after all.

I arrived a bit late at 3:00 PM and found the restaurant almost empty, so I decided to enter. I had a draft beer for 560 yen and a sea urchin and salmon roe rice bowl for 2300 yen. The crab was not that great, so maybe the sea urchin and salmon roe bowl was a better choice. However, it was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

He had closed his shop, but we were still open for business. We ordered a bottle of beer for 580 yen, sweet shrimp and salmon roe rice bowl with silver cod set for 1400 yen, scallop and salmon roe rice bowl with halibut set for 1400 yen, two drinks for 560 yen each, and salmon sashimi for 920 yen. The total bill for two people was 5420 yen. In the Hakodate Morning Market Donburi Yokocho market, most shops close early, but we found this one that was still open. The salmon roe and scallops were delicious. The fat from the halibut was also good. The skin was tasty as well, with a unique flavor. The salmon sashimi we had as a side dish was also excellent. The prices were reasonable for this area. The customer service was also great. We were lucky to find such a good restaurant.

The scallop and salmon roe rice bowl with salmon set is 2000 yen. It was pretty average, but delicious.

I tried the first Hakodate morning market. I had the Goshiki-don. Uni, crab, salmon roe, squid, and shrimp - all fresh and delicious.

Although it's called a morning market, it was great that we could eat there at night too. The sea urchin in Hakodate was delicious as always! Thank you for the meal.

The morning market is not cheap at all~ I was hesitant to pay a high price because if it wasn't delicious, it would feel like a scam! I wandered around while thinking that. I couldn't bring myself to pay 3000 yen for a morning bowl, so I decided on this place based on the price. There was a shop selling a 500 yen bowl, but there was a long line and I couldn't get in. In the midst of that, I chose a three-variety bowl with sea urchin, scallops, and salmon roe. Since the bowl was a bit small, I opted for extra rice! I realized that it's not vinegared rice because it's not sushi~ The sea urchin color was not a vibrant yellow, but it was delicious! Unfortunately, there was no particular "Hokkaido quality" impression, it was just decent I guess~ Thank you for the meal!

Donburi Yokocho market. It's cheaper here. When you come to Donburi Yokocho, you have to go with the mindset of "I just came." Otherwise, you'll be disappointed. So this time, I chose a cheap restaurant. Asaichi Teishoku (1260 yen) - Hokke and squid sashimi set meal. I'm in Hakodate, so why not. Jagabata (315 yen) - with salted fish guts. I'm in Hakodate, so why not. They are working hard at the entrance of Hakodate, opening early in the morning. There are counter seats and table seats. You can help yourself to refill tea. The atmosphere is not bad. As a footprint of Hakodate.

Located inside the Asaichi Mall in front of Hakodate Station. About 40 years ago, there was a shop around this area in the morning market where a beautiful mama provided great service, but when I visited 30 years ago, the mama seemed quite tired. When I visited 20 years ago, that shop was no longer there. The location is around here. This time, I went to that area again. There were no customers inside. It was before 8 in the morning, but most of the shops were empty. Will the customers increase from now on, or is the overall number of customers insufficient? The crowded shops were almost full. There was a colorful menu outside, but I wanted to eat hokke and squid sashimi. However, there were no such menu items. Then the waitress told me, "The morning market set meal includes grilled hokke and squid sashimi," so I ordered that. It cost 1260 yen. The old man cooked it, and it was served soon after. It came with three side dishes, and it was quite a large portion. Maybe it's what they serve to group customers. The hokke was about 1/4 of a fish. I wish it had a bit more fat. The squid sashimi was thinly sliced, but the squid sōmen noodles are even thinner. It was sweet and delicious. It was crunchy but tender. This is something you can't eat in Tokyo. It was an unusual amount of food for breakfast. I usually just have one slice of toast. It was delicious.

Hakodate Morning Market "Donburi Yokocho Market" - Comparing "Uni Donburi" at 8 shops~ ☺☻☺☻☺☻ This time. [August 2012, 24th year of Heisei] 22nd trip to Hokkaido. (Including 12 trips around Hokkaido by car, covering 2,200 km of coastline) The best way to travel around Hokkaido by car is clockwise. This is my 12th trip (July 25th to August 3rd, 2012, 9 nights and 10 days) with the following itinerary: Hakodate 2 nights → Matsumae → Esashi → Shakotan → Otaru 1 night → Rumoi, Mashike → (★Sarobetsu Plain Ororon Line) → Wakkanai → Mombetsu 1 night → Utoro → Rausu → Shiretoko → Shibetsu → (★Bekai River) → Nemuro 1 night → Kushiro → Kirifuri → Kushiro → Erimo → Tomakomai → Muroran → Oshamanbe → Eniwa → Hakodate 4 nights (9 nights in Hokkaido) ★ indicates best viewing points. I used to focus on seafood during this time of year. The fresh red and white sea urchins in Shakotan are a must-try. I enjoyed them again this year. Hakodate's specialties include seafood, fish, salt ramen, curry, soba, beer, and sushi. Otaru is known for its sushi, Shakotan for fresh sea urchins (bafun uni and murasaki uni), and Shiretoko for grapes shrimp. In Nemuro, you can find Hanasaki crab, and in Monbetsu in the Okhotsk region, you can enjoy live Hokkaido shrimp and the three major crabs (hair crab, snow crab, king crab). Hakodate Morning Market - A must-visit market in Hakodate that is featured in gourmet and travel shows. With over 400 shops, you can find seafood, marine products, fruits, and dining options. Gone are the days of aggressive touts, making it a more enjoyable market to explore. It's worth waking up early to stroll through the market. Donburi Yokocho Market - Established in spring 2005, this market is located next to the large parking lot of Hakodate Morning Market. With over 10 shops, you can enjoy seafood bowls here. Uni Donburi Comparison at 8 Shops Unfortunately, the mini uni bowl at Hokkaido Hakodate [Seafood Historical Fumi] was disappointing. The fresh sea urchin was extremely bitter, and the pickles, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and squid salted were all sour. The bitterness of the sea urchin was immediately noticeable, tasting like alum. Sea urchin from Hokkaido is rarely this bitter, even in mainland Japan. Everything else, including the pickles, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and squid salted, was inexplicably sour. I left the dish uneaten and quickly paid the bill before leaving the restaurant. This cheap sea urchin bowl is not worth a revisit. It's a shame! In the summer, there's no need to eat bitter sea urchin in Hakodate. For a slightly higher price, you can find sea urchin and saltwater sea urchin at many other places. Marukatsu Suisan revolving sushi and Ikaikeitei in the Bay Area offer delicious sea urchin and saltwater sea urchin. The sea urchin and saltwater sea urchin at Kaisen Izakaya Katsugyo Robata Hakodateyama are also worth trying. As the front entrance of the Hakodate Morning Market, the Donburi Yokocho Market should strive for better quality and higher value for the Uni Donburi. Please improve! Photo: Mini bowl, mini uni bowl - 1260 yen (includes pickles, miso soup)

When it comes to Hakodate, you think of the morning market. And when you think of the morning market, you think of seafood bowls. So, I went to the morning market to eat a seafood bowl. At the "Donburi Yokocho" in the morning market, there are several shops selling seafood bowls. All the shops had similar menus, so it was hard to tell the difference. The popular shop I had checked in advance was crowded, so I gave up and went to this shop called "Shiji" where I could sit right away. I had the "Service Bowl @ 1,260 yen" which seemed like a good deal. It had sweet shrimp, salmon roe, and crab. The sweet shrimp was surprisingly large. The crab and salmon roe were fresh and delicious. My companion had the "Sea urchin, crab, salmon roe bowl" which looked tasty and seemed expensive, and it cost 1,890 yen.

I was undecided about which restaurant to go to in Donburi Yokocho as there were many to choose from, but I ended up choosing a relatively inexpensive one that was not too crowded. I had decided on the Uni and Ikura donburi from the start, so I ordered it without hesitation. It cost 1,890 yen, which seemed cheaper compared to other places, but when it arrived, the bowl was small. I thought to myself that there must be a reason for the low price. The donburi had Uni and Ikura in the middle with wasabi on top, served with pickles, a side dish, and miso soup. The Uni looked a bit dull in color, and the waitress explained that it was already seasoned with soy sauce. I wished it had been fresher and that I could have adjusted the amount of soy sauce myself. Maybe I should have just ordered a regular set meal instead.

This is located in a place called Donburi Yokocho in the market district of Hakodate. Many shops lined up and everywhere was crowded. In the midst of it, I found a shop that was empty while others were packed during lunchtime! I peeked inside and saw that there were seats available! While other places had long lines, why was this one empty... I asked around and heard that other shops had become popular due to TV coverage. Maybe this place was overlooked... I didn't have time to wait in line, so I decided to eat here! I ordered the "ika somen set meal" which was prominently displayed on the sign. It looks delicious! After a 15-minute wait, it arrived. Hakodate's ika somen! Hakodate locals boast that ika somen must be cut like threads to be considered "ika somen"! The ika somen served here may not be as thin as threads, but it's definitely at the level of somen noodles! I had tried ika somen elsewhere before, but I remembered it being thicker than this, so I was satisfied with the appearance. The taste also seems promising! The flavor is... dipping the somen noodles in the sauce. Coated with ginger, I take a bite. Smooth! I quickly add some rice to my mouth. Mmm, delicious! The sweetness comes through nicely. The broth is light and tasty. The side dishes were just average. It seems that the weather was bad on that day, but there were fish tanks everywhere, so apart from the stress on the squid, I think the freshness is good. I'm glad I could enjoy that squid. Next time, I want to compare why this shop was empty compared to other popular ones.

When I went to the morning market in Hakodate, I had breakfast here. I looked around but everywhere was expensive due to being a tourist spot! Here, for 1000 yen, I got a mini bowl with plenty of scallops and salmon roe. The scallops were big and there was a lot of salmon roe. The salmon roe was delicious with a good amount of fat. The bowl size is small but it's enough for breakfast. The restaurant wasn't too crowded, so even families with children can relax here. There are two other mini bowl sets available, so it might be good to try them and compare.