ニコタジ
End-of-year trip to Hokkaido. Stayed at a hotel in Susukino. We visited several restaurants in Susukino, but they were all full. With the holiday season in full swing, locals were also out and about in Susukino, and of course, travelers like us from both domestic and international destinations added to the chaos. It was no wonder that every restaurant was packed. Just when we were starting to feel like dinner refugees, we were thankfully offered a helping hand by "Hokkaido x Spanish SPOON." It is a Spanish bar that uses Hokkaido ingredients in their dishes. The restaurant is located in a dining building near the intersection of Minami 3-jonishi 3-chome, between Tanukikoji 2-chome and Tanukikoji 3-chome. We arrived at 7:20 PM. The restaurant was also full, but they managed to squeeze us in at the counter. Grateful for that. The restaurant had five four-person tables, two two-person tables, and three barrel tables for three people. I sat at the counter, where there were three chairs for customers, but they seemed rarely used. I felt like I was in the way as I watched the staff take orders from the floor to the kitchen, serve dishes and drinks, prepare towels, and handle order slips and bills. Anyway, let's quickly place our orders. First, drinks. 1. "Sapporo Perfect Classic" ¥500 with a draft beer 2. "Otoshi (charge)" price unknown was brought to us. The staff explained the dish, but I can't remember much. From what I faintly recall, it was made with some kind of aged potato, but that's about all I remember. It was a steamed potato with a high sweetness and umami flavor. Now, let's order some food. 3. "True Cod and Sapporo Yellow Aioli" ¥880. While we were pondering what to order, the chef (or owner?) recommended this dish. It's a dish full of Hokkaido shellfish, also known as "gout aioli." It came in a larger cazuela than usual, so it was quite substantial. It contained two pieces of true cod (cod milt), two oysters, two mussels, two clams, and two sea urchins. Quite luxurious and filling. All the shellfish were plump and delicious. The sea urchin was very rich, the true cod was tender and rich, the oysters were large and had a typical oyster-like metallic flavor, the clams were flavorful, and the mussels were average. The aioli was simple with a light olive oil flavor to accentuate the flavors of the ingredients. There was a whole red chili, but I didn't feel much spiciness. There was quite a bit of garlic, but it was mild. The dish was lightly seasoned with salt and pepper, or maybe not at all. I interpreted it as an aioli that allows the quality of the ingredients to shine through. It came with four slices of baguette, which were perfect for soaking up the olive oil infused with the essence of the ingredients. It was a steal at ¥880. 4. "Paella S Seafood DX" ¥1,280. I ordered the S size, so it was a small paella pan for one person. It took 30 minutes to cook, as expected for paella.