When you think of Hokkaido, seafood is the first thing that comes to mind. There's also pork bowls and Genghis Khan, but seafood is definitely the highlight. After arriving at Tomakomai Ferry Terminal from Otaru by ferry, I looked for the nearest seafood restaurant. I found this place in what seemed like a market, and even though it was almost closing time, they let me in. The seafood bowl was smaller than I expected from the photos, with not a lot of toppings, but the variety and taste made up for it. Every topping was delicious and I was truly impressed.

I was drawn to a seafood company operated by a crab shop and decided to try their most popular dish, the special Chirashi bowl. The promotional photos showed a luxurious and colorful presentation, but what was served was disappointing. The presentation was sloppy and the amount of salmon roe was significantly less. Perhaps it was because it's targeted towards tourists? The staff seemed to be part-time workers as well. At 5200 yen, I felt it was not worth it. The bowl included crab, salmon, salmon roe, tuna, sea urchin, squid, sweet shrimp, and flying fish roe. The taste was good, and it came with crab miso soup.

After 2 PM, there was a 2-hour wait at the Sanjogai Market, so we decided to walk towards the canal in search of seafood bowls. We managed to slip into Sawazaki Suisan without waiting in line. A woman was working alone and seemed very busy, but the food was incredibly delicious.

I had the crab rice bowl. It was fresh, with firm and delicious meat. It was cold, so the crab miso soup was perfect. The restaurant is small with only a counter, like a Showa-era izakaya, so not suitable for groups. The staff, especially the older brother, was very nice. It seems that the menu prices have recently gone up due to the rising cost of ingredients.