I went to "Katsu ni Hokuto" in Akasaka, where they perform a live cooking show by the chef who skillfully prepares live crabs. Today, I had the opportunity to try the rare and highly valued "phantom crab" known as the Hanasaki crab, weighing 2.4kg. The Hanasaki crab is technically a hermit crab, but it is commonly referred to as a crab. Now, how does it differ in taste from snow crab or hairy crab? - Flounder sashimi Today's flounder was firm and had a strong elasticity, giving a crunchy texture. - Katsuo tataki (seared bonito) Now, the Hanasaki crab weighing 2.4kg. It's huge! Oh, look closely, doesn't its face look handsome? It has spikes but they are not as sharp as those of a hairy crab. Like other crabs, it is cleaned by soaking in cold water to remove the transparent blood. This causes the meat to spread out like flower petals. We had it as sashimi and shabu-shabu in succession. The crab has thick and coarse fibers in its meat. Shabu-shabu had a slightly different taste after just 2 seconds of cooking compared to sashimi. It changes in just 2 seconds. Honestly, there wasn't much difference in taste between sashimi and shabu-shabu compared to other crabs. The chef mentioned that it will change further with more cooking. Boiled crab has a lobster-like texture. The fibers are thick, and the texture is strong. The more it is cooked, the more flavor it develops, making it taste like meat. It has a slight taste of kelp, as it is fed with kelp. Unlike snow crab or hairy crab, it lacks elegance but has the pleasure of a strong bite. Next, we tried grilling it. The taste and aroma became deeper. It has a bold flavor but the taste is rich. It's vivid. The chef mentioned that Hanasaki crab looks the most beautiful when cooked compared to other crabs. The most impressive part was the taste of the "fundoshi," a part unique to live Hanasaki and Taraba crabs. The highlight was the grilled crab seasoned with butter. It may be a bit strong, but it pairs well with butter. It's like a gratin. The final dish was chirashi sushi served in the crab shell. The bill was approximately 36,000 yen per person. The best way to enjoy crab prepared by a chef who knows everything about it. You can enjoy this luxurious experience in Minato Ward, not just in Hokkaido. While it's nice to eat crab at home, sometimes indulging in a luxurious meal like this without getting your hands dirty is worth it. Thank you for the feast.

I have never enjoyed crab as much as I did during this meal. I have never seen a 1.3kg hairy crab before. They generously cut it in front of me and served it in various ways like sashimi, boiled, and crab miso. The finale was a crab rice porridge topped with plenty of salmon roe. The flavor of the crab and the texture of the salmon roe were amazing, and I savored the happiness of each bite. I was so full just from eating crab, it was truly a blissful time.

I love crabs, so I visited Hokuto to eat snow crabs this time. The snow crab was over 1kg in size, providing a satisfying meal. The friendly chef skillfully dismantled the crab in front of us and served it as sashimi and shabu-shabu. In the second half, there was boiled crab, and we ended with a voluminous crab rice porridge that we couldn't finish. But you never get tired of eating crabs, right?

I went to Hikaru in Akasaka for the first time in a while and had their exquisite crab dish. Since it's my birthday month, I decided to treat myself to something luxurious. The crab here is served in various ways - chilled, grilled, steamed - and they prepare each dish right in front of you, serving it just in time. You can also listen to explanations about why they chose a particular ingredient or cooking method, which enhances the overall dining experience. Despite being a crab specialty restaurant, the prices are quite reasonable, making it a top contender for a luxurious yet affordable meal. It was delicious and satisfying. Thank you for the feast!

It was a never-ending Taraba festival. The live Taraba crab was delicious in various ways - butter grilled was the best! Enjoyed sashimi, shabu-shabu, rare, and boiled variations. The grilled crab was fragrant and tasty. Ate the heart for the first time as a single dish. Seems like something to brag about (lol). Loaded up the rice porridge with plenty of salmon roe, had seconds, and left with a full belly. It was a wonderful Taraba festival.

Visited around 17:00☺︎ Located in a retro building where you can easily find it as there are many bars and restaurants gathered together! Had a large hairy crab course on this day♥♥ The live cooking in front of you was so exciting! The chef was friendly and kind, making the dining experience enjoyable not only with the food but also during the cooking process. Starting with sashimi and finishing with porridge, everything was exceptionally delicious (๑⃙⃘´༥`๑⃙⃘)♡*. ﾟ From crab sashimi to shabu-shabu, everything was incredibly fresh and amazing. The firefly squid in the appetizer was also delicious. The rich crab miso was heavenly♡*゜ The porridge was generously topped with ikura, a delight for ikura lovers. You will get very full, so I highly recommend coming with an empty stomach.

I visit this place about 4-6 times a year. There really aren't many crabs that surpass Hokkaido crabs. This time, I went to enjoy the last Echizen crab of the season! The Echizen crab prepared for me had a tag indicating it was of gift quality, weighing over 1.1 kilograms!! It was huge!! It's rare to see Echizen crabs of this size. Of course, they were live crabs (*^_^*). The appetizers were delicious, and the Echizen crabs were thick and sweet, and delicious (^o^)! Whether eaten raw, in a hot pot, boiled, or grilled, the taste and texture of the same crab can be enjoyed in various ways. Also, because they are big, the fibers of each piece of meat are thick, so we were served crab noodles (made by shredding the crab meat) and had a lot of fun. Next time, I plan to go eat hair crabs!

I usually don't go to Akasaka much, but my friend made a reservation at a restaurant because they really wanted to eat crab. There is a counter, but we were guided to a private room on this day. The best part is that they cut the crab right in front of you! The friendly chef taught us all about the crab while cutting it, which was great! We usually go to casual restaurants, so we were wondering how it would be to go to such a high-class place, but it was nice and warm! Of course, the crab was incredibly delicious and I can't express enough how good it was. I would definitely recommend this place and I want to go try another crab dish there next time!

I used it for a party invitation. It was right in front of the entrance, but the counter was very cozy and I enjoyed the meal! There were also private rooms, but if you want to enjoy the live atmosphere, I recommend the counter! The first appetizer served was made with plenty of seafood. I haven't eaten shirako much, and I was a little hesitant at first, but it was creamy, not fishy at all, and very delicious! I wanted more! (laughs) In addition, there were various dishes such as raw sea cucumber, grilled Spanish mackerel, and whelk, and all the dishes were outstanding and I didn't get tired of them. Next was the steamed taraba crab in a tea bowl. There was a large amount of salmon roe on top! Personally, I think it would have been better if there was a little less salmon roe and less salt, so that I could enjoy the steamed dish itself more! It makes the taste of the crab a little weaker. And finally, the awaited crab - taraba crab! I used to think that "Zuwai crab is the best because it's sweet!" but the taraba crab, which was satisfying to eat, was the best (laughs). I mentioned that I prefer crabs cooked rather than raw, so I enjoyed the crab in various ways such as firm shabu-shabu, grilled (regular and butter soy sauce), etc., without leaving any crab behind! The master's stories were very interesting, and I learned a lot about the structure of the crab and the parts that cannot be eaten (laughs). It was delicious, fun, and a very wonderful night. Thank you very much!

⭐️If you want delicious crab, head to Hokuto!⭐️You can enjoy crab without having to catch it yourself⭐️You can chat at the counter while enjoying your meal⭐️You can choose the crab you want to eat from the tank, a first-time experience!⭐️The sashimi, boiled crab, and everything else was delicious, but the crab miso was shockingly tasty⭐️I don't think I've ever really eaten crab before, haha⭐️It's a bit pricey, but definitely worth it in my opinion⭐️I would love to visit this restaurant again⭐️I wonder if Mr. Abo is doing well. I hope to see him again!

I was able to have a super huge special king crab cooked right in front of me, and I was able to enjoy it without leaving anything behind, so it was a great experience in terms of both taste and the overall experience. Of course, it was delicious, but I also learned a lot about crabs, so I thought that places like this are a must-visit.

It was a delight to have a chef from Aomori Prefecture handle the dishes. The crab porridge at the end was all-you-can-eat with plenty of salmon roe on top.

Tottori... The ban on Matsubagani (snow crab) has been lifted... It's been a year already. Hokuto for the first time... This style of cooking and serving really enhances the experience. This year's Matsubagani is so delicious and packed with meat. I love the Matsubagani ochazuke as a finishing touch.

The general's kind and gentle hair crab, sweet and delicious rice dish was a sushi roll.

You can hardly experience this scale and raw deliciousness in Tokyo. By making a reservation and having it delivered directly, you can enjoy high-quality crab in the best condition. Since the chef is originally a sushi chef, the sushi is also excellent.