Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on April 2010

Keigo Moriyama

Hakodate

Grilled taraba gani (king crab, ¥1,280). Ichiya-boshi dried squid (¥840). Uni cooked in its shell (¥980). Spider-crab sashimi (¥980). Notice a trend? At Hakodate Kaisen Isaribi, it’s all about the shellfish. This genial restaurant in the downtown Kanda district serves as an outpost of seafood from Hokkaido’s well-known southern city. Other locally inflected dishes include pickled squid (¥540), shio yakisoba (¥680), sashimi platters (¥1,780) and tempura assortments (¥980). Hakodate Kaisen Isaribi’s salaryman-friendly interior includes both a counter area and horigotatsu seating for groups. Course menus are available for ¥3,000, ¥3,700 and ¥4,500, with nomihodai options for an extra ¥1,300-¥1,800.

2F, 1-1-15 Kanda-Ogawacho, Chiyoda-ku. Tel: 03-5577-6280. Open Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm & 5-11pm, Sat 5-11pm, closed Sun & hols. Nearest stn: Ogawacho. http://meturl.com/isaribi

Muroran

If you want a crash course in northern-style cooking, make a beeline to Hokkaido Food Beerhall, which showcases cuisine from throughout the island. The menu ranges from the buttered scallops of Cape Soya (¥800)—Japan’s northernmost point—to tsubu-gai (snails) from Erimo, at Hokkaido’s southeastern tip (¥800). Of particular note are the skewers from the Muroran region—reminiscent of negima yakitori, they use pork instead of chicken and onions instead of leeks (¥600 for two). The meat and vegetables come slathered in tare and are accompanied by a side of hot mustard for dipping. If seafood’s more your thing, HFB offers clams from the northeast coastal town of Akkeshi, cooked on touban hotplates (¥1,350), as well as Ishikari salmon with vegetables, butter and sauce cooked chanchan-yaki style on a griddle (¥1,200).

B2 Yebisu Garden Place Tower, 4-20-3 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku. Open Mon-Sat 11:30am-10:30pm, Sun & hols 11:30am-9:30pm. Nearest stn: Ebisu. http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g112600

Sapporo

Sapporo is famous for the high quality of its ramen—which is no surprise, seeing as how a steaming bowl of noodles is just the thing to keep locals warm during the long, harsh northern winters. One of the city’s most popular ramen shops is Musashi, whose owner worked at Hokkaido’s largest noodle-making company, Nishiyama Seimen, before branching out on his own. Opened last July, the Ikebukuro branch brings all that hearty Sapporo goodness to Tokyo. Musashi’s most popular item is its spicy miso ramen (pictured; ¥880), but the menu will please just about any noodle-lover: rich shoyu ramen (¥880), basic shio ramen (¥880), ramen with extra chashu (¥1,180), and wan tan men (¥980). If you notice that Musashi’s noodles are firmer than other ramen shops, that’s because they’re made with top-grade Australian wheat. Beer is just ¥350.

12F Spice Ikebukuro Tobu, 1-1-25 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku. Tel: 03-3981-6343. Open daily 11:30am-10pm. Nearest stn: Ikebukuro. www.sapporo634.com

Tokachi

Hokkaido is renowned for a lot more than just seafood—thanks to abundant farmland and wide-open pastures, it’s also the beef, dairy and produce capital of Japan. At Ginza’s Tokachi-ya, vegetables and meat from Hokkaido’s eastern climes are shipped in direct from local producers. Appetizers include housemade sausages (¥850) and potato croquettes (¥850), while main dishes range from risotto (made with Tokachi milk; ¥1,300) to filet of beef with garlic-shoyu sauce (¥2,400). Tokachi is also celebrated for its cheese; enjoy it here on a sampler plate (¥1,300/¥900), or raclette-style with potatoes, veggies or baguette (all ¥940). Earlier this month, Tokachi-ya introduced a new buta-don lunch that recreates a popular local dish (¥1,200). A second area branch (5-13-19 Ginza) specializes in items from the teppan grill.

6-2 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3573-7373. Open Tue-Thu 11:30am-2pm & 5:30-11pm, Fri 11:30am-2pm & 5:30pm- midnight, Mon & Sat 5:30-11pm, closed Sun. Nearest stn: Ginza, exit C2 (Ginza Corridor area). www.tokachiya.com

Nemuro

Sometimes when you go to a restaurant, the food’s so good that you want to take it home. At Nemuro Shokudo, you can. This “standing izakaya” in Shimbashi features seafood and produce shipped directly from Hokkaido’s extreme north, and it also houses a shop and tourist information center for local Nemuro products. Regional delicacies include sanma, Tokoshirazu salmon and the prized Hanasaki crab—which, thanks to the close ties to local businesses, are offered at extremely reasonable prices. Menu items include simple salt-boiled Hanasaki (¥680) and taraba crab (¥680), salmon sashimi (¥580), tako kimchi (¥350), grilled scallops with garlic butter (¥680) and karei (flounder) simmered in soy sauce (¥780). One particularly creative dish is the rice bowl of salmon and ikura (pictured)—a seafood-inspired take on the classic chicken-and-egg oyako-don (¥950).

2-18-4 Shimbashi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-3571-3360. Open daily 3-11:30pm. Nearest stn: Shimbashi. Also locations in Shibuya. www.nemuroshokudou.com