History

Kaisendon (mixed seafood over rice) is a national Japanese format, but the Sapporo version emerged at Nijo Market and the Sapporo Curb Market in the 1980s as the markets' donburi shops codified a three-colour topping rule: king crab, sea urchin and salmon ikura. By the 1990s, sanshoku-don (three-colour) was the postcard order at every market shop; the 2010s saw the formats expand to four-colour and seven-colour configurations at Nijo Market's Ohiso shop and others. The bowl now defines Sapporo morning eating.

Common allergens: Shellfish, Soy

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 20 minTotal 50 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 200g sushi rice
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 60g Hokkaido sea urchin (uni)
  • 60g salmon ikura
  • 100g king crab leg meat, picked
  • Nori sheets
  • Wasabi
  • Shiso leaves
  • Light soy sauce
  • Pickled ginger

Method

  1. Rinse rice 4 times until water runs clear; cook with 220ml water.
  2. Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl; dissolve.
  3. Fan rice gently and fold through the seasoned vinegar; rice should be just-warm.
  4. Divide rice between two bowls. Lay nori strips on top.
  5. Arrange seafood in three sections: uni on one third, ikura on the second, crab leg meat on the third.
  6. Add a dot of wasabi to the side; garnish with a shiso leaf.
  7. Serve immediately with light soy sauce on the side and pickled ginger.

Tip from the editors. Don't mix the toppings; eat each section separately to taste the three distinct flavours.

Where to eat hokkaido kaisendon (three-colour seafood bowl)

Hokkaido Kaisendon (Three-Colour Seafood Bowl) in Sapporo

Nijo Ichiba Ohiso ★ 4.6

Japanese¥nijo-market

A Nijo Market sushi-and-donburi counter. The cheapest kaisendon (mixed seafood-over-rice) bowls land 1,800 yen; uni-ikura-crab triple bowls 2,800.

Try: Kaisendon

Tip: Walk in early; the queue stretches by 09:00 in summer Cash is faster than card.

Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0053, Japan

Sapporo Kani Honke Honten ★ 4.1

Japanese Seafood and SushiChef Kani Honke team¥¥¥¥¥12,000-25,000sapporo-stationBook 1 week ahead

The city's reference crab restaurant since 1964, seven floors south of Sapporo Station. Course menus across king, snow and hairy crab, tax-free service.

Order: Kegani course: hairy crab steamed whole, plus crab sashimi and a chawanmushi.

Tip: Susukino branch closed 2022; Honten is the principal Sapporo address now.

Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0003, Japan Book →

Hokkaido Kani Shogun ★ 4.1

Japanese Seafood and SushiChef Kani Shogun team¥¥¥¥¥10,000-22,000susukinoBook 1 week ahead

Susukino's other heavyweight crab house. Six floors, course menus across all three Hokkaido crabs plus a third-floor sushi counter and private tatami rooms.

Order: Sankan three-crab course: one whole king-crab leg, hairy-crab sashimi and snow-crab nabe.

Tip: Tax-free service for international visitors; window tables on the fifth floor face Susukino.

Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0805, Japan Book →

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