Japanese ramen¥susukino
Shingen's Susukino branch, the line-out-the-door miso shop with a Shinshu-style broth lighter on lard than classic Sapporo miso. Open until 01:00.
Signature: Shinshu miso ramen, Aged miso ramen, Spicy miso ramen
Order: Aged miso (Koshu) ramen, the menu's deepest broth.
Tip: Closes when the soup runs out; queue from 11:30 lunch and after 21:00 dinner.
yakitori¥¥susukino
A Susukino yakitori counter working Hokkaido jidori chicken over white binchotan. Skewer-by-skewer omakase and a sake list weighted to Hokkaido breweries.
Signature: Bincho-charcoal skewers, Tsukune, Hokkaido chicken neck
Order: Tsukune meatball with quail-egg yolk and a thigh-skin (kawa) finisher.
Tip: Counter only; book a week ahead. Sake list weighted to Hokkaido breweries like Otokoyama.
Japanese sushi¥¥¥¥sapporo-station
The Daimaru branch of Sushi Zen, the Sapporo sushi house founded 1971 whose Maruyama honten earned a Michelin star in the 2017 Hokkaido edition.
Signature: Edomae nigiri, Hokkaido omakase, Botan ebi
Order: Hokkaido seasonal omakase, 10 to 14 pieces with soup and dessert.
Tip: Lunch sets are the steepest discount on the omakase progression. The honten in Kita 1-jo Nishi 27 is the Michelin counter.
Japanese sushi¥¥¥¥susukino
A Susukino omakase counter opened 2012, ten seats, using nearly all-Hokkaido seafood. A short walk from Hosui Susukino subway; quiet room, omakase only.
Signature: Hokkaido omakase, Aged tuna nigiri, Sea urchin nigiri
Order: Sushi-only omakase, no small dishes between.
Tip: Counter only; book through Tableall; reservations open about six weeks ahead.
Japanese sushi¥¥¥¥susukino
Chef Hidetaka trained at Sapporo's Michelin-starred Sushi Zen before opening this eight-seat cypress counter. Located in Susukino. Priced at ¥¥¥¥.
Signature: Aged nigiri, Hokkaido omakase, Otoro
Order: Omakase; the dry-aged tuna progression is the house signature.
Tip: Counter only; reservations open six weeks ahead. Cash-or-card and bring time to talk.
Japanese¥¥¥¥susukino
Susukino's other heavyweight crab house in Sapporo. Six floors of course menus across king, snow and hairy crab, plus a third-floor sushi counter.
Signature: Three-crab platter, King crab leg, Crab nabe
Order: Sankan course with one whole king crab leg, hairy-crab sashimi and snow-crab nabe.
Tip: Tax-free service for international visitors; reserve a window table on floor 5.