Sushi Zen Daimaru Sapporo is a japanese sushi restaurant in Sapporo Station, Sapporo.
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 dishes: Edomae nigiri, Hokkaido omakase, Botan ebi
Must 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.
Address: Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-0005, Japan
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.
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.
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.
The bakery that invented chikuwa pan in 1983. Donguri sells around 2,300 of the fish-cake-and-mayo loaves a day across its nine Sapporo branches.
Signature: Chikuwa pan, Hokkaido potato bread, Curry pan
Order: Chikuwa pan and Hokkaido potato bread, hot from the rack.
Tip: Buy three to four loaves at once; everyone in town does. Open 09:00-21:00 daily.
The Sapporo kissaten that built a coffee dynasty. Morihico opened 1996 in a wooden house behind Maruyama Park, hand-roasted beans and flannel drip.
Signature: Forest Drops drip coffee, Gateau fromage, Chiffon cake
Order: Forest Drops hand-drip with a slice of gateau fromage.
Tip: Expect 20 to 45-minute waits on weekends; the four-minute walk from Maruyama Koen station is the cushion.
A Nijo Market sushi-and-donburi counter run by a Hakodate fishmonger. The Sapporo-style kaisendon stacks raw crab, uni and ikura over rice; market hours.
Signature: Kaisendon, Uni-ikura-crab bowl, Grilled hokkai shima ebi
Order: Sanshoku-don of king crab, sea urchin and salmon ikura.
Tip: Walk in early; the queue stretches by 09:00 in summer. Cash accepted alongside cards.
