I came to Otaru without a reservation and all the restaurants were full, so I ended up here. I ordered individual pieces of sashimi - hirame, hokkigai, hakkaku, and shako. The portions were small for the price, except for the hakkaku which looked nice. The asparagus tempura was delicious. The potato butter dish was different from what I expected, but the potatoes were sweet and tasty. The sushi was okay.

Visited Otaru City for the first time in October 2020. Otaru is a town that attracts tourists who come to enjoy its historical scenery and seaside town-like food, as it is just an hour away from Sapporo. There are many sushi restaurants in the town, with a street even called "Sushi Restaurant Street". However, many of these restaurants have prices that are not very budget-friendly for casual sushi lunch lovers like myself. While walking in the bustling Hanazono district, I came across two casual seafood bowl restaurants. I was torn between which one to choose, but I was drawn to this particular restaurant by its sign advertising a "Fresh seafood bowl, tempura, side dishes, chawanmushi set for 800 yen". I decided to give it a try. I was led to a semi-private room-like seating area called the "Taro-san course". The food arrived fairly quickly. Wait, where is the tempura? The seafood bowl consisted of lean tuna, salmon from Chile, shrimp, squid, and fish roe. It came with daikon radish and pickled ginger. It was quite underwhelming. The sushi rice was cold and firm. I was hoping for at least some tamago (egg). The "Hokke fish fry" was hot and crispy, but it was only half a fish, which I found forgivable. However, the menu showcased tempura, not fried fish. Those who like mayonnaise might miss having tartar sauce. The sauce was served alongside. The side dishes included bamboo shoot, konjac, and simmered fried food, all served cold. The chawanmushi was the only highlight, being served hot. It had few ingredients, but it was decent. The pickles seemed homemade in the picture, but they looked more like store-bought. The miso soup was average. When I paid the bill, it was 880 yen, not the expected 800 yen due to tax not being included. This was a bit disappointing. Perhaps the service is better during dinner time, as suggested by other reviews. However, for lunch, it may be lacking in terms of quality for the price. If they claim to serve "Otaru cuisine", it might not live up to the town's name.

I visited a sushi restaurant located in a bustling area slightly away from the Sushiya-dori in Otaru. This restaurant mainly caters to local customers and offers a relatively affordable menu. However, on the day of my visit, there were many items sold out due to rough seas, so there weren't many choices available. Also, there are no counter seats, so it may feel a bit lacking for customers other than families...

I stopped by a sushi restaurant while on a drive. There were many private rooms and I was able to relax. The owner was very friendly and welcoming. I especially liked the glass dishes. Thank you for the delicious meal!

On September 14, 2018, there was an earthquake in Hokkaido, but I wanted to contribute by eating and drinking a little. Since I was already full, I decided to walk around Otaru City's Hanazono-cho with a friend to find a place to drink. We stumbled upon a restaurant that caught our eye with its outdoor signs, and decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, when we tried to order the scallop sashimi, fresh fish sashimi, and octopus sashimi that we wanted, we were told that they were all sold out, which was a bit of a shock. Worried that we might not be able to find anything we wanted to eat, we then ordered the surf clam sashimi, the sweet shrimp sashimi, and the scallop sashimi, along with some pickled herring and butterbur stalks. Everything was delicious!

On Saturday around 7:00 PM, I went out with my boss from work. It was a sudden plan and we decided to go to Otaru. My boss chose a restaurant without making a reservation, thinking it would be okay since it was a Saturday, but it was fully booked. We tried a few other places, but they were all full. Eventually, we ended up at "Kurage" for the first time. We started with beer and ordered dishes like Kasube simmered, live abalone sashimi, sea cucumber vinegar, shrimp sashimi, pork skewers, and chicken skewers. The live abalone sashimi shrinks when dipped in soy sauce, showing that it is fresh. The skewers were made with onions instead of green onions, which was unique to Otaru. The shrimp sashimi was a bit watery, probably because the spring shrimp season was ending. I forgot what else we ate... Anyway, we were full and decided to go for drinks! Thank you for the meal.

Since New Year's, this is my second banquet♪ The cost performance seems to be good, as it was 4,000 yen for all-you-can-drink. The banquet menu was great, with lots of food coming out. By the time the sushi came out at the end, I was already full❗ I love simmered katsuobushi, but maybe I'll go for the fried hokke here. The tuna sashimi is really amazing when you consider the cost performance.

On the third day of my trip to Hokkaido, I visited Otaru and had sushi. I wanted to go to the famous restaurant Otaru Masazushi or its sister restaurant, but they were fully booked when I called. So, my friend recommended this restaurant on the Sushi Street where they had been before. I ordered a 10-piece set which included tuna, white fish (I always forget its name), salmon, scallop, clam, abalone, shrimp, shirako, ikura, and sea urchin. It was full of delicious seafood. Even though this level of sushi can be found in Tokyo, the cost performance here was good. The miso soup was also delicious.

Visited in May 2016 for a small party with about 10 people. We opted for a 2-hour all-you-can-drink plan for 5,000 yen. The menu included a variety of dishes such as salad with konjac, sashimi with tuna, sweet shrimp, fatty tuna, and herring roe, as well as grilled hair crab, healthy vegetable and bean sprout namul, zangi (fried chicken), shrimp and perilla tempura, healthy half Caesar salad, edamame, steamed egg custard, simmered hairy crab, sushi with tuna, sweet shrimp, fatty tuna, squid, and rolled sushi, and soybean rough soup. Some items were taken home as we couldn't finish everything. The zangi was juicy and the edamame seemed to be domestically sourced. The owner provided explanations for the dishes, mentioning that the hair crab was from Ohotsk's Omu. Although the hair crab was described as a top brand in Japan, it was average in size and taste. The sashimi, especially the herring roe from Rausu, tuna, and octopus from Otaru, were excellent. Overall, the dishes were average, but considering the variety and quantity of food for the price of 5,000 yen with all-you-can-drink, it was worth it for a party.

I was able to take a day off during the week, and this gave me more opportunities to have lunch with my partner. We decided to try a restaurant called "Kurage" near Otaru Hanazono, close to the JR overpass. The lunch menu was displayed outside the restaurant, offering three options: "Taro Course," "Hanako Course," and "Benkei Course." Inside the restaurant, there was a counter and small raised tatami rooms, and we were instructed to take off our shoes and store them in the shoebox before being led to our room. Both my partner and I chose the "Taro Course (800 yen)." The Taro Course included sashimi, tempura, chawanmushi, small dishes, soup, and pickles. The dishes for two people were brought to us, starting with tempura, chawanmushi, miso soup, and pickles. The sashimi arrived a bit later. The presentation of the dishes was a bit haphazard, and we had to rearrange them ourselves. The tempura was crispy, the chawanmushi was still hot, and the sashimi had a good balance of fish and rice. However, the overall dining experience was lacking. We proceeded to pay the bill, and when I asked if they accepted cards, they did. The receipt was handed to us rolled up on the counter. As we left the restaurant, we noticed several autographed celebrity photos displayed at the entrance.

When it comes to Otaru, sushi is the first thing that comes to mind. However, many sushi restaurants on Sushi Street charge as much as 10,000 yen per person, which is quite expensive. I recently visited a local restaurant in Otaru recommended by a former classmate I met at a school reunion after 30 years. The restaurant is called "Kurage" and is located in Hanazono Ginza Shopping Street (commonly known as Hanagin), about 150 meters from Sushi Street. Despite it being daytime, there were banquet tables set up. With just one word from my friend, a menu was prepared for us. We enjoyed a variety of dishes including scallops, sashimi, flounder, sea urchin, and more. The meal ended with a selection of nigiri sushi and a refreshing dessert. The total cost was only 3,000 yen per person, making it a hidden gem in Otaru that I highly recommend visiting.

The restaurant is called "Kurage" which means "jellyfish" in English. I visited there after a work meeting quite late around 9 PM. I was seated at a table and the menu had a lot of options. I ordered pork skewers, half-fried chicken, and sashimi. We also ordered beers. The sashimi arrived first, it was okay but nothing special. Then came the pork skewers, followed by the half-fried chicken. Just as all the dishes were served, we were informed that it was the last order (laughs). Oh no! They said drinks were okay, but how can we relax and enjoy when we have to rush? They should have told us the last order time when we entered. As we hurriedly ate, the chefs started leaving (laughs). There were still customers eating, who will handle complaints about the food? I wonder. Well, the half-fried chicken was juicy and delicious, so let's just leave it at that. Thank you for the meal.

There are many delicious restaurants in Otaru, but I confidently recommend Kajitsu on Hanazono Street, where you can enjoy fresh sushi and seasonal seafood without worrying about the price. The seating is in cozy private rooms. The octopus sashimi and sea urchin bowl are reasonably priced. The cod roe soup with snow crab is also delicious. The yakisoba with scallops has a rich broth. You can also pay with a credit card, which is convenient. It seems to be a popular restaurant with a long history, as many celebrities have visited. I highly recommend it!