Merfolk King
First visited in 2014. I wanted to eat a Hokkaido-style ikura don, so I revisited Hatchi-Kyo. My target was the "tsukko-meshi" only. When I called the restaurant to make a reservation, they said, "We can accept your reservation if you can leave by 6:50 pm as we have other reservations." Convenient. I entered the restaurant at 6:00 pm and as soon as I sat down, I ordered, "Tsukko-meshi and a bottle of beer. That's all." After a while, a man with a three-minute haircut and a twisted headband came to the table to explain the rules. ・Be thankful to the fishermen. Many people die in accidents every year. ・Don't leave any food. If you do, please donate. ・Don't press the rice. These were some of the rules. Then, the man shouted loudly towards the restaurant, "Okay, let's have the tsukko-meshi today. Here we go!" Other staff members responded in unison, creating a lively atmosphere. After about six rounds of this, the ikura-filled "tsukko-meshi" was ready. It truly looked like a jewel box. It was a delightful and enjoyable dish to see and hear. The ikura was so thickly piled that it was hard to reach the rice at first. So, I ate the ikura slowly while digging through. At this point, I started to worry about my uric acid levels. Once I reached the rice, the ratio of ikura to rice was about 1:1, and it was delicious. I was already satisfied with the tsukko-meshi, but since this was my third visit to Hatchi-Kyo, I decided to try something extra. I ordered the "masu ikura tsukko-meshi" for comparison. The first tsukko-meshi had salmon roe, while the second one had trout roe. Although genetically similar, the taste differed due to their upbringing. After the man's performance of <okay, let's go>, I compared the two bowls and noticed a significant difference in the size and color of the fish roe. The salmon roe had beautiful large eggs and a deep red color, while the trout roe was more modest. After tasting both, I found that the salmon tsukko-meshi won in terms of the texture of the ikura, but the trout tsukko-meshi won in terms of low salt content and compatibility with the rice. The comparison of these two dishes was quite interesting. Overall, I don't think the value for money is that great, but considering the performance aspect, it's not bad to think of it as enjoying a large serving of ikura don at a cabaret club. Thank you for the unique experience in Sapporo. Bon appétit. --- Tsukko-meshi <medium>, Rock seaweed miso soup (¥2,690), Masu ikura tsukko-meshi <medium>, Rock seaweed miso soup (¥1,980), Appetizer <ikura grated> (¥500 x 2)