Where to eat in Hakodate? — 5+ best food & best places to eat in Hakodate city, Hokkaido

Hakodate is a renowned destination which is located in the south of the beautiful island of Hokkaido, Japan. Hakodate is well-known for gourmets because it is one of the largest suppliers of fresh seafood throughout Japan. In Hakodate, I had the opportunity to experience and enjoy a variety of different Hakodate dishes and culinary styles, which made me extremely satisfied and immerse myself in traditional Japanese culinary culture. Let’s explore some famous Hakodate culinary places with us!

So, what to eat in Hakodate and where to eat in Hakodate? Let’s check out our suggested 5+ best food in Hakodate and best places to eat in Hakodate city, Hokkaido region as follows!

What to eat in Hakodate? Joining us to experience different culinary styles in the beautiful city of Hakodate.

Hakodate Morning Market (# where to eat in hakodate)

Hakodate Morning Market is a popular place for locals and a popular shopping place and attraction for tourists. The market is located right opposite JR Hakodate station and close to the Port of Hakodate. Just a few steps from Hakodate Station, you can experience the shopping atmosphere of a genuine long-standing seafood market in the coastal fishermen’s area and enjoy fresh Hakodate cuisine at extremely reasonable prices. Types of rare seafood in Vietnam at sky-high prices are sold here at extremely preferential prices, much cheaper than other famous seafood markets in Tokyo such as Tsukiji or Nishiki in Kyoto.

As soon as you enter the main gate of the market, you will see the first food court area with ramen and sushi stalls on both sides and in the middle is the dining table area, where you can order food and enjoy it at your table. You can try Hakodate shio-ramen, a simple ramen with salty soup, which is a specialty ramen here.

Through the food court area, inside are a series of stalls and shops selling famous fresh products such as lobster, squid, king crab,… One of the famous sashimi dishes in Hakodate cuisine that you don’t know. What you should skip is the squid sashimi. At some stores you can experience squid fishing right in the water tank. After the squid is caught, the chef will directly prepare it into fresh squid sashimi for you to enjoy. The crabs here are also very famous and are prepared into parts. You can buy each part at a reasonable price to enjoy instead of having to buy a whole big crab.

Besides seafood, Hakodate morning market is also famous for green muskmelon, a locally grown agricultural product. The muskmelon here is especially sweet and fragrant. In the summer, there will be refreshing desserts and melon ice cream suitable for a hot summer day. Don’t forget to enjoy melon when you go to Hakodate morning market.

The seafood market is open from 5:00 am to about 2:00 pm. In the cold winter from January to April, the market will be open from 6:00 am. So this is a suitable place for you to enjoy fresh and nutritious breakfast or lunch.

• Address: 9-22 Wakamatsucho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0063, Japan
• Hours: 6 AM–3 PM
• Average price: From 1,000 Yen

Donburi Yokocho – special Hakodate cuisine in Japan (# best food in hakodate)

Next to Hakodate morning market is Donburi Yokocho street. Donburi means bowl of rice, this street is mainly filled with restaurants selling Kaisendonburi, also known as seafood rice. Kaisendon is a bowl of white rice or rice mixed with vinegar covered with fresh seafood. This is a special Hakodate cuisine in Japan. However, in Vietnam, most restaurants do not sell Donburi because of its characteristic of a bowl. Seafood rice will have to ensure the quality of fresh seafood and many types of seafood that are quite expensive when purchased abroad such as salmon roes, fresh sea urchins, crabs, and seasonal fresh sea fish…

Donburi-yokocho is not only famous for its wonderful Hakodate cuisine but is also a favorite virtual living spot for tourists, where you will take pictures of the beautiful coastal market like in peaceful movies. Old vase like in the movie Cha-cha-cha Dance of the famous coastal village is very popular.

My breakfast is a bowl of Kaisendon with fresh shrimp, minced beef, beef pieces, crab, salmon eggs (super expensive in Hanoi), salmon, fresh squid, sea urchin and a bowl of warm seaweed soup. This bowl of kaisendon costs about 2,300 Yen (about $15).

 

• Address: 9-15 Wakamatsucho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0063, Japan
• Opening hours: 6:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m

Daimon Yokocho night food street (# what to eat in hakodate)

Daimon Yokocho in Hakodate is famous for its small Hakodate food stalls on both sides in a small alley with an old-fashioned space with colorful colors and brilliant, vibrant lights. Daimon Yokocho is a small culinary village with 26 small eateries with long tables in front of the cooking counter, where you can enjoy the food while talking to the chef and getting to know the diners next to you.

Daimon Yokocho is only about a 5-minute walk from Hakodate Station. The best time to come is from 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm every night, you can enjoy Hakodate cuisine such as ramen, yakitori, sushi,… and take virtual photos with small, low wooden stalls hanging red lanterns are extremely beautiful and strangely romantic. If you travel alone, you absolutely should not miss culinary experiences like this because people here are very friendly, you can chat and have fun immersing yourself in the vibrant atmosphere that is very traditional in Japan.

As soon as I saw this small alley of Daimon Yokocho, I immediately remembered the famous food street Omoide Yokocho (Memory lane) in Shinjuku, Tokyo because of the similar old, romantic atmosphere of the Showa period. Hakodate’s culinary streets have a friendly, old-fashioned, simple and rustic style that attracts local diners and foreign tourists who want to experience a variety of culinary styles, so they are always crowded and full of tables. When I arrived here, it was before 6:00 p.m. but the stalls were starting to fill up with customers. Many local people came here after work to have dinner or meet friends. If you arrive too late, your seat will be lost because the restaurants here are quite small.

In addition to enjoying the usual famous Japanese dishes such as sushi, sashimi, ramen, yakitori. I highly recommend everyone to try to enjoy the strange dishes on the menu of local izakaya because the food here has extremely unique flavors and is incredibly delicious.

This is my dinner at an izakaya at Daimon Yokocho which costs about 2800 Yen/person ($18.50)

• Address:7-5 Matsukazecho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0035, Japan
• Opening hours: 5:00 p.m. to late night depending on the store

Enjoy the famous conveyor belt sushi with sea view and specialties only available in Hakodate cuisine

Conveyor belt sushi is an absolute culinary experience not to be missed in Japan. Enjoying conveyor belt sushi in Japan is like experiencing riding the Shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan. Conveyor belt sushi offers fresh sushi and experience a unique Hakodate cuisine by choosing sushi on the way instead of looking at the pictures on the menu and making choices, you can see with your own eyes the fresh pieces of sushi that the chef has just prepared on the plate and eat them yourself if you feel like it.

The famous conveyor belt sushi restaurant that I found and experienced is Kantaro Sushi conveyor belt sushi restaurant, this is a famous restaurant chain in Japan, with many branches in other big cities. I chose this restaurant because its location is close to the beach, you can both enjoy fresh sushi and watch the beautiful Omori coast.

Sushi at Kantaro will definitely satisfy your hungry stomach because the sushi here is very big and thick. Regarding the weight of a piece of sushi here, I think it is over 3 times the weight of a piece of sushi at a restaurant in Vietnam. In addition to sushi, I also ordered steamed eggs topped with salmon roe and a special specialty of Hakodate cuisine, pork brain soup.

I was also quite surprised because Japanese people also eat pig brains and my Japanese friend explained to me that the weather in Hokkaido is very cold, so bowls of pig brain soup like this will help them warm their bodies every morning. When I went into the restaurant and ordered this dish, the staff was quite surprised because they thought foreigners wouldn’t know and couldn’t eat it. This pork brain soup is very delicious and fragrant, soft and smooth, much easier to eat than I imagined.

• Address: 14-4 Ugauracho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0023, Japan
• Hours: 11 AM–9 PM

Enjoy Hakodate cuisine in a luxurious, cozy family restaurant

During my trip to Hakodate, besides experiencing Hakodate cuisine at the market, Hakodate food street and famous restaurants, I also chose for myself a Japanese family-run restaurant located in a small alley. This restaurant is located near my hotel near Goryokaku Park. I went around the small hidden streets to explore and came across a restaurant that looked like a normal local house but made me feel comfortable. I was very impressed because I really like to experience places with local spaces, less tourists.

That evening, I decided to return to the restaurant. The appearance of a foreign guest like me seemed to make the owner quite surprised but still very welcoming. As I expected, this is a restaurant run by a local elderly couple on the 2nd floor of their house. However, unlike the simple outside appearance, the inside of the restaurant is extremely sophisticated and surprisingly luxurious.

When I opened the door and walked in, there was no one. I only saw an extremely delicate staircase covered with red carpet and luxurious white stone, which made me admire the most. Even the owner of the restaurant seemed surprised by the appearance of a strange guest, making me feel like this was a hidden gem or private restaurant that I had to book a table in advance or knew personally. Fortunately, the owners accepted me as a new guest and warmly welcomed me.

I went alone so I chose a bar table so I could eat and watch the preparation directly. The chef and his wife welcomed me very friendly and chatted with me using google translate and a little of my Japanese. The dishes here are quite expensive and are presented extremely beautifully, the taste is impeccable because the elderly chef has more than 36 years of experience in preparing local cuisine and seafood.

• Address: 21-1 Honcho, Hakodate, Hokkaido 040-0011, Japan
• Hours: 11:30 AM–2:30 PM

If you have the opportunity to visit the beautiful island of Hokkaido, Japan. Spend 1-2 days to explore the beautiful city and enjoy unique, unparalleled and fresh Hakodate cuisine! In addition to the culinary information that I experienced, Hakodate cuisine still has many other famous specialties.

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, to and from Hakodate & Hokkaido you can refer to

• Mt. Hakodate Night View Sightseeing Bus Tour
• 2-day tour from Sapporo to Hakodate
• A Rickshaw Tour Visiting the Sunset of Hakodate
• Downtown Hakodate – Matsumae Bus Transfer Ticket
• Hakodate Nagamare Kaikyo Dinner Train Experience
• Hokkaido Enjoy Pass
• Hokkaido Day Tour from Sapporo: Asahiyama Zoo, Shirogane Blue Pond, and More
• Sapporo Highland Sightseeing Bus Tour with Meals
• Sapporo Private Day Tour with Local Licensed Guide
• Hokkaido Day Tour from Sapporo: Asahiyama Zoo, Shirogane Blue Pond, and More
• Hokkaido Enjoy Pass
• Furano and Tomita Farm Day Tour from Sapporo
• Sapporo Afternoon Bus Tour
• 4G Prepaid Sim Card (JP Airports Pick Up) for Japan
• 4G WiFi (Japan Pick Up) for Japan
• JR Pass for Whole Japan (7, 14, or 21 Days)

Are you looking for more Hokkaido travel guide and top things to do in Hokkaido: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Read more: Hokkaido travel blog — The fullest guide for a budget trip to Hokkaido, Japan.