Sushi @ Nemuro Hanamaru, Stellar Place, Hokkaido

 

This is probably the biggest highlight for my trip to Sapporo. And they have been a lot as you can see. But alas, you cannot beat sushi from the place that made it something incredibly special. This is where Nemuro Hanamaru comes in. 

Packed house. 

Probably one of the best ranked seafood spots in the prefecture, Nemuro Hanamaru is famous for great sushi at affordable prices. Due to this reputation, the chain is garnered some form of legendary status and even shops outside Hokkaido are pretty famous. In fact, is actually the first sushi spot I been to Japan back in 2017. Specifically their Marunouchi branch near Tokyo station. A lot has changed since then and I have changed too. Plus this time, I am in one of their flagship stores in Hokkaido. 

Decisions, decisions

But what did not change is the line. This place is so popular that the wait for me was 1 hour and 40 minutes! You cannot make this up! Luckily I was in the Sapporo station complex so I did spend some time shopping and wandering around before my name was called.  And once I was provided my seat, everything went on very smoothly. Like most kaiten sushi spots, the place tracks your orders by colour coded plates, with different prices for different plates. You can wither take what caught your attention if it passes you by, you can inform the chef in front of you for something and they will serve you rather quickly. So for my first order I got my favourite sweet shrimp, or ama ebi in Japanese. 

A great start

The shrimp were fatty and soft with a hint of sweetness. The rice was also firm yet delicate, which sounds like an oxymoron but that is no better way of describing this. A bit of wasabi provided that edge that made it stand out and the overall package was just a joy to take down. The best part is actually the rice. Seeing that rice is the common denominator for all sushi dishes, you know this is off to a great start. Standing at 286 yen, this is pretty decent. 

Fanciest squid ever?

The next in line is some squid with grated ginger. The squid was surprisingly sweet too and had a nice chew which is not far from the shrimp that I had. The ginger provided that extra kick to the thing and a dash of soy sauce help provide some depth to the overall piece. This was also very enjoyable and stood for a modest 352 yen. 

Getting punch drunk now

Also standing at the similar price range was broiled salmon. This despite looking rather modest was a serious explosion of flavour. The torched outer crust of the fish had a smoky and close to barbecue like quality to the overall experience. The fish was so delicate that it flakes extremely easily and the inner part that was raw had so much fat it felt like wagyu. This is not some superlative excursion that I am going on here. It was my literal experience. And sitting on that already perfect sushi rice, this was some serious good eating. It is so perfect that no wasabi or soy sauce is needed as that may temper the pure experience. How is this 352 yen? What a steal. 

Classic

Another one that was also at the same price range was the scallops. They were again, incredibly fresh and had a bouncy nature to it. The meat was just so tender that it felt like firm pudding. It was as though the ocean was packed onto a plate and attacked my taste buds. Unlike the salmon, this was a bit more subtle so a small dash of soy sauce and wasabi was a good idea. Having said that, this morsel on its own would be pretty good too. A great recommendation. 

Scarlet terror

Things only got even better when the true gem finally came around which is marinated salmon roe. And in terms of specific gems, I am talking about rubies as it was literally shining. The gloss of this thing was a work of art and it looked to gorgeous to eat. The petite look however is just a shell of its true self when each roe just pops in your mouth with a torrent of salty and savoury nectar. What an assault to the senses. Each pop was so intense and so flavourful you wonder how they were able to source this. This beast stood at 473 yen, which is the most expensive plate here. Nevertheless, it was so worth it and a good place to end my sushi sojourn. 

Free tea!

Despite great praise, I am torn in recommending this place due to the sheer waiting time. You can opt to go for the standing counter with no conveyor belt which is much faster and seems to be a more preferred choice for Japanese locals. Well, at least based on my observation most of the people that were there were tourists. I do have to admit that I came here on a Wednesday afternoon so most people would be working. I cannot imagine if you would need to fight with the locals on a weekend. That would be an experience. 

Front of the house. 

Regardless, if I am going to just focus on the food alone, this is a serious recommendation. Just that be ready to wait for a long time. Plan your visit accordingly with some shopping while waiting is a good idea. But if you are willing to do whatever it takes to get good sushi on a special price, then this is the spot. Fancy a go? The address is as follows:

〒060-0005 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Kita 5 Jonishi, 4 Chome Stellar Place Floor 6