I Realize Tasty Hokkaido for Fresh Sushi Items -Sushiya-no-Saito in Sapporo-

Sushiya-no-Saito (すし屋のさい藤) is a popular sushi restaurant in Susukino, Chuo Ward, Saporo City(札幌市中央区すすきの) and was founded in 2000. I visited here with my senior who came from Tokyo on weekdays around 17:30. There were about 10 counter seats and some tables at the restraunt, and it was small but cozy.

We sat down at the counter seats and read a menu. At first, customers must order a drink, and read the drink menu carefully. We would take beer for now. There were no prices if I remember right, so My heart was beating. After that, we ordered Hana course meal (華コース). The price was JPY 10800 per one person. * Precisely, my senior treated me to a meal. About this course, a small appetizer(お通し), side dishes (酒肴、小鉢、焼き物、香物), sashimi (お造り), sushi (握り), miso soup (汁物) are served sequentially. A young cook (板前) served the dishes depending on our situation in good time, so we had a lively conversation.

First of all, a side dish with boiled Japanese mustard spinach with bonito flakes was served. Maybe it was Japanese mustard spinach and it had good texture. Second course was sashimi, greater amberjack (カンパチ) sashimi, tuna (マグロ) sashimi, scallop (ホタテ) sashimi, surf clam (ホッキ) sashimi and boiled squilla (シャコ). The tuna was caught around Toi, Hakodate in Oshima Peninsula, and this sushi restraunt highly recommended it. My favorite was the crunchy scallop sashimi, and it was very fresh and was tasty! My senior was moved with the surf clam sashimi.

Third course was side dishes with crab meat and crab butter (カニ身とカニみそ), with monkfish liver with ponzu sauce (あん肝ポン酢). In addition, chewy smoked abalone (燻製アワビ) was served, and was so good! Fourth course was a side dish with grilled asparagus (焼きアスパラガス) and miso sauce. Fifth course was a palate-cleansing side dish with sliced sashimi.

Sixth course was sushi. The cook made greater amberjack sushi (カンパチ), tuna sushi (マグロ), squid sushi (イカ), crab meat sushi (カニ), raw herring sushi (ニシン), salmon roe sushi (イクラ) and sea urchin sushi (ウニ). Especially, raw herring sushi is very unusual in Japan, I have never eat it even in Hokkaido. My senior was highly pleased. Seventh course was miso soup with funori (布海苔) and was the last dish. We ate it for a hour - one hour and a half. I am glad that visitors can thoroughly enjoy marine products of Hokkaido including the funori soup in various ways, and I think that non Hokkaido people including people overseas are pleased.

A page of Sapporo is here