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Fresh Sea Urchiun & Seafood Goodness at Sapporo's Nijo

Market

The day has finally come. A day that marks the beginning of my quest to Hokkaido, Japan. The seafood.

My scheduled visit to Nijo Market left me excited and craving for what goodies there were to come. It has

been a long time since I enjoyed sea urchin fresh from the shell or even my long, memorable experience

of tucking in to prawn sashimi that was just caught out off the tank. Said to have over a 100 years in its

current location, Nijo Market is one of the places for gourmands to be at.

For over a 100 years, Nijo market has served the fresh seafood needs of locals and tourists alike. Said to

have developed during the early years of the Meiji period, Nijo Market started when Ishikari Bay

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fishermen started selling their fresh catch together. From Nishi 1-chome to Higashi 2-chome, the market

used to comprise a row of fish stores that is directly opposite the Sosei river. After time, restaurants

opened up to complement the crowd’s demands – laying the groundwork for the market today. Its central

location within Sapporo city has also made this place a must-visit for any gourmet traveler. While there

may be arguably fresher and slightly cheaper produce in either Otaru or Kushiro, guests within Sapporo

city may want to fulfill their seafood cravings at this more conveniently accessible location.

Although I was there at about 9am in the morning, my expectations of a crowd was unfounded. The days

after Golden week seemed to be an off-peak season, so it might be a good time to visit. Also, I expected

a little more stores to be opened. Nonetheless, it was fine and I quickly covered the entire market within a

good 15 minutes.

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I was on the lookout for tucking in to some fresh sea urchin. What that meant for me is that they should

still be alive and in the shell. Hence, the closest which I could find in Nijo Market was at the Fresh Crab &

Shellfish Shop. The store owners were grilling sea urchin with a torch – not my preferred way of cooking

but definitely catching my attention. On top of that, they also had live hairy and king crabs, botan ebi,

oysters as well as scallops.

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Fresh sea urchin for sale – 1000 yen a piece

It was sheer delight to relish in sea urchin that is freshly opened, washed and served.

Alternatively, for the same price of 1000 yen, you can opt for sea urchin that is grilled. While it may be a

slightly larger portion (I reckon they topped the shell up with the previous day’s sea urchin), I did not really

go for the use of a blow torch to quickly cook the uni.

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Torching the sea urchin although efficient, leaves a slight pungent overtone. Also, the shell is overly

charred to a white crisp. That said, the sea urchin was still good and cooking it definitely brought out the

flavour and creaminess better.

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I highly recommend going for the Oysters and Scallops (350 yen and 500 yen respectively). The scallops

were sweet and fresh, with a refreshing taste that simply made you go oishii.

The oysters were large and juicy, topped with a gentle layer of sea water for that touch of salinity

complemented with the fleshy sweetness. All these ingredients combined were a highly recommended

start to the day. I loved it.

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Live King Crab. Priced according to its weight, the king crab is easily a $100-$150 at the Nijo Market. I

was sorely tempted to order a crab but I resisted. Thankfully, during my later trip to Kushiro, it was King

Crab land and priced way cheaper. I got my crab for about $65.

King crab legs.

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Within the narrow corridors of Nijo Market is the Don Buri Chaya restaurant where I had my first Kaisen

don for brunch.

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Brian and I various donburis to share as we were quite hungry and were prepared to have this meal for

the whole day till evening. In total, we ordered the Botan Ebi, Sea Urchin, King Crab and Hairy Crab

Donburi (3, 180 yen), the Ikura and Uni Donburi (2, 780 yen) and the Mini Kaisen Don Set (2 bowls +

Asari Miso Soup for 1, 780 yen).

The Mini Kaisen Don set is truly small. Just slightly bigger than a large tea cup or slightly smaller than a

rice bowl, guests can have the option of choosing various predetermined toppings. Brian opted for the

Hotate and the King Crab Meat with Sea Urchin selection. The scallops were fresh, sweet and

exceptionally tasty with the warm Japanese rice.

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On the other hand, the king crab meat was delightful pairing with the thick and creamy uni. Somehow the

flavours of sweet crab and sweet sea butter is simply a wonderful blend. This Mini Kaisen Don set is

worth it if you are in the mood to try a variety without paying too much for it.

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However, if you do wish to go a little extravagant and get a more extensive seafood selection, this holistic

Kaisen donburi might be your choice. Sweet botan shrimp is nicely matched with sweet sea urchin, sweet

king crab leg and sweet hairy crab meat. There, I’ve said sweet 4 times. But it truly represents what I felt

as I slowly sampled each ingredient. Fantastic.

Still, for a bowl of life’s simplest pleasures, this selection of Ikura and Sea Urchin is a divine mix. Salted

salmon roe are a burstful delight as they are complemented with the uni. To really tuck in, I recommend

savouring a little of both at the same time, and separately. The best part for me however, is allowing bits

of ikura to burst over the rice and scooping a serving up to indulge in each time. The fish’s oiliness,

saltiness plus the rice’s hearty fragrance, makes this a much more satisfying dish.

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For the rest of the day, Brian and I took the time to explore Odori Park. A massive central park with

multiple sections, this was a beautiful place to visit in the Spring. Apart from residents having picnics,

there were also volunteer gardeners sprucing up the place, getting ready for the weeks ahead. A very

charming place indeed.

Also, if there is any inclination to do a little bit of shopping or to get away from the inclement weather,

simply head down to the underground shopping passageway that links all the way from Odori park to

Sapporo Station. Very convenient.

The main underground stem to Sapporo Station

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All in, the day’s visit to Nijo Market was a very fulfilling affair. I thoroughly loved my first sample at Japan’s

fresh seafood produce. Of course, there are plenty more to come in Kushiro and Hakodate (which I will

come to find much later as better places to be at for seafood). Nonetheless, the day’s journey was a

worthwhile trip and it left me ready to move out to Kushiro the next day. For the 4 hours train ride, I was

well set to discover the joys of Robatayaki dining by the pierside.