Blog Full

Last updated on May 16th, 2026

Looking for what to eat Hokkaido when visiting? Remember to read on our Hokkaido food guide. The top 10 must eat food in Hokkaido will bring you to all the best food that hardly can miss.

Hokkaido is a food paradise in Japan and renowned for its fresh and delicious food. Every city in Hokkaido has its unique food guide with must-eat food on the list. From fresh seafood, cheap street food to expensive meals at restaurants. You can find all sorts of food in Sapporo, Otaru, Asahikawa, Hakodate, and every city. Most importantly, make sure you try out as much as possible when you are visiting Hokkaido.

Hokkaido Food Guide

Here is the Hokkaido Food Guide. The Top 10 must eat food in Hokkaido and where to try them.

Hokkaido Crab
Kaisendon (Seafood Bowl)
Soup Curry
Gengis Khan or Jingisukan
Hokkaido Ramen (Miso, Shio, Shoyu)
Sapporo Beer And Nikka Whisky
Yubari King Melon
Soft Served Ice-Cream
Hokkaido Dessert
Uni (Sea Urchin)

We also listed down some of the recommended best places and restaurants to try out all these Hokkaido must eat. Give them a try when you are visiting Hokkaido and you will fall in love on them!

Hokkaido Travel Tips: When looking for the best price and biggest selection of hotels in Hokkaido check prices for Hokkaido Best Hotel from Booking.com. We found they are the best option and have a great cancelation policy.

Hokkaido Crab

Delicious crab dishes at Sappporo Kanihonke — Delicious crab dishes at Sapporo Kanihonke

Firstly, there is no better place but Hokkaido can taste the freshness of the crab. The top three crab varieties in Hokkaido are snow crab, king crab, and hairy crab. Meanwhile, you can variously enjoy crabs. From simply boiled, grilled, rice bowl, or well prepared into a crab course meal.

However, crabs are not cheap even in Hokkaido especially the king crab. So, it is best to eat crab at the fish market with a cheaper price offer. Alternatively, see how we get the cheaper price from Kani Honke Sapporo: lunch menu.

Where to eat crab in Hokkaido:

Kani Honke Sapporo is one of the famous restaurants offering delicious crab dishes in Hokkaido.
Fish Market: Sapporo Central Wholesale Market, Nijo Market, Hakodate Morning Market

We tasted the fresh Hokkaido crab in kaiseiki style in Kani Honke. It is super popular with reservation is highly recommended as the restaurant is always full. Alternatively, consider booking your meal at Kani Honke Sapporo from Klook with your preferred dining time upon booking. Hassle-free to redeem and save your waiting time.

Kaisendon (Seafood Bowl)

Seafood bowl in Ajidokoro Takeda — Seafood bowl in Takinami Shokudo (滝波食堂)

Secondly, kaisendon in our top 10 must eat food in Hokkaido. There is a reason why seafood in Hokkaido taste fresh and better. Most importantly, there are wide varieties of seafood to try in Hokkaido. So, kaisendon is a great way to taste a wide variety of seafood at the same time. Enjoy crab, tuna, salmon, squid, shrimp, scallop and more on rice. Moreover, we highly recommended eating the kaisendon at the fish market with a freshness guarantee.

Where to eat kaisendon in Hokkaido:

Located at Otaru Sankaku Market, Takinami Shokudo (滝波食堂) is specialized on kaisondon with variety of seafood rice bowl with generous of seafood on top.
Ajidokoro Takeda (味処たけだ) is another best seafood rice bowl in Sankaku Market Otaru. It offers fabulous fresh seafood in a bowl. Reasonable price yet generous portion.
Ebisuya Sushi Shokudo at Donburi Yokocho Ichiba (Hakodate Morning Market).

Read also my food review to Takinami Shokudo and Ajidokoro Takeda during my visit to Sankaku Market Otaru.

Soup Curry

Next, soup curry is one of the unique local specialties in Hokkaido. It is different from the usual Japanese thick curry and can be drinkable. A hot bowl of soup curry comes with meat (chicken, beef, pork) or veggie only. It normally served with a plate of fragrant rice. Added, spicy level can be customized based on customer preference.

Best soup curry in Hokkaido: Sapporo served the best soup curry. Many restaurants in Sapporo are specialized and famous for its flavor of soup curry. The best soup curry in Hokkaido can be taste at Garaku, Samurai, Suage+, PICANTE and more.

We tasted on Soup Curry Garaku during my visit to Sapporo. Their soup curry is rich in herbal flavor with district aroma. Truly one of the must-try in Sapporo. Read on my food review on Garaku Sapporo for the best soup curry in Hokkaido.

Genghis Khan or Jingisukan

Another must eat in Hokkaido, Genghis Khan or Jingisukan. It is Mongolian yakiniku style with lamb/mutton grilled on a special helmet-shaped pan. Enjoy the tasty and juicy lamb together with vegetables like cabbage, pumpkin, and bean sprouts. Moreover, it even added an extra fragrance by using charcoal in the grill.

Best restaurant to eat Genghis Khan:

Jingisukan Daikokuya in Asahikawa is the tasty lamb specialties in town. We loved it and visited twice during our visit to Asahikawa. Check out our food review to Jingisukan Daikokuya.
Sapporo Genghis Khan Main Store love by diners from locals and tourists. It is especially famous for how they end their Genghis Khan meal with shime soup.

Alternatively, consider getting the unlimited Crab and Lamb BBQ Buffet at Sapporo Beer Garden. This is a great place where you can try the local specialty Ghengis Khan (Grilled Lamb), red king crab, snow crab, and 20 other dishes unlimited in one place. Added, you can pair your food with free flow of Sapporo beer, sake. Enjoy all the great food inside a historical building with 200 years of history. A popular buffet option in Sapporo with reservation is recommended.

Hokkaido Ramen (Miso, Shio, Shoyu)

Different regions in Japan have their types of ramen. However, don’t be surprise by ramen variety even in Hokkaido alone. For example, the three major cities in Hokkaido (Sapporo, Hakodate, Asahikawa) have their specialty on ramen.

Here is our ramen list and highly recommended by locals. Heading to shops to discover unique variations of ramen in Hokkaido.

Sapporo miso ramen: Ramen Kyowakoku, Ramen Mokuren, Yugeya
Hakodate shio ramen: Ichimonji Ramen, Menchubo Ajisai
Asahikawa shoyu ramen: Baikohken Honten, Ramen Aoba

Sapporo Beer And Nikka Whisky

Generally, Hokkaido is the birthplace of beer in Japan. There are many local brewery in Hokkaido. However, Sapporo beer is the breweries that you can’t miss when visiting Hokkaido. It is the oldest and most popular brand in Japan. Visit Sapporo beer museum to know more about their history. Get the Sapporo beer tasting at ¥800 at the Sapporo beer museum.

Alternatively, you may head to Nikka Whisky Distillery. It is located at Yoichi with 25 minutes by train from Otaru. One of Japan’s top whiskey makers and very popular among the whiskey lover.

For instance, our visit to Sapporo Beer Museum and Nikka Whisky Distillery is part of Hokkaido itinerary:

Things to do in Sapporo: Sapporo Beer Museum, Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill, Shiroi Koibito Park and more.
Day trip to Nikka Whisky Distillery and Otaru

Yubari King Melon

Next, Yubari King melons are dubbed the most expensive fruit in the world. It is renowned for its quality throughout Japan. A pair of Yubari melons were auctioned at ¥3 million in 2016 and ¥3.2 million in 2018. You may purchase the whole melon or in slices. In general, you can get Yubari melon at most of the supermarket and fish market in Hokkaido.

Soft Served Ice Cream

Hokkaido is famous for its fresh dairy products. It is one of the factors that making delicious soft served ice cream in Hokkaido. Different flavors of soft-serve ice creams are produced locally. Besides, there are some unique or seasonal soft served ice cream to try on when visiting Hokkaido.

Shibazakura ice cream in Takinoue Park
Lavender soft served ice cream in Furano
Pumpkin, corn, sweet potato, melons and more.

Hokkaido Dessert

That is to say, Hokkaido is the origin of many famous desserts in Japan. Thanks for the dairy farm and local produce. So, it is not surprising that Hokkaido is best known for its dessert. For instance: parfaits, cakes, sweets, cookies, rice cakes and more. Moreover, it is so good to try their freshly made dessert at their origin store in Hokkaido. Added, don’t forget to get some as a souvenir back to home country.

Shiroi Koibito with chocolate sandwiched between two thin butter cookies.
Letao is famous for its cheesecake. The “Double Fromage” is one of their well-known product.
Rokkatei with white chocolate sandwiched between two cocoa biscuits.
Kitakaro is popular for its Baumkuchen and Kaitaku Okaki snack. Their cream puff is very popular. Try it if you are visiting their store in Otaru.

Uni (Sea Urchin)

Last but not least, uni or sea urchin is one of our top 10 must eat food in Hokkaido. No doubt, Hokkaido is the best place to taste the freshness uni. Shakotan is widely renowned for its best sea urchin in Hokkaido. Meanwhile, summer is the best season for sea urchin, started from June to August. As a result, many locals and foreign tourists are flowing to Shakotan for ultimate fresh sea urchins during this period.

Best place for sea urchin in Shakotan:

Osyokujidokoro Misaki (お食事処みさき) and Osyokujidokoro Naramuraya (お食事処中村屋) are famous with the best sea urchin in Hokkaido. Both restaurant run by fisherman and family. Their seafood is freshly caught to guarantee their freshness.

Seasonal must eat food in Hokkaido and only open in summer. Check out our food review to Naramuraya during my visit to Shakotan.

Overview: Hokkaido Best Food

Completed Hokkaido Japan Itinerary in Spring & Summer

Last but not least, this Hokkaido food guide is part of our travel food post. Despite the Hokkaido best food, we spend an amazing trip to Hokkaido during the end of Spring. There are many top attractions and the best food to eat in Hokkaido. We visited Sapporo, Noboribetsu, Hakodate, Lake Toya, Asahikawa, Furano, Biei, and other famous places. We tried the best food and restaurant in Hokkaido. Don’t miss it if you are looking for what to eat in Hokkaido.

Here are some final Hokkaido food guide when you’re looking for what to eat in Hokkaido:

What is the top five must eat food in Hokkaido?

The top five must eat food in Hokkaido is Jingisukan (Lamb BBQ), Hokkaido seafood (sea urchin, crab, scallop and many more), Soup Curry, Hokkaido Ramen (Miso, Shio, Shoyu) and Yubari King melon.

What food is Hokkaido famous for?

Hokkaido is renowned for the high quality and freshness of its seafood. You can try the fresh seafood such as Hokkaido crab, sea urchin, una, salmon, squid, shrimp, scallop and more.

How much per meal in Hokkaido?

Depend on what you eat in Hokkaido. The meal prices in Hokkaido can vary, the average cost of food in Hokkaido is ¥4,000-¥8,000 per day. Besides, it can be easily cost up to ¥5,000 for a luxury seafood meal in Hokkaido.

Lastly, feel free to check out my Hokkaido travel post while planning on your Hokkaido itinerary.

How To Plan Your Hokkaido Trip On Budget: Travel Guide, Itinerary & Money Saving Tips!

For more detail for the best place to visit in Hokkaido:

Useful Hokkaido travel guide:

Last updated on May 16th, 2026

There are many ramen shops and claimed for the best ramen in Asahikawa. Read on our food review on one of the best Asahikawa ramen, Baikohken Honten.

Ramen is one of the delicious local cuisines in Japan. Don’t forget to taste on a hot bowl of ramen when visiting Hokkaido. The three big cities in Hokkaido have their specialty on ramen. Sapporo is famous for its thick miso ramen and Hakodate is salty shio ramen. While Asahikawa is famous for its tasty shoyu ramen.

It is not hard to imaging that Asahikawa is the heavy battlefield for shoyu ramen. We were wondering where and which shop to try on the best ramen in Asahikawa. With recommendation from my Japanese friend, we decided to go to Baikohken Honten to taste on their famous shoyu ramen.

My Food Review: Shoyu Ramen in Baikohken Honten Asahikawa

Baikohken Honten (梅光轩) is one of the famous Asahikawa ramen shops. It can be considered as one of the most authentic shoyu ramen in Asahikawa. This ramen shop also has many international branches all over the world.

So, when you are visiting Asahikawa, please make sure to visit the main shop of Baikohten Honten.

The main shop of Baikohten Honten is located near JR Asahikawa station. It is easy to find the restaurant with less than 5 minutes’ walk.

Follow the GPS and walked straight across a few building blocks. The Baikohten Honten is right located at the basement level of a building.

No doubt, Baikohken Honten is a traditional Japanese ramen shop with an open kitchen. And staffs were busy prepared ramen for customers. Fairly simple and small with only a few tables.

There was almost full during our visit to Baikohken Honten at early 6 p.m. We were seated at the counter. A friendly staff showed us the picture menus and we decided to try on the classic shoyu ramen.

Famous Asahikawa Ramen: Baikohken Honten

Our bowl of shoyu ramen served fast. It was garnished with vegetables, butter, pork slides, bamboo shoots and boiled egg that we added on.

The broth was so tasty. It is using pork, chicken and dried mackerel as the base of its soup. The taste was just perfect.

Empty bowl of shoyu ramen in Baikohken Honten

Beware of the huge portion! I am so glad that I make the right choice to order for the small bowl. See my empty bowl of shoyu ramen in Baikohhen Honten.

In short, the taste is quite different from traditional ramen soup that we had usually had in Japan. I feel that it is more salty and flavorful. Make sure to try on your own when you are visiting here. Must eat food in Asahikawa.

Others Best Ramen Shop in Asahikawa

Again, there are plenty of ramen shop in Asahikawa. The flavors may vary widely depending on the shop. So, it is quite hard to judge for the best one. Here are some recommended restaurants in Asahikawa where you can try on this hot specialty!

Let us know which one is your favorite:

Asahikawa Ramen Aoba has more than 70 years of history in making ramen. Their light taste yet rich in flavor broth is top choice from customer, especially ladies.
Hachiya Ramen Honten uses uses thick-cut noodles for its ramen. It is perfectly matched with its home specialty dark brown soup!
Santouka Asahikawa Honten is a specialty in its salty shio ramen, not shoyu ramen. This world-famous ramen shop first began in Asahikawa. Try on its rich and fragrant white pork broth.
If you wish to try on many ramen, consider getting to Asahikawa Ramen Village. It has total of eight Asahikawa ramen noodle stores, served the mini size of ramen. So you can try and compare at least 2-3 different type ramen here.

My Visit To Asahikawa

Grill lamb in Jingisukan Daikokuya Asahikawa

We stayed in JR Inn Asahikawa for three nights in Asahikawa. The hotel is strategically located beside the JR Asahikawa station. During our stay, we try and taste on many Japanese local food at Asahikawa, Biei, and Furano. For me, shoyu ramen is a must eat when you are visiting Asahikawa.

If shoyu ramen is not your choice and still wondering what and where to eat in Asahikawa? Check out our other Asahikawa food guide, the tasty lamb specialties in Jingisukan Daikokuya.

Coming to Hokkaido in Spring or summer? Read on our Asahikawa itinerary with amazing flower field.

Hokkaido Food Guide: Top 10 Must Eat Food In Hokkaido