Ajidokoro Takeda（kaisen) — Restaurant in Otaru

I heard from a tour guide that the best place to indulge in seafood is in Otaru, known for its freshness. Taking the advice to heart, I made my way to the famous Sankaku Market early in the morning at 10 AM to beat the crowds. Sankaku Market is a narrow alley filled with several fish stalls, offering an authentic and down-to-earth experience. Among the few seafood restaurants available for dining, I chose one that caught my attention.

The staff noticed us lingering outside and warmly invited us in. Each table was equipped with a tablet that had an English interface, making it incredibly convenient for tourists like me to place orders. I decided to try their sea urchin and crab meat seafood donburi, scallop sashimi, and Sailfin poacher sashimi.

The scallop sashimi was a standout. It was sliced into 7 to 8 pieces, each chunky and bursting with freshness. The sweetness was remarkable, leaving a delightful sensation in my mouth. The seafood donburi featured two types of sea urchin, one darker and one lighter in color. The darker sea urchin had a richer and sweeter taste, while the lighter one had a smoother texture. The crab meat in the donburi was incredibly fresh and sweet, likely sourced directly from freshly caught crabs.

Lastly, the Sailfin poacher sashimi was a revelation. The flesh of the fish was light in color and had a delicate texture. It was both tender and refreshing, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. I noticed that the restaurant had a preserved specimen of a Sailfin poacher on display, which seemed to be their signature dish.

If you find yourself in Otaru's Sankaku Market, don't miss the opportunity to savor the delectable seafood offerings at this hidden gem of...

Ajidokoro Takeda is a stall located in Sankaku Market, right next to Otaru Train Station, where you can enjoy king crab. Prior to visiting, we did some research and found that this place was quite good. Upon entering Sankaku Market, you'll notice that many shops offer freshly king crab.

The interior of the stall is spacious, but as with most delicious places in Japan, the queues can be quite long. To avoid the crowd, we arrived before the usual dining hours, around 10:30 AM. Luckily, we were the first table to be seated. They allow customers to choose the size of the king crab (I believe other places also offer this option). We also ordered fresh sea urchin, as well as Otaru's specialty, tokubire, shellfish, and miso soup.

The ingredients at Ajidokoro Takeda are very fresh. The king crab is sweet and succulent, with meat that is plump and satisfying, reminiscent of biting into a fluffy bread. The sea urchin melts in your mouth and pairs well with wasabi paste and soy sauce, creating a unique flavor. I personally enjoyed piling pieces of sea urchin onto the rice, and the explosion of flavors was simply incredible.

The tokubire and shellfish were also fresh, and the miso soup added a perfect finishing touch to this delightful meal on a cozy winter day. Although it may be a bit pricey, compared to the high prices of eating king crab overseas, the cost-performance ratio in Otaru is quite high. It's definitely worth...

The place is a market stall so don't expect any fancy shop. I have been there in the morning. The Price was reasonable and the seafood rice bowl (海鮮丼）tasted good and the seafood was fresh.i chose the crab and salmon roe but their selection is really huge so you can definitely find something to satisfy your own taste. I also ordered scallop sashimi which was excellent and miso soup. I can understand some of the bad reviews, especially for the people who went there when the place is crowded with tourists. Luckily for me, I went there during the Coronavirus and the Goto travel campaign. So no foreigners and only limited amount of Japanese travelers. This might explain why I had a nice experience. I read a few bad reviews complaining about sea urchin being smelly. People should know that there are different types of sea urchin. If one wants to enjoy good sea urchin, go for 馬糞うに. It is the best but comes with a higher price tag. The good thing about this stall is that you can buy the products in the shop in front of the restaurant and ask the staff to use directly what you bought for your donburi. For this reason, I recommend this place for people who can communicate well in Japanese in order to get the best...