Otaru Seafood Donburi Restaurant "Shinkai" — Restaurant in Otaru

I came to this restaurant because of the high review score and the supposed friendly and hospitable store owner and great atmosphere, and those are the assumptions I held in mind walking in.

I was immediately greeted in English. At this point I have lived in Japan for several months and not once have been greeted in English or provided full service in English, but even if I continue to use Japanese they will insist on English. Maybe they are just trying to be accommodating or want to practice their English, but it seemed a bit condescending. At other restaurants around the country I have no problem conversing or being served in Japanese and was never once handed an English menu nor did I need one.

The chef seems like a nice guy but the attitude toward me is a bit disappointing. When I sat down an elderly couple was just leaving and he was very lively with them. However, he did not even try to converse with me. He only spoke to me twice; first to serve the food, and then to point out to me about the soy sauce. For the whole time I was eating he was either quietly watching or talking with his staff. It was an uncomfortable experience to say the least. This was only soured when another couple walked in as I was finishing up and he was again very cheerful and outgoing with them, trying to start small talk which he never even considered with me. It was at this point that I was regretting coming to this establishment.

The food isn't as outstanding as the price tag or the Michelin title demands. I ordered the set with salmon roe, tuna, and sea urchin. It's above average, but it does not even begin to compete with the likes of lesser known ports around the country that don't have a five digit price tag and still deliver excellent quality. The service definitely didn't help.

This was an unprecedentedly low demonstration of service. On the surface, the attendants will always be there for you and it's a good structure. However, the stark contrast in front of my eyes between the attitude to me and to other customers has been humiliating. I'm sorry if I don't seem like a talkative type, but it's better if you at least try to keep up a standard of service... chef didn't even try and just assumed I wouldn't talk. Next time I'll go to a normal restaurant and get treated...

We are very glad we believed the reviews and chose to dine at this restaurant. The menu is small. We chose Hisui and Ruri. The seafood was extremely fresh, as we have come to expect in Hokkaido. I especially enjoyed the scallops in the Ruri. Little extras made this particular meal stand out from other seafood donburi we have eaten. The rice, which was mixed with red vinegar, gave it a good flavour eaten on its own but did not take away from the seafood when eaten together. There was a sprig of what looked like decorative flower on top of the bowl. This was in fact edible and taken in small quantities in between mouthfuls of rice and seafood added an extra dimension. Thank you Nagai Akio San for preparing our food so meticulously and for the explanations. Yes he...

HIGHLY recommend dining here if you can! I ordered the seafood bowl with sea urchin, fatty tuna, and salmon roe which came out to ¥10,000. It was the highest quality seafood I have ever tried! The uni he used was firm, but buttery in your mouth (devoid the weird bitter taste). I especially loved the fatty tuna, which was also equally as delicious and high-quality. No fishiness whatsoever! The seafood bowl also came with other complimentary things like the miso soup and their delicious Japanese egg/mushroom pudding. The chef also was very welcoming and talked to some of the customers, adding to the nice dining experience for us. Overall, this was an unforgettable meal and while it can be a bit pricey, it definitely...