We had planned to go to Daimon Yokocho, but chose this tempura shop because it had a couple open seats. So glad we did! Informal, tiny tables, noisy, terrific. Just what you want from a yokocho vendor. What we didn't expect was the high level of food. The sashimi, while rustic in presentation, was as good as any we had in this fish-forward town. The tempura was such high quality, I could have eaten that Kisu (whiting) all day. And the negi was so light and delicate. Yum. Hats off to the young woman working the fryer. The real surprise was the soba. It was so high-quality. The soba-men was perfect artisanal stuff, and the broth was perfectly balanced. They could easily call themselves a soba shop. There are no english menus or servers here, so you might want to pre-translate the menu before going in, and know what you want to order. It is definitely worth the effort.

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No service

Tucked in Daimon Yokocho, tempura might not be your first choice for Hakodate but this shop definitely should be!! On our short stay in Hakodate we ended up going there twice- inside and the outside seats (highly recommend for the yokocho vibes). * smoking is allowed in the entire shop * no English menu or English speaking staff- translate the menu before you go so you don’t miss out :) They have special sashimis and grilled fish dishes that are as good as any from the fish market,but the real starts were the tempura dishes and daily recommendations: The tempura master (as I’ve called the woman making them) doesn’t let a single drop of oil or greasiness gets to your food; it’s perfectly fried, light and the ingredients inside all the time had the perfect consistency. The grilled Hokke, also we ordered half a portion (enough for 3people) 2x. Also don’t forget to speak to the staff they explain the food and why they serve it in the most didactic way.

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Oh, I forgot to get the one in the photo 💦 I had super jiggly tachi sashimi‼️ It disappears in your mouth so fast I might forget I even ate it lol The seafood tempura and vegetable tempura were crispy and extremely delicious‼️ They even go out of their way to replace the tentsuyu once it starts getting a bit cold.

Kashiwaya, a tempura shop inside Daimon Yokocho. It says bite-sized tempura, but the portions are hearty! And as you'd expect from Hakodate, the seafood is very fresh too! The shirako was melty and rich. The octopus had a super firm, crunchy bite (meaning it's fresh lol), the best!☆ The guys and gals working there told me all sorts of things about Hakodate and Hokkaido, and I really enjoyed my drinks! Recommended for Hakodate sightseeing! Unrelated: Jiyoken and MaxValu nearby were also really good lol

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