Hakodate, Hokkaido (北海道函館市) – Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu (割烹旅館 若松) – Kaiseki dinner 2025 Nov. 02
Footage from our Kaiseki dinner at Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu (割烹旅館 若松), a luxury onsen ryokan located in Yunokawa, Hakodate, Hokkaido Prefecture (北海道函館市湯川町). The menu, as well as explanation of the servings, were all in Japanese, but I’ve tried my best to summarize everything here in both languages. They are:
COURSE 1 – ZENSAI (前菜 – Appetizers):
Dish 1:
* Nama Uni Tofu (生雲丹豆腐 – Tofu made with condensed milk and Sea Urchin)
* Iwadake (岩茸 – Iwadake is not a mushroom, but a type of lichen that grows on rock walls like moss)
* Choji Nasu (丁字茄子 – Very small and unripe Japanese Eggplant picked from the stem and usually pickled)
* Mitsuba (三つ葉 – Japanese parsley)
Dish 2:
* Shime Saba (〆鯖 – Cured and Seared Mackerel)
* Kaki (柿 – Persimmon)
* Ikura (いくら – Salmon Roe)
* Tonburi (とんぶり – The seeds of Bassia scoparia)
* Salmon (サーモン)
* Kabura (かぶら – Japanese turnip)
* Oboro Konbu (おぼろ昆布 – Oboro Kobu is a processed food made by softening Konbu (sea kelp) with vinegar and carefully thinly shaving the surface by hand, one piece at a time.)
* Kikka (菊花 – Crysanthemum)
* Tosazu-gake (土佐酢掛け – Tosa Vinegar sauce)
Dish 3:
* Kikuna Shira-ae (菊菜白酢和え – Crown Daisy with Mashed Tofu)
* Tori no Matsukaze (鶏の松風 – Chicken savory cake)
* Renkon Mannen-ni (蓮根万年煮 – Lotus roots simmered for a long time)
* Shin Ginnan (新銀杏 – New Gingko Nuts)
* Hokkai Shima-ebi (北海縞海老 – Striped Shrimp)
* Karasumi (唐墨 (ボラの卵) – Salted Mullet Roe)
* Mukago (零余子 – Young Satoimo (Japanese Mountain Yam Bulb))
* Ika Bacon (烏賊ベーコン – Squid wrapped with Bacon)
* Momiji Ninjin (紅葉人参 – Carrot skin turned into paste and cut into the shape of a maple leaf)
* Yakime Kuri (焼目栗 – Grilled chestnuts)
COURSE 2 – NIMONO WAN (煮物椀 – Simmered Soup Dish):
* Sumashi Jitate (清汁仕立 – Clear soup made from a broth of dried Bonito)
* Hotate to Kikurage Shinjo (帆立と木耳真丈 – Savory Scallops and Wood-ear mushroom cake)
* Matsutake (松茸 – Matsutake mushrooms)
* Momiji Ninjin (紅葉人参 – Carrot skin turned into paste and cut into the shape of a maple leaf)
* Matsuba Yuzu (松葉柚子 – The skin of a Yuzu citrus)
* Tsuruna (つる菜 – New Zealand Spinach)
COURSE 3 – OMUKOU (御向 – Sashimi dish):
Donan no Gyokai (道南の魚介 – Southern Hokkaido Seafood)
* Ika Somen (烏賊ソーメン – A local Hakodate dish where raw squid is sliced into thin strips like somen noodles and dipped in soup)
– Hamabofu happa (浜防風葉っぱ – The leaf of Hamabofu, a wild blanched Japanese plant that grows along the coast)
– Shoga (生姜 – Japanese ginger)
* Gagome Shoyu (がごめ醤油 – Soy Sauce made with Gagome Konbu sea kelp)
* Shima Aji (縞鰺 – Striped Jack)
* Ezo Awabi (蝦夷鮑 – Hokkaido Abalone)
* Hokkigai (北寄貝 – Arctic Surf Clam)
* Maguro Toro (鮪トロ – Fatty Tuna)
* Hirame (平目 – Japanese flounder)
* Awajoyu (foam soy sauce)
* Asabu-cho Shio (麻生町塩 – Shio from Asabu-cho in Hokkaido)
COURSE 4 – GOUGYO (郷魚 – Local Fish):
* Kegani Ishiyaki (毛蟹石焼 – Stone-grilled Horsehair Crab from Kushiro, Hokkaido from the Sea of Okhotsk)
COURSE 5 – YAKIZAKANA (焼肴 – Grilled Fish Dish):
* Ginsei Shake Sakeyaki (銀聖鮭酒焼き – Ginsei Salmon is the brand name for wild autumn salmon caught off the coast of Hidaka, Hokkaido. It can get up to a weight of 3.5 kg)
– Miso to Horenso, Shimeji, Toriniku awase (味噌と法連草, 占地, 鶏肉合わせ – Grilled with Miso soybean paste, spinach, shimeji mushrooms and chicken)
* Nama Uni Chiseyaki to Mashed Potatoes (生雲丹チセ焼きとマッシュポテト – Grilled Sea Urchin with mashed potatoes on the inside)
* Shima Ebi Shioyaki (縞海老塩焼き – Salt-grilled Striped Shrimp)
* Manganji Togarashi (万願寺唐辛子 – Manganji Japanese Chili Pepper
* Yama Momo (山桃 – Yama Momo is the fruit of an evergreen tree of the Myricaceae family.)
* Myoga (茗荷 – Japanese ginger)
* Togarashi Kyara-ni (唐辛子きゃらに – Kyara-ni is a tsukudani-style dish made by simmering vegetables in soy sauce.)
COURSE 6 – FUTAMONO (蓋物 – Soup-based Dish):
* Buri Daikon (ぶり大根 – Simmered non-farmed Yellowtail with Daikon radish in soy sauce, sugar & dashi)
– Hari Yuzu (針柚子 – Yuzu citrus peel that has been thinly sliced)
– Ninjin (人参 – Carrots)
– Snap Endo (スナップエンドウ)
– Hari Negi (針ネギ – Green onions cut into thin strips)
COURSE 7 – OSHOKUJI (御食事 – Rice Dish):
* Konsai Kamadaki Gohan (根菜御飯 – Rice cooked with root vegetables)
– Gobo (牛蒡 – Burdock roots)
– Ninjin (人参 – Carrots)
– Renkon (蓮根 – Lotus Roots)
– Daikon no Ha (大根の葉 – Daikon radish leaves)
– Shirasu su-age (白須酢揚げ – Japanese Whitebait fried with vinegar sauce)
COURSE 8 – TOMEWAN (止椀 – Final Soup Dish):
* Akadashi (赤出汁 – Red Miso soybean paste soup)
– Obage (尾羽 – Whale tail meat)
COURSE 9 – KOUNOMONO (香の物 – Pickled vegetables):
* Kyuri (胡瓜 – Cucumbers)
* Shibazuke (しば漬け – Eggplant pickled with Red Shiso leaves)
* Takana (高菜 – Japanese mustard leaves)
* Daikon no Ha Tamari Shoyu-zuke (大根の葉たまり醬油漬け – Daikon radish leaves pickled and simmered with Tamari soy sauce)
COUSE 9 – Mizugashi (水菓子 – Dessert):
Blueberry Bavarois (ブルーベリーババロア)
Shinkansen Nashi (新甘泉梨 – “Shinkansen” Pear)
Shine Muscat (シャインマスカット – Shine Muscat grape)
Pione (ピオーネ – Pione grape)
Zakuro (ザクロ – Pomegranate)