The original overflowing ikura
It’s not just all seafood, though, the omakase also includes a Hokkaido Kuroge wagyu tenderloin that’s elevated with a traditional method of snow-aging using Hokkaido snow.
The wagyu is done steak-style and is juicy and tender, but the highlight of the dish is Mare Hachikyo’s accompanying onion sauce — chunky and sweet with a bright touch of acidity that cuts through the beef’s richness.
When all is said and done though, the zuwaigani hon masu ikura donabe is probably the dish that would get everyone’s attention at Mare Hachikyo.
The Japanese-style claypot rice is assembled with zuwaigani (snow crab), trout, ginger and Hokkaido rice cooked with Hokkaido spring water, dashi, kombu, and mirin.
It’s served similar to unagi hitsumabushi as it’s meant to be eaten three distinct ways: First, by itself, then served with tsukko messhi and finally as ochazuke (with broth poured over it).
The second style, in particular, is a Mare Hachikyo signature and was started by the Hachikyo Group’s owner 20 years ago.
“Tsukko messhi” refers to the tantalising act of doling out spoon after spoon of ikura over rice — basically “overflowing ikura” where the chefs bellow with each round of ikura, until you ask them to stop.
By itself, the donabe is starchy and moist, and the seafood punctuates each bite with an assortment of textures, while the underlying ginger fragrance adds a nice contrast.
Once embellished with ikura, the flavour level is boosted to eleven as each mouth comes with bursts of the roe’s flavour. Personally, we like it most in ochazuke form as the clean but rich dashi, popping ikura and rice come together harmoniously.
To end off the night, Mare Hachikyo offers two desserts: A lightly sweet and delightfully chewy azuki warabi mochi monaka and a seasonal fruit, with strawberries served for the night.
All in all, it’s a very satisfying meal with the restaurant doing justice to the quality Hokkaido-sourced ingredients.
If you’re not quite looking for Mare Hachikyo’s dinner omakase experience though, it might still be a good idea to pop by after the a la carte menu is launched or swing by for lunch!
AloJapan.com