Big Explorer

One-stop Foodie and Shopping Paradise in Hokkaido

By Big Explorer - September 28, 2019

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6 Amazingly Affordable Food and Snacks You Should Try at Hokkaido, Susukino

By Big Explorer - August 06, 2019

Coming from Singapore, we are no stranger to Japanese food. There is no doubt that we are spoilt for choice at the variety of Japanese food found all over Hokkaido. Here are our top 6 favourites as we eat our way around Susukino district!

1. Authentic Ramen Along the Streets of Susukino

Ramen lovers rejoice, you will be pleased to know that ramen in Japan is one of the more affordable dining options available. A bowl of ramen with pork can cost less than 1000yen, so if you are on a budget, why not head to a ramen joint and eat your fill.

Along the main street of Susukino, we followed our ‘noses’ and entered a ramen shop, and ordered our food via the machine which unfortunately had minimal English on its menu. We used our gut and selected our ramen using the most superficial method - by the attractiveness of each bowl! Once the order was placed, the staff collected our order. Fun fact: The order sheet looks like a minibus ticket! Our ramen was served promptly and it looked so delicious!

Spicy Miso Ramen with Chashu Pork. The ramen noodles were soft and chewy, the broth was full-flavoured, enriched with the strong essence of pork. D E L I C I O U S!

Pan-Fried Gyoza. Crispy skin on the outside, tender soft pork minced meat on the inside.

Ramen with Pig’s intestines. The intestines were well cleaned and marinated, however, the soup had traces of intestine after taste. We reckon the flavours are a little too strong for non-intestine eaters.

Unfortunately, even the storefront was in Japanese. If you would like to drop by this ramen place in Susukino, walk along the main streets and follow your noses, you will probably be enticed by the strong aroma of the broth. The shop looks something like this…

Address:

Along the main streets of Susukino

2. Kushidori Serves Freshly Grilled Yakitori on

Tucked in a quiet corner of Susukino subway station, we were drawn to the strong grilling aroma emitting from this tiny eatery. To add on to the ‘congestion’ during winter, bulky jackets are hung at the sides of the eatery, making this place difficult to walk in. If you are seated in the front, you will constantly find yourself standing up or shifting your seat in for people entering the restaurant. We reckon entering and leaving this tiny place may pose difficulty for people who are horizontally challenged but fellow foodies, don’t be put off by the space constraints because if you get past this, your palate will be handsomely rewarded!

We sat among hungry locals craving a late Saturday night snack. Skewers were well marinated and we kept ordering a few rounds cos each time the skewers came it was too delicious! For an authentic Japanese dining experience, remember to order a fresh Asahi beer on tap!

Here are some of our favourites*:

Pork roll with shiso @ 140yen
Quail egg @ 130yen
Stuffed peppers @ 150yen
Asparagus wrapped in pork @ 140yen
Pork @ 140yen
Chicken breast with pickled plum sauce @ 140yen
Chicken wings @ 130yen
Potato with butter @ 140yen
Draft beer @ 360yen

Also, the pork intestine broth is not on the menu, it was tasty and well marinated, even for non-intestine eaters (like us).

*Prices listed above are for one stick and are correct at the time of visit (in 2018) do check if prices have increased because… inflation

Address:

Kushidori

Located very near the Susukino subway toilet

Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido

北海道札幌市中央区南3条西2丁目

3. DIY Your Own Breaded Skewers @ Kagura Shokudo Kushiya Monogatari

Fried food lovers unite! Now we can panko our own fried skewers!

Don't worry if you are a novice at cooking, each table is equipped with instructions and timing on how to make your perfectly battered skewer. The table comes with a pot of oil and a free flow variety of vegetables and meat, this place also has ready-cooked food like udon, as well as desserts!

The only downside is that we opted for the 1.5-hour buffet and they are strict on the timing. We saw staff chase a couple at our neighbouring table when their time is up and they have to leave! You can opt for an unlimited time limit to slowly enjoy your meal. For a cheaper option, you can opt to go during lunchtime cos it is cheaper than dinner.

Address:

Many locations in Hokkaido, we visited:
4-1 Minami4-Jonishi Chuo-Ku | Susukino Lafiler 7F, Sapporo 064-0804, Hokkaido

4. Craving for authentic Sapporo Pastries? Head to Sapporo Kashidokoro Kakasha

Look no further than the streets of Susukino and Sapporo Kashidokoro Kakasha’s store ‘lux’ exterior and interior tugged our curious palates into its lair.

We tried this cheese and milk flavoured pastry wrapped in gold and silver foil, and boy, it was delicious! It tasted like a cross between the traditional Chinese pastry minus the flakiness and the filling was a faint hint of cheese and the right balance of sweet-salty. I assume the original is the milk flavour, slightly sweeter than the cheese, it doesn’t have a pungent milk taste and is surprisingly smooth.

Address:

Susukino Building 1F, Minami 4-jo Nishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo

Visit the website here

5. Feast on Chocolate and Snacks Around Hokkaido

With so many delicious chocolate and snacks here, you will be spoilt for choice! We have seen and tried many Japanese snacks and decided to save our stomach for those we have not tried before, Behold the snow brownie… a marshmallow and chocolate cake!

Hokkaido souvenir shops selling snacks are usually pretty generous with their samples. If you are feeling peckish and don’t want to spend too much, you can help yourself to the free samples!

Address:

New Chitose Airport

6. Get your Kawaii-fix From a Drink Machine!

Look at how cute this is!

Only available in Japan, you should buy at least one drink from the drink machine. We spotted this cute interesting bottle of cute mini peach coke… we didn’t see this anywhere else.