▪️弐ノ蔵 Ninokura (Sapporo)
▪️Sushi - Omakase Dinner Course: ¥18K

Japan's northernmost island Hokkaido is known for its abundance of prime-quality fresh seafood. Visiting the island's largest city Sapporo for the first time, I was eager to splurge on a sushi omakase to taste Hokkaido's coveted offerings. Thus, I headed to the six-seat counter of Ninokura, brimming with excitement. Expectations were high, and Ninokura surpassed them in a spectacular manner.
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The 2-hour course opened with 6 plates of otsumami, followed by 12 nigiri. The chef's unique sense of creativity without restraint permeated through the course. He used cheese, a quintessential Hokkaido ingredient yet an unorthodox one in sushi, 4 times in the course. Tossing a raw shirako (cod milt) in crumbs of panko and parmigiano, he created an umami layer to encase the impossible creaminess of the in-season ingredient which itself felt like I was eating the world's best burratta. The shirako then made a comeback as nigiri, this time slightly grilled and put on top of Hokkaido-made ricotta. A daring combination of milky textures to remarkable result.
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In another plate of creative otsumami, Meichidai and spinach were served in a unique butter dashi. The butter was used so expertly as to not disturb the soft mouthfeel of the dashi, while amplifying the flavor to perfectly complement the white meat fish. Such otsumami worked to showcase the chef's exceptional control over subtle flavors, which translated well into his nigiri.
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Innovative touches continued through the nigiri. The chef used a soldering iron to gently grill some of the pieces such as nodoguro and squid. Oyster from kushiro was injected with ponzu by a syringe to create one of the most thrilling pieces of the night. The shari relied on komezu and was superbly balanced in sourness and texture, neither too loose nor too firm.
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An austere ambience could have taken away from the experience but the chef was quite friendly and created an engaging experience. As it was only six people, it felt like a dinner party after we all had a few cups of sake. Overall, this was an unforgettable sushi experience for half the price you would pay in Tokyo.