Tempura Araki(Sapporo) Sapporo

I visited at 20:30.The sashimi appetizer featured octopus with wasabi and a red sea bream with vegetable sauce, showcasing excellent ingredients and a perfect balance of flavors.The tempura began with shrimp heads, followed by two shrimp prepared with different frying techniques, and the whiting was fried to perfection, achieving both tenderness and a delightful texture. The corn was served in two varieties, White Chocolate and Gold Rush, allowing us to enjoy the distinct flavors. Additionally, we were treated to a variety of dishes, including surf clams and a hand-rolled eel.In between, there were delicious cold appetizers like tomato and tempura seaweed topped with fresh sea urchin, creating a continuous delight.The meal concluded with a tempura rice bowl and dessert featuring sweet potato tempura plus homemade milk ice cream, resulting in a flawless menu.While the taste and ingredients were exceptional, I felt that the nearly JPY 35,000 bill was quite high for a single meal, so I rated the cost performance a 3. Less

This renowned restaurant in Susukino truly showcases the quality of its ingredients and the skill of its chefs. Each dish is perfectly fried, with an astonishingly light and crispy batter. The natural sweetness and umami of the seasonal ingredients are beautifully highlighted. There’s no greasiness at all, allowing for a pleasant dining experience until the very last bite. While the prices are not exactly cheap, the satisfaction you receive is well worth it. If you love tempura, this place is definitely worth a visit, and I look forward to returning in a different season. Less

I visited on a holiday evening.That day, the Yosakoi Soran Festival was happening, and the streets were lively.After navigating through the crowd, I arrived at the restaurant.The interior was simple, with only a counter.Since they only offer courses, I ordered a beer and got ready.**Shijimi Soup** The gentle essence of shijimi warms the stomach.**Isaki** This is delicious.The grilled skin of the isaki has a chewy texture, with a sweet richness and a fragrant crispness.Paired with cucumber and jelly, it’s a refreshing dish perfect for early summer.**Water Octopus** The low-temperature cooked water octopus is tender, with a kick from the wasabi, making it a great pairing with sake.**Ginkgo Nuts** A snack before the tempura.**Sweet Shrimp** Starting with the head, the light frying gives it a crispy texture.The first one is rare, showcasing the sweetness of the sweet shrimp beautifully.The second one is cooked thoroughly, and indeed, it has a richer flavor.With the first sweet shrimp, I thought the frying style here was light.While many places tend to have a darker fry, here they keep it light to highlight the ingredients.**Squid** The sticky texture brings a gentle sweetness.**Snow Peas** The poppy texture pairs excellently with the bonito dashi.This would be a delightful dish if served in a traditional Japanese meal.**Whiting** It directly attacks the dipping sauce.When eaten with grated daikon and sauce, the flavor of the whiting fills the mouth.The whiting here is thick, making it clear that you’re enjoying a substantial piece.By the way, while I enjoy it drenched in sauce, I prefer to taste the first bite on its own, so I felt a bit disappointed.**Water Eggplant** The fried eggplant topped with bonito flakes and sauce is also close to a traditional Japanese dish.The eggplant is piping hot, but I personally prefer a juicier eggplant.**Seasonal Fish** The seasonal fish is lightly fried.It’s certainly delicious, but it didn’t quite captivate me.I feel it could be good even without being tempura, but as the chef mentioned, they are experimenting with various dishes.**Asparagus** Eating from the tip allows you to enjoy the bitterness, while the base is juicy and crunchy, making it delicious.**Sea Urchin** I’m sorry, but this was terrible.The sea urchin was too soft to wrap in seaweed, and it was awkwardly fried,resulting in a mushy texture and an unsatisfactory aftertaste.It seems the apprentice's preparation wasn’t up to par, but at this level, it might be better not to serve it at all to maintain the restaurant's reputation.**Corn** Sweet—this word alone sums it all up perfectly.I was amazed at how sweet and delicious the corn was.**Swordfish** The fluffy swordfish offers a comforting and reliable taste.**Conger Eel** The outside is crispy, while the inside is fluffy, making it outstanding.This also directly attacks the dipping sauce.With plenty of room in my stomach, I was able to enjoy a whole piece.**Eel** This is the so-called unagi kyuu (eel and cucumber). It was neither good nor bad.**Tempura Rice** I slurped it down easily.**Dessert** The milk ice cream was so delicious that I had to get a second helping.The sweet sweet potato was also exquisite.Aside from a few items that caught my attention, everything from the tempura to the a la carte dishes was undeniably delicious.That said, the chef was quite chatty, starting conversations about golf and engaging with regulars.As it was my first visit with my companion, we were a bit taken aback and found it hard to focus on the flavors of the dishes.The price was over JPY 30,000, which is quite high.Given how outstanding the food was, I felt this restaurant caters to a selective clientele.If you want to enjoy lively conversations, I recommend going with a regular.It was a great meal. Less

No matter how many times I eat here, it's always delicious! I never get tired of it!First of all, the chef's personality is truly wonderful! This is what it all comes down to! It's no surprise that he has so many fans!There was a foreigner sitting next to me, and they were communicating in English, which shows they are keeping up with the times.Delicious food, A fantastic chef.The ultimate combination!I added some extras and even had two rice bowls... I was completely stuffed!I will definitely be back soon! Less

Regular visits to the renowned Tempura Araki, a representative restaurant of Hokkaido.Tonight was perfect for enjoying tempura, featuring seasonal ingredients. In the first half of the meal, we had the early catch of bonito and child-bearing spear squid.For the tempura, we enjoyed seasonal mountain vegetables that are nearing the end of their season, as well as large whitebait recently caught in Ishikari and naturally sourced scallops from Notsuke.The airy tempura was cooked perfectly, preserving the flavors of the ingredients, making it easy to eat without fatigue. The use of local Hokkaido ingredients makes this a must-visit for anyone from outside the region.【Tonight's Menu】Shijimi Clam BrothTataki of Early BonitoChild-bearing Spear Squid with KarasumiGinkgo NutsNoresoreKarasumi(Tempura)HeadsShrimp x2Sumi SquidKisu (Whiting)Ibaraki Lotus RootAsparagusWhitebait (from Ishikari)Tara no Me (Fried Sprouts)Yama Udo (Mountain Udo)Sea UrchinNaturally sourced Scallops from Notsuke with Micro HerbsShako (Sweet Shrimp) (Hand-Rolled Sushi)Anago (Conger Eel)Sweet Potato Ice CreamTempura Rice Bowl Less