Nemuro Hanamaru is a sushi chain out of Hokkaido.

Takeshita Street

It doesn’t look all that different from before COVID.

Jingumae Comichi

This building has gone up in Harajuku, and it’s packed with all sorts of good restaurants. There are a lot of nice places inside, though it is a fair walk from the middle of Harajuku.

Nemuro Hanamaru

It’s on the second floor.

Hikarimono three-piece set

Nishin, iwashi and aji. I had no idea they still served nishin. The aji tastes better, but I’d been wanting to try nishin at least once, so this worked out nicely. That’s the style at a place like this: the shari is ordinary, but the neta are big and fresh. So if you go after the neta, you can eat very happily here.

Scallop shirako nigiri

I’d never even heard of scallop shirako, and it tastes great. I love ingredients like this.

Soy-marinated komai roe gunkan

Komai roe is apparently a Hakodate specialty. It was my first time seeing it, so I ordered one, and it’s good. Being able to eat unusual neta like this has to be Nemuro Hanamaru’s strong point.

Squid

Tasty.

Aburi three-piece set

Seared engawa, seared toro salmon, seared nishin. Fatty fish really is best seared.

Hotaru ika

Firefly squid is in season, so there’s no way it wouldn’t be good.

Tsunotoro

They called it a limited-edition maguro so I ordered one, and it’s good.

Two-tier obi scallop

They stack the scallop in two layers, so it’s fresh and there’s plenty of it. This much and I’m full..

Zuke akami

Good neta, and I ate well. High-end sushi places are great, but once in a while a neta-focused place like this is nice too. It’s also good that branches are opening all over Tokyo. Though… a place where you can sit down and eat, like Mawashizushi Katsu, might be even better.

한국어로 읽기日本語で読む