The good news: Sushi connoisseurs adore the toro and maguro from a fish that was shunned by ancient samurai as they considered it unclean and would not eat it. The bad news: it has been hunted down to near extinction and it is unfortunate but with the demand so high there is no way that this will stop. Progress has been made for breeding this fish, which is prized for its fatty parts on the belly, in captivity.

The first thing that you think about when in Hokkaido, when it comes to food, is fish and being in Japan, sushi immediately comes to mind. We put on warm coats and walked to a sushi bar that was recommended by the hotel. It was not a small one-off version with subdued lighting, which is usually the type of place I gravitate to, but a more brightly-lit branch of a small local chain of eight good quality restaurants using only local fish.

Kicking off with a delicious, draught Sapporo beer and then moving on to a couple of local Sakes accompanied by fresh local oysters, sea-urchin served in its shell on a bed of edible seaweed. I later decided to have sashimi of scallops and sushi of red whale and horse and they all melted in the mouth except for the horse, which was tough and full of sinew. I have eaten horse raw before on a few occasions and it always seemed to be tender, although rather bland, similar to raw liver that I have also eaten in Japan, I really prefer it quickly seared on both sides for a few seconds as it is more flavorful. It must have been this particular piece of meat that was not up to par. A scallop salad with fresh grapefruit juice was really quite unusual and the combination really paired well together.
Four persons: 13,000 yen about $130 total – amazingly low price for the quality. More Photos