What comes to mind when you think of Hakodate's famous local cuisine? Squid sashimi, squid rice, Lucky Pierrot hamburgers, and Hasegawa Store's yakitori bento boxes.

Hakodate already boasts many famous local delicacies, but a new candidate for a signature dish has emerged! It's called "Hakodate Chowder."

This time, we'll explain what "Hakodate Chowder" is and introduce three restaurants that actually serve it.

Be sure to check out the delicious "Hakodate Chowder," which might just become a local specialty!

<Table of Contents>
1. What is "Hakodate Chowder"?
2. Shirokuma, the Seaside Dining Restaurant
3. Hakodate Beer Hall
4. Bayside Restaurant Minato no Mori
Final thoughts

Hakodate is a city that was one of the first in Japan to receive Western culture and develop as a result. Therefore, it remains a place with many unique and high-quality bakeries and cafes.

Combining this culinary culture with fresh seafood from the waters near Hakodate and ingredients from southern Hokkaido, "Hakodate Chowder" was launched as a regional menu item with the aim of becoming a new signature dish of Hakodate.(Click to enlarge)

Hakodate Chowder has strict rules, such as using three or more types of seafood as the main ingredient and vegetables from southern Hokkaido. From here, we will introduce the deliciousness of Hakodate Chowder at each restaurant where it is actually served.

The first place we'd like to introduce is Shirokuma, a seaside dining restaurant known for its unique location that seems to jut out into the sea.

Since they are open continuously from lunchtime to dinnertime, you can enjoy delicious food even at times when it's a little inconvenient, such as when it's too late for lunch or too early for dinner.

Shirokuma's Hakodate chowder is truly packed with ingredients like squid, scallops, salmon, and mussels. They also use plenty of locally sourced vegetables, making it a delicious and nutritionally balanced soup.

This soup has a rich, savory flavor derived from seafood, but it's not too thick and has a light texture, making it easy to eat even in spring and summer. It comes with a mini salad, bread, dessert, and a drink, so it's a substantial meal.

During the warmer months, the deck seats outside the window are the best seats in the house! Located opposite Midori-no-shima, an artificial island floating in Hakodate Bay, you can enjoy the scenery of the island's trees as they change with the seasons.

Furthermore, it's located in a spot with a great view of the yacht harbor, so you can enjoy your meal while taking in the scenery of a port town.

<Sea Dining Shirokuma>
Address: 24-23 Suehiro-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0053
TEL：0138-76-9650
営業時間：Lunch time 11:30-14:00、Cafe time14:00-17:00（11～3月は土日のみ営業）、Dinner time17:30-22:00
Closed: Thursday
Price: Hakodate Shirokuma Chowder 1,300 yen
URL:http://www.hakodate-shirokuma.com/

Next up is Hakodate Beer Hall, located in the Kanemori Warehouse District, which is always bustling with tourists. This restaurant serves original craft beers from 11:30 AM until dinner time.

The restaurant is also popular for its variety of Hakodate-style food served alongside delicious beer.

This Hakodate chowder (advance reservation required) is a soup containing large maitake mushrooms. The flavor comes through not only from the seafood but also from the savory taste of bacon, although the amount of ingredients is rather small.

The bread in the set is shaped like a mushroom, and the hollowed-out part is packed tightly with grilled seafood.

Also, the hollowed-out portion of lightly toasted bread can be speared with a fondue fork and dipped into the soup to eat.

This is why there aren't many ingredients in the soup. The grilled seafood is served in bread, so you can enjoy it warm until the very last bite.

The interior, which uses the original Kanemori Warehouse building, has a retro atmosphere. Enjoying delicious beer and food in an atmosphere reminiscent of an overseas beer hall is a unique Hakodate experience.

<Hakodate Beer Hall>
Address: 14-12 Suehiro-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0053, inside Hakodate History Plaza
TEL：0138-27-1010
Opening hours: Weekdays 11:30 AM - 22:00 PM, Sundays and public holidays 11:00 AM - 22:00 PM
No regular holiday
Price: Hakodate Chowder Beer Hall style 1,404 yen (advance reservations required from April to October)
Official website:http://hkumaiyo.com/

Lastly, I'd like to introduce Bayside Restaurant Minato no Mori, located on the way from Kanemori Warehouse towards Meijikan. Its white-based exterior gives it the feel of a charming shop you might find overseas.

As it is a cafe restaurant, it is well-known not only for its meal menu including pasta and risotto, but also for its sweets such as waffles.

This Hakodate chowder is an unusual orange color for chowder, inspired by the red brick buildings of the area. The soup is light, but the seafood flavor is concentrated, giving it a rich and deep taste.

The soup is packed with plump shrimp and large scallops, and the portion size of the pizza toast that comes with the set is also generous! It's like a one-plate lunch served on a cute, palette-like plate.

This restaurant has a large terrace surrounded by windows, where you can enjoy your meal while admiring the scenery outside throughout the seasons.

During the Christmas Fantasy event in December, the trees in front of the building are illuminated with lights. If you're lucky, you might even see the Christmas Fantasy characters greeting you through the window.

<Bayside Restaurant Minato no Mori>
Address: 11-5 Toyokawa-cho, Hakodate City, Hokkaido 040-0065
TEL：0138-21-1181
Opening hours: Weekdays 11:30 AM - 21:30 PM, Sundays and holidays 11:00 AM - 21:30 PM
No regular holiday
Price: Hakodate Red Brick Chowder and Hokkaido Sausage Pizza Toast 1,512 yen
Official website:http://minatonomori.com/

So, in this article, we introduced "Hakodate Chowder," which is aiming to become the next famous local delicacy of Hakodate.

Each chowder has its own unique character, making you want to try them all. In addition to the ones we've introduced here, several other popular restaurants in the city are participating.

Be among the first to try "Hakodate Chowder," which is sure to become increasingly popular.

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