"Ezo Tempura" is a one-of-a-kind dish made by deep-frying carefully selected seasonal ingredients that are unique to Hokkaido. This dish is served at "Tsuruki" in Obihiro, Tokachi. The freshly fried "Tempura Course" brings out the aroma and texture of the ingredients, making it an exquisite dish that attracts gourmets from inside and outside Hokkaido.

The restaurant is located on the first floor of the Hokkaido Hotel, about a five-minute drive from Obihiro Station. Upon entering the hotel, you will be greeted by a cute wooden carved bear. As you go further in, a luxurious and lovely storefront will appear on your right. Inside, you will find a beautiful counter made of a solid cypress board. There are a total of six luxurious counter seats where you can dine while watching the craftsmen at work.

The space will be renovated in 2021 to become a more sophisticated and modern space.

Tsurugi is a reservation-only establishment, and the only dish on offer is the Tempura Course, a 16,000 yen (tax included) omakase menu. Reservations are accepted until 5:00 p.m. the day before. The ingredients change with the seasons, so some fans visit multiple times depending on the season. In spring, they use wild vegetables, and you can enjoy locally produced dishes that are hard to find in Tokyo.

Each piece of tempura is carefully prepared right in front of you.

Now, let me show you the whole course. The first dish was "Chawanmushi with Sweet Snapper Broth". It was an elegant start with the soft aroma of the broth. The second dish was "Aburabouzu" and chijimi spinach ohitashi with herbs. The third dish was hairy crab tossed with sea urchin and crab miso. Just the appetizer was already a moment of bliss.

2nd dish: "Aburabouzu"

The third dish uses hairy crab from Hiroo Town.

And now it's time for tempura! First up is the specialty "Botan shrimp" that has been marinaded in kelp for six hours. The seasoning and presentation are both very delicate.

The specialty, the curved "Botan shrimp"

Next up is the "Hakodate flounder" deep-fried at a low temperature of 150°. The first bite is with salt and sudachi citrus, and the second with ankimo sauce.

5th dish: "Hakodate flounder"

And the fully ripe lily root "Moonlight" from Sansei Farm in Obihiro City is simply seasoned with salt.

"Gekkou" is a fully ripe lily bulb with a sugar content of 24 degrees.

The "Tachiuo" is a large, fatty fish that was apparently purchased in Toyosu. We dived into the tempura sauce.

Carefully selected ingredients. 7th dish: "Tachiuo"

And the plump and fragrant "logged shiitake" from Shintoku Town is so thick and rich that it makes you wonder if shiitake mushrooms have always been this delicious.

8th item: "Shiitake mushrooms grown on logs"

Next up was the sea urchin, which many people were looking forward to. Raw and deep-fried sea urchin was wrapped in nori seaweed, with more raw sea urchin on top. No matter which angle you eat it from, the delicious flavor spreads in your mouth.

The sea urchin tempura is topped with raw sea urchin! It melts in your mouth.

We then continue eating with "Swordfish topped with caviar" and "Large Snow Crab" dipped in crab miso.

10th dish: "Sea bream topped with caviar"

11th dish: "Large Snow Crab"

It's almost the end! Next came the "potatoes". And they weren't just any potatoes, they were two-year-aged May Queen potatoes produced at "Tokachi Inoue Farm". They were so sweet and moist that first-timers would open their eyes and say, "What? Potatoes?!" The "Hakodate Black Conger Eel" was fluffy and came with bite-sized rice and wasabi.

Wasabi and rice are also delicious... 13th dish "Hakodate Black Conger Eel"

The meal ends with "Tuna Sesame Chazuke" made with Yumepirika tuna from Chichibube. A flounder version of chazuke is also served depending on the season, and it is said to be a favorite of the Hokkaido Hotel's representative.

"Tuna and sesame tea" is served with sea urchin and crab tempura.

I ate this nonstop, but I couldn't stop sighing from start to finish because it was so delicious. This is definitely perfect for a special occasion. The last dessert was "Strawberry Jelly" made with strawberries from "Tsujino Farm" in Otofuke Town.

"Strawberry jelly" served with sabaion (egg yolk and cream)

The light batter of the tempura leaves an impression. Each portion is a satisfying bite-size, allowing you to enjoy a little bit of each ingredient. The overall volume can be adjusted by adding more rice, so it is satisfying for both men and women. "Ezo Tempura" is made with ingredients from Hokkaido and is made with careful consideration, offering a different kind of enjoyment from Edomae.

Hokkaido Hotel has many guests from outside Hokkaido, and many of them stay there while enjoying the tempura at "Tsuruki." Please try the one and only "Ezo Tempura."