Asari Meat Shop Croquettes are a much-loved local specialty in Hakodate, Hokkaido. Made by the long-established Asari Meat Shop, these handmade croquettes have been enjoyed by local residents for generations and are known for their simple yet remarkably satisfying flavor.
Asari Meat Shop first opened in 1901 and has continued to provide high-quality meat to the people of Hakodate for more than a century. Among its many products, the croquettes sold from the shop’s prepared-food counter have become especially popular. They are so sought after that even a daily production of around 800 croquettes, using approximately 40 kilograms of potatoes, can sell out by around lunchtime.
The secret behind the croquettes’ distinctive taste lies in the careful selection of ingredients. The shop purchases whole pigs from Kaminokuni Town in southern Hokkaido and selects particularly flavorful cuts during processing for use in the croquettes.
Generous amounts of Hokkaido potatoes and onions are combined with the carefully selected pork. The seasoning is kept relatively simple, allowing the natural sweetness and flavor of the ingredients to shine through. The filling has a smooth, gentle texture that makes the croquettes easy to enjoy.
Every croquette is made by hand at the shop and fried in homemade lard. The result is a wonderfully crisp, fragrant coating surrounding a soft and fluffy potato filling. The contrast between the crunchy exterior and warm, smooth interior is one of the reasons these croquettes have such a devoted local following.
The croquettes are made with considerable care rather than mass-produced, reflecting the shop’s long-standing philosophy of offering delicious food at an affordable price. For visitors to Hakodate, enjoying one fresh and hot is an excellent way to experience a small but authentic part of the city’s everyday food culture.
The croquettes are extremely popular and may be sold out by lunchtime, so an early visit is recommended for those who want to try them. They can also be enjoyed as part of lunch at the long-established sukiyaki restaurant operated alongside the meat shop.
Asari Sukiyaki is a historic specialty restaurant that opened soon after the meat shop and has carried its sukiyaki tradition on since the Meiji era. It is known for carefully selected Japanese Black beef and a distinctive sauce that has been passed down for more than a century.
The restaurant combines Japanese Black beef from Kyushu with fresh vegetables from Hokkaido, simmering them in its traditional warishita sauce. Its flavor is neither strictly Kanto-style nor Kansai-style, but reflects the restaurant’s own distinctive approach to sukiyaki.
On weekdays, the restaurant offers reasonably priced lunch options, making it possible to enjoy its long-established cuisine in a more casual setting. The second floor features atmospheric private rooms in traditional Japanese style, where guests remove their shoes and can relax around the hot pot in a nostalgic Japanese setting.
From a freshly fried croquette to carefully prepared sukiyaki, Asari’s food reflects Hakodate’s long history of local dining and quality ingredients. For travelers looking beyond the city’s famous seafood, these humble yet exceptionally popular croquettes offer a delicious glimpse into the everyday tastes that generations of Hakodate residents have grown up enjoying.