Hokkai Kitchen in Wijk 03 IJmuiden-West

Always delicious food and super friendly service!

I was hesitant about giving it 4 or 5 stars. Not for the atmosphere, the service, or the food. Upon arrival, you're greeted and immediately given an explanation of the essence of Japanese taste: miso. And of course, you take it home with you at the end. The food is sublime. The sake is an experience. The service is world-class. The guests are diverse. My hesitation was the price/quality ratio. At the end of the evening, you pay a hefty €450. So, you have to be a real connoisseur to appreciate this. Michelin-star restaurant-quality food, but the atmosphere is just a little too... casual? Although the location is very nice. We'll save up a bit and definitely go back.

The omakase menu was fantastic when we were there. The dishes are freshly prepared with fresh ingredients, and the sake pairing was perfect! The wait staff really made us feel welcome; we felt very comfortable.

Finding piece of Japan's traditional food legacy on your plate, matching it with right sake makes unforgettable experience.

Simple: if you love sushi, you absolutely have to eat here. Delicious, freshly made sushi. Super friendly staff who genuinely care. A huge selection of sake! Reservations are recommended!

Good heavens, this is so good. Personalized service, wonderful sake, incredibly fresh dishes, and everything is delicious. Unprecedented.

Excellent Japanese food in a surprising place!

What a wonderful experience! Super fresh dishes with a lovely sake pairing. The staff is very friendly and happy to share the history of the sake served with Japanese dishes.

Amazing. Really, really great sushi. We had the 5 course menu. Really well thought out in its order and the staff really explain what you are eating and in which order will bring out the best taste. Great drinks as well. My wife wanted a gin and tonic...no gin....but they brought out a really great Yuzu cocktail that wasn't on the menu. The place is super simple style in the middle of the port area...it just adds to the coolness. Don't expect white table clothes but do expect brilliance.....it ain't cheap but as a once in a while place....don't go anywhere else.

For the price, I just wasn’t that impressed. I ordered 3 pieces afterwards because I wasn’t full yet. They say you can best judge a sushi restaurant by its tamagoyaki, and while I had it after my meal instead of before, I also found it a bit lacking. The service was unfortunately also not that great, despite being such a small restaurant. You could tell the kitchen was getting annoyed by the fact that the waitstaff was often chatting away. One dish I do have to praise is the sashimi cocktail. I went all the way to Ijmuiden to eat, and I was a bit disappointed. Unfortunately, the amount and taste were lacking, but I would like to visit again someday.

The best service and dining experience we had in these 8 years living in the NL.

If you ever have the chance to be in IJmuiden, don't miss this place. It's the best Japanese cuisine I've ever had. Every dish was better than the last, and they also have a wide selection of unique but delicious sake. The service was also excellent; we felt very comfortable.

Absolutely fantastic, super organised festival, we will definitely go back to dine there

Nice and lively place with excellent fresh food and great service

Had dinner here yesterday. Really sublime. Pure flavours, sushi/sashimi as it should be. Great service, good explanation and above all not stiff. Location takes some getting used to, in the middle of the harbour area but that is also the charm

Had a delicious tasting menu! Tasted various dishes, recommended if you like fish 🍣

I'd read about Hokkai Kitchen and was curious but was unprepared for how great it was. The food and the service were both perfect. We can't wait to go back.

Delicious food! Wide choice and very motivated and friendly staff. Also with knowledge of the business. All dishes are 'explained'. Even with the 'hollandse nieuwe' (herring) a dish is served in Japanese style! At the price, but the quality is very high! Do make a reservation. It is quite small.

Authentic Japanese in a hidden spot, worth the detour. Exceptional service and impeccable quality of ingredients. The omakase is a great deal for the quality they deliver.

Delicious spontaneous lunch. No reservation on a Saturday afternoon, but friendly welcome and quickly got a table. I have never eaten sushi so delicious. What a gem

Best sushi in the Netherlands, delicious sake from our own import. Beautiful products to take home. Very nice, skilled but not everyday service. So nice to see the chefs team working, the controlled finger dexterity, calm but graceful is beautiful!

Personally, I don't think it's a special restaurant. A few slices of fish, some very ordinary sushi and two cups of tea cost almost 100 euros. Moreover, none of the employees wore gloves when making the sushi and sashimi. It's not worth 100 euros. The food has no special taste and it's just as good as an average sushi or wok restaurant. The ambiance is also not very inviting. Once, but not again for me.

The first restaurant that is very close to our Japan experience.

Fantastic food at Hokkai Kitchen! Nice atmosphere, not too neat but still with a lot of class and style. The open kitchen makes it lively and shows the craftsmanship well. The shop next door is also great, with Japanese products, lots of sake and fish in the freezer. Service was very friendly and knowledgeable. Unique experience, recommended for anyone who loves Japanese cuisine!

The skilled and hospitable team plus a few wizards in the kitchen guarantee true taste sensations that you will not soon forget. Japan comes to you in this industrial building where the word ‘filleting’ can still be read in vague letters on the entrance - apparently a previous destination of this location. After entering and before we were led to our table we were treated to samples from the store stock, which immediately made our taste buds burst into cheers. Then we enjoyed the Omakase menu. Five stars!

Inspiring location ;) a pearl in the IJmuiden harbour... It was almost a year ago that we visited Hokkai Kitchen... and my god!! is was still as good as ever! True passion, craftsmanship - from kitchen ánd service crew, exciting flavours combined with the ultra authentic. Pretty nice wine selection and even better saké's. Love you -x- BENTO

Japanese quality in the Netherlands!

Totally wonderful. I enjoyed every bite. The Black Cod was beyond exceptional!!! The shrimp tempura was the best I have, it is outstanding!!!!! The breaded tuna is wonderful. We will definitely eat here again when in town. I fully recommend eating here!!!! This is the first place I wish I could give this place 10 stars

Hidden somewhere in the port area of ​​IJmuiden lies this true hidden gem. A place that brings you so close to Japan, a place that I have not yet encountered in the Netherlands. We enjoyed the omakase menu here. A menu put together by the chef in which taste, color and experience come together. Thank you Hokkai kitchen! See you again soon. Tip for future visitors: Watch their YouTube channel in advance as an appetizer.

My Japanese is a bit better after today, especially in the culinary field. Perfection and love for fish and sake unexpectedly come together here in IJmuiden. Don't forget to make a reservation.

What a great place in a cool location right in the heart of fish processing. In an industrial area. And what great service, it was an alcohol-free evening and they filled it in perfectly with nice drinks.

It’s hidden in the industrial area of the harbor, meaning that you need a car to read it. It’s a small restaurant with space for about 40 people. You need to reserve at least one month in advance for a la cart or two months for the chefs menu. The food tasted great. The nigiri are great, the fish are soft and with a lot of flavors. The takoyaki has real octopus in it and the cod in miso was really nice but a tad too salty. The restroom is alright but has a big step, so not wheelchair friendly. The staff is friendly. We are giving it four stars instead of five stars because we had some stomachache after visiting the restaurant. That is not always a good sign.

Simply delicious fresh sushi. I haven't found better yet.

Unique restaurant with amazing high level staff. Impressive experience but not your regular fine dining. Loved the refined and balanced dishes and sake pairing. Thanks! Highly recommend!

Food really fantastic, never had such delicious sushi before Top service The restaurant is located in a warehouse.

Wow, among the best and freshest sushi in the country. Very special low key place with high end education on what appears on your plates and inside your sake glasses. Definitely worth the efforts and money to go there. Cheers Hokkai Kitchen

It brought us back to Japan! Great place with fantastic food.

Great! Best sushi ever. The only downside is that you only get two hours, so you sometimes run out of time.

Wow, Hokkai is such an amazing place! Hidden away in a fish market and feels like you find a real gem. The tasting menu is amazing and the Sake paring is out of this world. Super friendly people give you the feeling of being in japan for a couple of hours😍

This is about the most hidden gem you will get! And the closest I've been to real Japanese sushi in the Netherlands!!

When we entered it smelled of fish, but we didn't notice it anymore in the restaurant. We ate the omekase menu with extra tuna at the end. We had a delicious meal, but I still give three stars because we had stomach problems after eating at home. We don't know why that happens, but it's certainly not nice. Special dishes? Herring nigiri, squid nigiri, tuna roasted with Japanese coals (video).

We come here every year because of the high quality and successful combinations of flavors. That is still the case. The 4th course was too simple for our liking.

Hokkai, or Japan? When you drive up, you still feel like you are in IJmuiden, between the fishmongers and car garages. But the moment you find the side entrance next to the fish processing factory you know it. The moment you open the door, you are greeted not only by the smell of fresh fish and sushi rice, but also by a warm welcome from the lovely staff. After a short introduction, the menu is explained to us, in our case the Omakase menu, and the options for additional courses to combine. From the faultless amuse to the recommended extra “dessert” of flambéed tuna, they don't miss a beat here. Each dish brings you one step closer to Japanese perfection. The sake pairing adds an extra dimension to this, and provides new experiences such as a sparkling variant to open and a heavy umami-dominant variant that fits perfectly with the salted mackerel. Along the way, the staff doesn't miss a step, they tell you cheerfully and passionately about the dishes and the unique and exclusively imported sakes, and they give you tips about the best ratio of soy sauce to add to the courses. Enough superlatives, go to Hokkai and imagine yourself in the perfection of real Japanese cuisine. 10/10.

If you love really good Japanese food, Hokkai Kitchen is a place you shouldn't miss. Here everything revolves around pure flavors, fresh ingredients and craftsmanship. We had a fantastic meal. The Wagyu was buttery soft and full of flavor, the oysters were very fresh. Each dish is prepared with care and the quality of the fish and meat is excellent. No unnecessary fuss, just top quality food as it should be. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. You notice that people work here with a passion for Japanese cuisine. Everything is perfect – from the preparation to the presentation. Hokkai Kitchen remains one of the best Japanese restaurants in the Netherlands.

Nice and calm place. Soo tasty sushi maked from professionals with passion. I can recommend it for everyone who like SUSHI 😊😋

Restaurant with a small shop attached to it which sells Japanese food, primarily fish.

Excellent sushi/sashimi. Omakase menu was not very special. Given the price, unfortunately I wouldn't come back here.

We just need to come here at least once a month!!!! Just. Wow.

For the best quality Sushi you must have come here! Choose the menu and be surprised. 👌🏻🔥

We came from Amsterdam by car, it was more than worth it. You'll be at your door in less than an hour. We received a friendly welcome, the staff is really ridiculously friendly. We received a lot of information about our food and we left with extra knowledge. And the food… wow. It was so incredibly delicious. Hokkai really has something special, because of their history and vision. You won't find this anywhere else. After dinner we emptied the “supermarket” to pick up a bottle of sake (sake pairing was definitely worth it!). Shout out to Menno, I haven't laughed so much in a restaurant in a long time.

Ate a three-course lunch, and you can also order all kinds of specials. We didn't do this, but we were very full! Service is super friendly and the atmosphere is quiet and nice. The quality of the lunch was high, a really fun and special outing in IJmuiden.

The food was fantastic, but a special shout out to Joris who acted as Sake Sommelier. What passion in his story as a sake evangelist and how delicious that sake was, I am definitely convinced!

it was a very unexpectedly delicious experience! i have never eaten such delicious sushi before. very fresh and delicious sushi!!!

Woooow this was some GREAT food and a lovely dining experience! First time for me, a little to late for the omakase menu but I will surely come back for it :) ! Diner a la carte, chose the chef’s menu (ofcourse). Everything was insanely tasty, but especially the squid and otoro were to die for. Service is súper friendly, as are all the chefs, head-chef Othoware and even the owner Marinus, you can tell everyone loves what they do here. I really loved the atmosphere, it’s simple so the focus stays on the food. Wonderful sake selection. 1,5 hour to dine is a bit short for me, would love to have staid at least 2! But that’s the only remark, 10 out of 10 and will be back very soon!

A wonderful experience of fantastic good food. The omakase menu is definitely recommended: there is a lot of variety and everything is of top quality. There are options to supplement the menu with additional dishes, which can be very tasty, but are certainly not necessary to have a beautiful (and very filling) experience. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and all places have a beautiful view of the open kitchen. The area around the restaurant is less inspiring, but it is the industrial estate of IJmuiden. Personal highlights were the sashimi cut and the dried mackerel, which can also be seen in the Hokkai logo. Furthermore, the plum cider is highly recommended if you like a sweet drink.

Rarely have I been able to eat such top quality fish.

Phew. What a wonderful experience. Really enjoyed the atmosphere and the delicious food. I recommend everyone to take the menu and enjoy some extra side dishes. 100% worth it and the staff and chef really go above and beyond to give you a great experience. I received the book for my birthday and the chef took a moment to put a personal message in it.

Amazing! This place is unbelievable. Everything I've had here has been so mouthwateringly good it has literally brought tears to my eyes (could also have been the authentic wasabi). O-toro that melts on your tongue; karaage so tender you won't believe it's chicken; the best edamame you'll find in Holland. Also a selection of very good sake and in the back they have a couple of freezers where you can buy an assortment of frozen fish/octopus/gyoza/etc. This place is a must for lovers of Japanese food!!

Delicious Japanese food like you find in Tokyo.

Ate at Hokkai IJmuiden for the first time with my wife. The first impression upon entering was mixed. The simple (but not uncomfortable) furniture does not have a really attractive appearance, in combination with the somewhat bright lighting. I love the open kitchen where the chefs prepare the dishes. We opted for the chef's menu. I can be short (or very long) about that: incredibly delicious. Different courses with fantastic taste sensations. Japanese, so fish and seafood, rice and vegetables, everything of great quality. And afterwards more than satisfied. You have to book well in advance, and I now understand why. Free parking in front of the door is also nice.

Food is more than super good! Sushi is not available further than this and certainly not in the Netherlands! Maybe a bit pricey for many people, but even for them the price after dinner is no longer important, I expect. We chose the 7 course menu and the two of us ended up with approximately €280 including drinks. But given the quality and freshness of the products, this is no more than a normal price. Everything was tasty and what was also nice was that the dessert just surpassed the rest, making the structure of the food tastier and tastier towards the end, instead of being disappointed by the dessert. We will definitely come back here because good sushi is hard to find. 5* for everything except the decoration of the restaurant, which in my opinion could be warmer and cozier. Besides that everything TOP!!!!👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

Once you've eaten sushi here, you won't want anything else. What a wonderful culinary experience. We sat against the kitchen and could see the passion and tranquility with which the chefs were working. Service was also great with good explanations about the dishes. Highly recommended!

Truly excellent! In a class of its own, both the food and the friendly and professional staff. Enjoyed it immensely!

Very tasty and wonderfully fresh. O-Torro was O-so delicious!😋 And the choices of sake....💯

Now I tasted what sushi are supposed to be. Absolutely fantastic (but you won’t be able to accept any other sushi).

Unfortunately we had a less good experience. As an appetizer we got a piece of fried tuna that was soaked in fat, old frying fat. We ate it out of respect, but neither of us liked it. The sushi was fine but not of the level you would expect. The salmon had a fairly bland taste. The staff was very nice, but all in all we found it disappointing.

Great cuisine, finally everything is a big surprise. Join the wave and let yourself be taken on the journey. You won't regret it.

Insane flavor palette. It doesn't get any better!

Very good 👌 And the Sake was also very tasty 😊🤭

Never before have you had such delicious authentic Japanese food as here. The service was also really great!

The food was great! Never had such delicious sushi before. Fish was very soft and tasty. Our order was forgotten so we had to wait an hour before the first dish arrived. but that can happen. Service was also very good and friendly. Atmosphere: well, there are nicer and nicer places. But the food certainly made up for the ambiance and atmosphere.

You won't find fresher sushi and fish than at Hokkai kitchen. We tried different nigiris and small dishes and even my friend, who is not the biggest fish fan, was enthusiastic.

Everything is great about this restaurant, the food and wine are fantastic and the service is very friendly and knowledgeable! Recommended!

Fantastic sushi and the best place to get high quality tuna such as otoro

Excellent service! Personnel were very attentive, presentation - top notch. Real treat for a special occasion. Delicious tuna, black cod and mackerel! Props for broad selection of sake 🙌

Delicious lunch at Hokkai Kitchen. Everything was fresh and tasty. Great service as well. Special thank you to Anna for taking a good care of us.

Hi dear readers, had a fork here and it was great here, as the Dutch are used to from a Chinese restaurant, nice service and delicious food, we went for separate dishes, but they also have a running buffet here that also looked tasty, I enjoyed it together with some friends great food and nice staff and service!!👍👍

Had lunch here. Chef's menu, the mackerel and seaweed salad. For our small appetite this was enough to share. Everything was delicious and it couldn't be fresher. What delicious culinary snacks and good explanation about the snacks. We will come back for the other dishes.

This is the best sushi restaurant in the Netherlands so far! The sushi's and wasabi are freshly made - you can actually taste the difference between all you can eat sushi restaurants and this restaurant. The place is a little small and it is a bit pricey. However, you pay for the quality and the freshness. Moreover, they have great service. I will definetely go there again if I want to have a very high quality of sushi. I still day dream of this place when I think of sushi.

Hidden between the square gray warehouses, fish processors, construction workshops and who knows what else is happening in the port of IJmuiden, you will find a Japanese restaurant that makes the search in this gray industrial zone more than worth it. Hokkai Kitchen is located in a former roller door warehouse, which you approach hesitantly until you enter through the entrance door on the side. You will be greeted with a warm welcome and once inside you will feel like a valued guest. The service is extremely friendly and speaks some English, which is always much better than my Japanese. The food, well it has been a while since we have been to a restaurant that could match this quality. You would be happy to take a detour for this, even through the industrial estate of IJmuiden.

Been here many times. But the menu is getting a bit boring and not inventive. Also please remove the mayo on top of the seared otoro and salmon... really not necessary. Quality of the fish is good but overshadowed by TOO MUCH rice. It's a sushi not a Big Mac. Be more creative and bring back some authentic Japanese flavors.

Always tasty and fresh sashimi and shushi!

Truly one of the best restaurants I have ever had the pleasure to visit. The food is uniformly wonderful, perfectly prepared and a delightful exploration of Japanese cuisine. The staff are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly, and took excellent care of us. Thank you! I'll return!

One of the best meals I've had. All that needs to be said really. The tuna cheek nigiri was unreal.

A visit to Hokkai Kitchen is an ultimate sublime culinary treat for any amateur of Japanese cuisine. The staff is attentive and nice. Fish (of all kinds) is always fresh and the rice is wonderfully soft. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an authentic culinary experience.

Hokkaido lies between the warehouses and workshops on an industrial estate. When you enter it is not what you expect, but you have to look past that. Friendly service and did their best to make everything according to your wishes. Are well informed about the dishes on the menu. We had an omakase 5 course tasting and then Chef choice. Sushi as it really should be. Sushi rice had a delicious taste. Soya was not even necessary with the dishes. Flavor explosion on your papillae. The sparkling sake is highly recommended. My girlfriend absolutely loved it. We will definitely come back.

We recently visited Hokkai Kitchen and were impressed with the quality of the food. The rolls were beautifully prepared with a perfect balance of flavors, and every dish was delicious. The food alone makes this place worth a visit. However, the atmosphere and service could be better. Some of the room felt cluttered, and the high chairs and tables didn't match the setting. The sake menu was good, but the thin paper it was printed on detracted from the experience. There was also a lack of dress code for the staff, which did not match the high quality of the food. We will definitely come back for the sushi, but hope for improvements in the atmosphere, service and presentation.

Best sushi in NL until now, great wine list and sake selection

If you love fish or don’t like fish, this restaurant is the best chique japanese fish restaurant. In The Netherlands, fish is not really my favorite dish. But when i ate the first bite of it, it literally melted my tongue. The service is great, they are gentle they are prepared to serve you the best. And the food is the best fish you ever eaten. I definitely recommend this restaurant. But a tip for this restaurant, you could add a bit less sald.

Best example I've ever seen of a "hidden gem". Maybe not so for the locals, but for me as a passer-by, it was a total surprise to find in the middle of an industrial/port area a place that was stylish, chic and with absolutely impeccable attitude towards ingredients and presentation. Their Omakase is not cheap, but worth absolutely every penny.

Very kind and responsive. Anyway, the fish 🐟(🍣) was fresh and delicious. Dank u

This place is a gem. The quality of fish is very good. The sake list is big plus they even have some extra options (I really liked the one special for tuna). The service is very welcoming. Prices are also reasonable. No wonder, that they are fully booked every evening, so booking in advance is a must. They also have a shop where you can buy some fish to cook at home.

Great restaurant. Only now I realize that I have never eaten real sushi before. Fantastic food, special place. If the restaurant is a destination in itself, then you know it's going well.

What a surprising sensation; Chef's choice and all kinds of specials including new Dutch and delicious Japanese wine. Surprising also because of the location (old industry, second-hand car dealership and the side entrance...). Service-oriented and knowledgeable about flavors, in short, highly recommended.

Great care and attention to details, we felt really welcomed 😊

Just ordered sashimi for home. They also gave a lil present. Really appreciated. Thank you we really enjoyed it. See you guys next time! :)

This is a hidden gem in IJmuiden that offers an unparalleled experience, which I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone... The omakase, Japanese chef's Kuni-san menu (that requires a reservation 24 hours in advance), paired with exclusive sake selections, is a must-try! Fun fact: here, you'll find not only a master sushi chef Kuni-san but ALSO the first (and until now) only master sake sommelier Menno Tol in the Netherlands! And now imagine the freshest fish imaginable... all under one roof. It's the perfect team work of culinary mastery, top-quality ingredients, and a unique, humble location that makes the experience truly unforgettable. 100% recommended. 🍣Food: 5/5 The omakase here is an absolute must-try. Chef Kuni-san creates an omakase experience that delivers many wow moments with his sushi, sashimi, and fried fish, all made with unparalleled freshness and traditional Japanese precision. For me, it's the exceptional combination of Chef Kuni-san's omakase (with the freshest and most beautiful fish), alongside the exclusive sake-pairing curated by master sake sommelier Menno Tol with his unique selection of own imports, that makes the entire experience unforgettable. 🙋‍♀️Service: 5/5 The entire team is incredibly friendly, skilled. The have a more casual, but still very refined approach. The maître, also a master sommelier, Menno Tol, approaches service with charm and passion. You feel both at home and like a valued guest here. It perfectly complements the overall concept and ambiance. 🏠Ambiance: 5/5 The atmosphere is relaxed and inviting. The interior of this location is modest and simple, as it also serves as a Japanese fish storage and factory. Yet, I found an incredible refinement and luxury in the highest quality products and the expertise of two masters. This combination enhances the unique experience! Don't hesitate to sneak a peek into the storage area if permitted ;) ⭐️Conclusion: Hokkai Kitchen is a perfect destination for lovers of sushi, sashimi, sake enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a unique culinary experience. The combination of masterfully prepared fresh sushi, exclusive sake selections, the expertise of the masters, and a charming ambiance makes it ideal for connoisseurs looking to savor high-quality ingredients and craftsmanship. A 5/5 reflects my overall experience.

The food was so delicious. A very relaxed atmosphere and friendly service. Definitely worth it!

The food is fantastically good. The Omakase menu was amazing and definitely worth the price and effort. Every dish was very special and looked great. it is highly recommended and the staff is very nice and can explain each dish in detail in different languages. There is also a Sake expert present who can tell you all about all the sakes and flavor mixes. This was also very interesting and above all tasty.

Amazing sushi. Honestly raised my standards of sushi so much. Just went to a well known sushi place that cost the same in Berlin and 👎🏼, I wish I could go back and spend the same amount of money at Hokkai instead. Hokkai is amazing, the fish just melts in your mouth. The eel, I’ve never had eel so soft. Amazing