"The Ginza crab house's Hokkaido room cooks live king and hairy crab in two private rooms - a once-a-trip Sapporo splurge."
About Kani Sienne Kitanohanare
Kani Sienne Kitanohanare is the Hokkaido sister of the Ginza crab specialist Kani Sienne, opened in July 2024 on the eighth floor of the Hoshi Building in Susukino, the dining heart of Sapporo. The format is deliberately exclusive: just two private rooms, each with its own chef who selects and cooks the crab to the catch of the day, so the meat is timed precisely rather than served from a steam table.
This is high-end Japanese crab cooking in a fine-dining register. For more of the city's best counters, compare the Edomae sushi at Sushi Miyakawa, the seasonal nigiri at Sushi Shinonome and the precise frying at Tempura Araki. For a marker dinner, see our anniversary dining guide.
The Kitchen
The meal centres on live crab - red king crab (Taraba) and hairy crab (Kegani), Hokkaido's two prizes - prepared through ikedori, the master technique of cooking the crab to order so the texture is calibrated to that specific animal. A single party is taken through sashimi, boiled and grilled preparations, each course timed by the room's dedicated chef. The sensory highlight is kanisake: hot sake poured into a toasted crab shell to extract the concentrated, briny marrow. Courses run from about 50,000 yen for the live king crab menu to roughly 65,000 yen for the king crab and Hokkaido wagyu pairing, with prices moving on the market. This is a destination crab dinner rather than a casual one, built around the produce and the ritual.
The Room
The restaurant occupies the eighth floor of the Hoshi Building on Minami 4 Nishi 5, a short walk from Hosui-Susukino station in the middle of Sapporo's nightlife quarter. There is no main dining room in the usual sense: the space is given over to two private rooms, each seating a single party, which makes the evening intimate and quiet and keeps the chef's attention on one table. Service is one-on-one and unhurried, paced to the live-crab courses. Because there are only two rooms and each is dedicated to one booking, reserving well ahead is essential, particularly in the winter crab season when Hokkaido's king and hairy crab are at their best.
Best for a Milestone Dinner
The private rooms, the tableside ritual and the top-end crab make Kani Sienne Kitanohanare a natural anniversary dinner or a confident table to impress visiting clients in Sapporo, and a memorable proposal for two.
Not for
Not for a casual or budget meal - this is a private-room, live-crab course at the top of Sapporo's prices, built for a planned occasion rather than a drop-in dinner.
Frequently Asked
What is Kani Sienne Kitanohanare known for?
Kani Sienne Kitanohanare is known for live Hokkaido crab cooked tableside - red king crab (Taraba) and hairy crab (Kegani) prepared to order in two private rooms, served as sashimi, boiled and grilled. It is the Sapporo branch of the Ginza crab specialist Kani Sienne, opened in July 2024.
How much does Kani Sienne Kitanohanare cost?
Courses run from about 50,000 yen per person for the live king crab menu to roughly 65,000 yen for the king crab and Hokkaido wagyu pairing, with prices moving on the market. It sits at the top of Sapporo's dining and is built around premium live crab.
Where is Kani Sienne Kitanohanare?
The restaurant is on the eighth floor of the Hoshi Building at Minami 4 Nishi 5-7-2, in the Susukino district of central Sapporo, a short walk from Hosui-Susukino station. It is the Hokkaido outpost of the Ginza original.
What is kanisake at Kani Sienne Kitanohanare?
Kanisake is a signature touch where hot sake is poured into a toasted crab shell to draw out the concentrated, briny essence of the crab marrow. It is served alongside the sashimi, boiled and grilled crab courses.
Do you need a reservation at Kani Sienne Kitanohanare?
Yes. The restaurant has only two private rooms, each dedicated to a single party with its own chef, so booking well ahead is essential, especially in the winter crab season when Hokkaido's king and hairy crab are at their peak.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at Kani Sienne Kitanohanare
Booking well ahead is essential; Kani Sienne Kitanohanare has only two private rooms, on the 8th floor of the Hoshi Building in Susukino.
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Practical Information
AddressMinami 4 Nishi 5-7-2, Hoshi Bldg 8F, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
NeighbourhoodSusukino (Chuo-ku)
CuisineCrab Kaiseki
PriceLive-crab courses about ¥50,000-65,000
Dress CodeSmart casual
SeatingTwo private rooms, one party each
ReservationEssential
