At the foot of Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa, the auberge-style hotel HOTEL AO KANAZAWA was created by Shokudokoro Suju (食処 酢重), a restaurant that originated in Karuizawa and serves simple Japanese dishes that never get tiresome, made with Shinshu miso, soy sauce, and beans. On the first floor of the hotel, Shokudokoro Kanazawa Suju (食処 金沢 酢重) prepares dinner courses through the seasons using seasonal ingredients and fresh ingredients caught locally.
Enjoying Snow Crab Prepared Several Ways
Crab fishing opens in Ishikawa Prefecture on November 6 every year. Shokudokoro Kanazawa Suju will serve its Winter All-Crab Course (冬の蟹づくしコース), which features snow crab (zuwaigani) prepared in a variety of ways, from Friday, November 13.
The snow crab is grilled, boiled, and served shabu-shabu style, with the heat adjusted for each preparation to bring out the sweetness and aroma of the crab.
The appetizer, "Crab Salad," is a dish of snow crab, kinjiso (金時草), and other ingredients served on rice chips that have been simmered in crab broth and softened. The steamed dish is a warm "Hasu-mushi" (lotus steamed dish) that combines kobako crab with Kaga lotus root. The sashimi course pairs fatty winter yellowtail (kanburi) with snow crab that is sweet and melts in the mouth, to be enjoyed with condiments of your choice. The "Boiled Crab" is a simple way to taste the umami of two kinds of crab, kobako crab and red snow crab. For the oshinogi course, there are the light "Crab Shiokara" (salted crab) and the richly flavored "Crab Kaburazushi" (蟹かぶら寿司, turnip sushi). The "Grilled Crab" lets diners slowly savor the sweetness of snow crab with its fluffy texture. The "Crab Miso Shell Shabu-Shabu" is an indulgent dish in which crab legs are coated in rich crab miso. The meal ends with "Snow Crab Rice Cooked in a Copper Pot", made in the restaurant's original copper pot. Diners can enjoy the rich crab flavor that fills the mouth as part of a winter trip to Kanazawa.
Kobako crab is the Kanazawa name for female snow crab.
Winter All-Crab Course Details
- Course name: Kanazawa Suju Winter All-Crab Course (「金沢 酢重」冬の蟹づくしコース)
- Price: ¥33,000 per person (tax included)
- Serving period: Friday, November 13, 2026 to Sunday, February 28, 2027
- Serving hours: Dinner (from 4:00 PM)
Menu
- Appetizer: Crab Salad
- Steamed dish: Kobako crab, Kaga lotus root hasu-mushi (lotus steamed)
- Sashimi: Winter yellowtail (kanburi) and snow crab
- Boiled crab: Kobako crab, snow crab, crab miso, crab vinegar
- Oshinogi (light dishes): Crab shiokara, crab kaburazushi
- Grilled crab: Snow crab
- Hot pot: Crab miso shell shabu-shabu
- Rice dish: Snow crab rice cooked in a copper pot
- Dessert: Nerikiri (Japanese confection), "Snow Rabbit" (雪うさぎ)
After the kobako crab season ends in late December, snow crab is used instead.
Restaurant Reservations
- Shokudokoro Kanazawa Suju: TEL 076-223-4640 (7:00 AM to 10:00 PM)
- The Winter All-Crab Course is by reservation only, and reservations must be made at least 3 days in advance.
Winter All-Crab Course Overnight Stay Plan (Dinner and Breakfast Included)
- Stay period: Friday, November 13, 2026 to Sunday, February 28, 2027
Room rates (per room for two guests, dinner and breakfast included)
- Loft: from ¥91,100 (tax and service charge included)
- Tatami: from ¥92,000 (tax and service charge included)
- Standard: from ¥98,600 (tax and service charge included)
- Superior: from ¥103,000 (tax and service charge included)
- Kenroku Twin (兼六ツイン): from ¥103,000 (tax and service charge included)
- Ao Suite (青スイート): from ¥133,800 (tax and service charge included)
- Kenroku Suite (兼六スイート): from ¥133,800 (tax included)
HOTEL AO KANAZAWA
Kanazawa is a city that continually takes on new elements within a townscape rich in history and traditional culture. It attracts visitors from Japan and abroad as a destination where travelers can experience both elegant tradition and modern art.
HOTEL AO KANAZAWA stands a 2-minute walk from Kenrokuen Garden, in a quiet space where history and modern design come together.
- Opened: Sunday, September 1, 2024
- Rooms: 15 rooms (19 to 61 m²)
- Check-in: From 3:00 PM
- Check-out: Until 11:00 AM
- Address: 1-1 Kenrokumotomachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
- Phone: 076-223-4630
- Access: About 15 minutes by bus from JR Kanazawa Station
- Website: https://hotelao.jp/kanazawa
