Yamakata Seafood Market in Wan Chai is touted to bring the Tsukiji market experience to Hong Kong… well, I beg to disagree, it has really little to share with Tsukiji or any other Japanese market. Actually, it looks like a small-scale clone of Taipei’s Addiction Aquatic Development. I would describe it as a multifunction dining and shopping space.
The visit
I easily reached the venue by ferry (see the tips at the end of the review) from TST. It was around 2pm and there were relatively few customers. That was a relief because it is not a spacious place. With a lot of people it can really get overpowering.
I went past the supermarket area where seafood and Japanese products are for sale.
In the supermarket area you can find deluxe sets like the one pictured above including a small lobster.
They have quite a few fun Japanese soft drinks.
Past the supermarket area there are a number of individual dining spaces, each one specializing in a different type of Japanese food. They also have an area for lectures and demonstrations. Time to time they organize tuna cutting shows.
At this counter they were serving among other things lobster rolls. Other stations serve donburi, oysters, various cooked foods, and so on. All based on fresh seafood of course.
Finally, at the end of the pier you get to the sushi bar. They do not offer the most comfortable seating arrangements, but the view of the harbor is great. You are given a menu where you can tick off the items you want to order.
I had my unmissable serving of tuna sashimi.
Then I had a tuna mixed platter including fatty and medium fatty tuna.
Then I also ordered some additional pairs of nigiri: scallops, mackerel, amberjack and hammachi.
Overall the sushi was good and fresh, but there was really nothing that made wish to be back soon.
This was the menu available on June 2018:
The check
The check came to 430 HKD (55 USD) for 12 pieces of sushi and a portion of sashimi. Not cheap at all, but being Hong Kong not outrageous either.
Overall it was fun to eat there; I definitely would recommend to go during off peak hours to avoid crowds. Also, they may have other dishes worth trying apart from classic sushi and sashimi (those lobster rolls…). The variety of available seafood is another plus.
Where in Hong Kong:
2/F, Wan Chai Ferry Pier
Pro-tip: it may sound counter-intuitive, but the best way to get there is from Kowloon (the opposite side of the harbor). Take the Star Ferry from Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier to Wan Chai Ferry Pier. Upon disembarkation the seafood market is just around the corner. Super easy. Going there from Wan Chai station is a painfully long walk dodging footbridges and construction areas.
Visit their website for more information. Have a look at their seasonal offerings.