Facts about Hokkai Kitchen
 

⚓ Familiy business since 1993

Founded after a year in Japan  born from a love for the culture, the people, and the fish.

⚓ From take-away to top restaurant
Hokkai Kitchen has grown into a restaurant that’s fully booked for both lunch and dinner.

⚓ Strong B2B Growth

In just one year, B2B increased from 20% to 40%- restaurants and wholesalers are discovering authentic Japanese products.

⚓ Black cod miso

Our signature dish for 30 years: exclusive, consistent, and ready for the menu.

Find out More?
www.hokkai.com

For those who don’t yet know you: what is Hokkai Suisan, and how did you become a specialist in Japanese fish products?

“Hokkai Suisan was founded in 1993, after I had spent a year living and working in Japan. My father exported fish to Japan, and through one of his clients, I was able to do an internship there. That’s where I fell in love with Japanese food culture and met my Japanese wife. When we returned to the Netherlands in 1993, we started Hokkai Suisan together. We began with ready-made Japanese fish products for the expat community in the Netherlands and beyond. We delivered ready-to-eat meals door to door, allowing customers to create an authentic Japanese dish at home in no time. For fifteen years, we operated purely as a B2C company.

​

In 2005, we felt the urge to share this beautiful Japanese food culture with a wider audience, so we shifted our focus to wholesale. Alongside marinades and dried fish, we introduced Japanese street food snacks such as breaded prawns and takoyaki. However, B2B grew more slowly than we had hoped, partly because B2C required our full attention.

​

So, in 2010, we took a new step: we opened a sushi take-away in IJmuiden. At that time, sushi was the only thing most Dutch people knew from Japanese cuisine. Our idea was simple: attract them with sushi, then introduce them to the richness of Japanese food culture. It worked. In 2014, the take-away evolved into our restaurant Hokkai Kitchen, where even a chef from the Okura Hotel joined our team. Today, Hokkai Kitchen ranks among the best in the Netherlands- fully booked for lunch and serving two rounds every evening.

​

That visibility also boosted our B2B channel. While in 2024, 80% of our turnover came from consumers and 20% from wholesale, that ratio has now shifted to 60% B2C and 40% B2B. Restaurants and wholesalers know where to find us. Our mission; to bring Japanese food culture to the Netherlands, has truly succeeded. To capture that journey, we created our own cookbook: a luxurious coffee-table book filled with recipes, photography, background stories, and practical cooking tips for home.”
 

​Black cod is a special fish with a story. What makes this product so popular among your customers, and how do you use it in your own kitchen?
“For the Japanese, black cod is an exclusive fish, comparable to sole or turbot. Its high fat content makes it perfect for fermentation and marinades. Miso tenderises the flesh and gives it a deep, rich flavour. We’ve been marinating black cod for thirty years now and serve it not only in our restaurant but also supply it to consumers and the hospitality industry. The dish gained worldwide fame thanks to the Nobu chefs, but for us, it has been a core product for years. For chefs and wholesalers, it’s a product that has it all: exclusive, distinctive, and yet surprisingly easy to prepare.”

You supply both Japanese expats and European food lovers. How important is the quality and consistency of your fish suppliers in that mix — and how does Vibes For Fish contribute to it?

“Quality and consistency are everything. If you start with inferior fish, it will never turn out right, no matter how good your marinade is. Our black cod is frozen directly on board right after being caught it simply doesn’t get fresher than that. In the Netherlands, frozen fish is still underestimated, while so-called ‘fresh’ fish is often already ten days old by the time it reaches the plate. 

"With Vibes For Fish, we have a partner who has the right connections with the Baranof vessels. They process black cod at a level no one else can match. Thanks to that, we’re already 3–0 ahead before the product even reaches the market.”

Together with Vibes For Fish, you’re bringing marinated black cod to the European wholesale market. What makes this partnership valuable for you, especially in terms of marketing and sales?

“VFF has a strong B2B network. We add a unique finished product to that. Using their raw materials, we produce our marinated black cod available exclusively through VFF. That closes the circle: from catch to final product, from source to plate. And that story sells. For us, it opens new markets; for VFF, it adds a distinctive edge to their range. A true win-win.”

Do you have a tip for wholesalers or chefs who want to serve something special without making everything from scratch?

“Black cod in miso. Ready to use. Ten minutes to defrost, eight minutes in the oven, and you have an exclusive dish on the table. No waste, no stock issues, always the same quality. As a chef, you can add your own signature with the garnish. It’s an effortless way to impress with a dish that would normally take hours to prepare.”.”