Chinese Cuisine Hotei Main Store

The flagship store of a local chain with several locations in Sapporo. It’s known for its popular "Zangi," a Hokkaido specialty, and its casual Chinese dishes. Zangi is similar to fried chicken, but the key difference is that the chicken is marinated in a sweet and savory soy sauce-based sauce before being fried.

At this restaurant, they hand-make each piece of Zangi using three different oil temperatures. First, they fry the chicken in medium heat to lock in the flavor. Next, they lower the temperature slightly to cook the meat thoroughly. Before the chicken is fully done, it’s removed from the oil and left to rest for over five minutes, allowing the heat to distribute throughout the meat. Finally, they use high heat to quickly remove any excess moisture, resulting in the famous Zangi—crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. This Zangi attracts customers from all over Hokkaido and beyond.

Another signature dish is the "Mabo-men," a soy sauce ramen topped with a rich, low-soup version of mapo tofu. Originally created as a staff meal, the combination of Chinese noodles and mapo tofu proved so delicious that it was added to the menu.