After eating a bowl of Bafun Uni at Nakamuraya, we went to Nagisa Shokudo with my daughter for a Uni tour in Shakotan Peninsula! When we called in the morning, they said they had freshly caught Uni today. Despite the rough weather, the father went out to fish for it. This season is the best time to enjoy Uni. Perhaps it was the strong will of the mother. They only sold a limited number of half bowls due to the rarity of the Uni. The freshly caught Uni was natural and smoothly went down my throat. Uni tastes different depending on the sea area, but I was able to enjoy Shakotan Peninsula's Uni. Thank you for the meal.

Luckily, there was no wait when I happened to go. I was able to enter right away and soon after another party came in. I decided to go with the sea urchin dish, which was the only option available. I chose the Murasaki Uni for 3800 yen on this day!

In August 2020, I had a delicious bowl of sea urchin at a simple restaurant in Shikotsu. The place was a prefab building with a basic interior and no decorations. The menu was focused on sea urchin bowls, with options for different types and amounts of sea urchin. I ordered the sea urchin bowl with extra sea urchin and less rice, and it was a dream come true with a generous amount of sea urchin on top. The rice was hidden underneath, and the sea urchin was rich and sweet. The meal also came with a delicious matsutake mushroom soup. Overall, it's a great place for sea urchin lovers, although there is no restroom inside the restaurant.

This year, I arrived early at 7 o'clock. There was already one group waiting outside. I peeked into the restaurant to see if it was crowded, and they explained that they were asking customers to wait outside to avoid overcrowding. The weather was nice, so waiting outside was pleasant. When a group of bikers came out of the restaurant, I entered. This year, they had white (purple sea urchin) and red (horse dung sea urchin) options. White was available in a regular size, while red could only be ordered as a half-and-half with white. I ordered the half red and white sea urchin bowl for 4200 yen. A customer who arrived shortly after us was told that they could only make one white regular size and one half red and white bowl because the morning catch was gone, and they were waiting for the next one. It was a close call for us. Now, how does the sea urchin taste this year? It's delicious without soy sauce! And with the rice... hmm, the rice was cooked too hard. That was disappointing until the end. Even though the sea urchin was good and the price was reasonable, I wanted a better balance in the meal. Also, the sea urchin bowl felt a bit lacking in volume unless it was a large size. Maybe getting just the white in a large size, rather than the half-and-half, would have been more satisfying.

In search of the lingering taste of fresh sea urchin that will be banned from fishing in August, I drove to the tip of the Shakotan Peninsula, a 1.5-hour drive from Otaru. Upon entering the restaurant, the owner asked, "We only have sea urchin bowls, is that okay?" I ordered a half-and-half bowl of Bafun sea urchin and Purple sea urchin for ¥4100. Since the sea urchin I had in Otaru yesterday had alum in it, I asked, "Does the sea urchin here contain alum?" The owner replied firmly, "No, we don't use that, it's gross." The sea urchin, scooped out of saltwater with a mesh spoon and carefully arranged, was absolutely delicious. I tried it without soy sauce first. The sweetness was indescribable, with no hint of bitterness. It was amazing. While the Bafun sea urchin was sweet as expected, it was hard to choose between the two for their deliciousness. The restaurant only operates during the sea urchin fishing season, so I highly recommend it!

I stayed overnight to watch the Tengu and Mikoshi fire-walking festival at the Mikuni Shrine in Shakotan-cho. The next morning, I traveled 25 minutes to have breakfast in Mikuni. The weather was perfect with clear blue skies, and the restaurant opened at 6:00. There were already two groups inside. I ordered the Purple Sea Urchin Large Serving for 3,800 yen. Unfortunately, there was no horse dung sea urchin fishing that day, so I couldn't have the Half & Half option. However, I was lucky because during low fishing times, they couldn't offer large servings either. The bowl arrived soon, filled with so much sea urchin that you couldn't see the rice underneath. I tried a bite without soy sauce first. The aroma was delightful and sweet. It was so fresh, and I knew I had to come here to taste it. The rice wasn't vinegared, but it had chopped seaweed sprinkled on top, which was nice. I mostly ate it without soy sauce, but it would have been better with a soy sauce reduction to bring out the delicate flavor of the sea urchin. Having sea urchin bowl for breakfast made me feel happy. The sea urchin fishing in Shakotan is divided into four areas, and if one area is deemed unsuitable for fishing due to weather conditions, the other three areas cannot fish either. They can only catch a limited amount, with Purple and Horse Dung sea urchins both available. Horse dung sea urchins are only 10% of the catch, so it's understandable that they cost more. Even on a beautiful day like this, there are still days when the waves are too high for the boats to go out. After finishing my meal, I was grateful to hear such valuable information. The hostess was kind and I would love to visit again before the fishing season ends in August.

The sea urchin in Shakotan was delicious - it was the best. I woke up unusually early and left Otaru around 7:30. I even rented a car just for this (laughs). When I arrived at the restaurant around 9 o'clock, there were no customers... I was a bit worried. However, customers started to arrive after that. Since there was only one mother, maybe it was better that I arrived earlier. And today seemed to be the day for Bafun sea urchin! I got a lucky half bowl. The Murasaki sea urchin was already sweet enough, but the Bafun sea urchin was even sweeter... It was a breakfast of pure happiness. I was so happy to encounter the Shakotan Bafun sea urchin, which was the highlight of my trip to Hokkaido this time.

I thought I could eat Bafun Uni, but when I arrived at 9:20 in the morning, the customer before me had already bought the last one. Oh no! (laughs) But even just the Murasaki Uni was incredibly delicious!

I was surprised by the harsh way the staff spoke, but the taste is excellent.

Delicious! Many people who didn't like sea urchin (uni) changed their minds here, haha.

Sea urchin

A little over a year ago, I tried sea urchin in various places in Hokkaido, and the most delicious one was at Nagisa Shokudo. This time, I added Shakotan to my itinerary just to visit this restaurant. I couldn't forget the taste. The day before, I called to check the situation with the sea urchin, and I received a shocking response that due to rough seas, the fishermen couldn't go out and there were no sea urchins available. However, on the morning of the day, when I called again, they mentioned that the fishermen had gone out to sea and they might have some sea urchins available. Luckily, things turned out well, so I went to the restaurant early in the morning. [About the Restaurant] The restaurant is located at a fishing port on the way to Cape Kamui. The building is a prefab and the interior of the store is quite simple, but this simplicity adds to the nice atmosphere. The building has been rebuilt, but it has been run by a parent and child for over 50 years. There are quite a few customers who seem to be regulars, and it seems like a well-known restaurant to those who know about it. [About the Sea Urchin] On that day, they only had Purple Sea Urchin, and there were not many sea urchins available, so they couldn't offer a large serving. But that was not a problem. - Fresh Sea Urchin Bowl (Purple Sea Urchin) 2800 yen In the morning, the sea urchins caught by the fishermen were peeled, soaked in saltwater, neatly arranged on a ladle by the owner, placed on rice by the female owner, and served. The sea urchin was caught from the rough sea by the fishermen in the morning. It was simply placed on rice. It is a very simple dish, but you can strongly feel the elegant sweetness and umami of the Purple Sea Urchin. There is no fishy or bitter taste. It is extremely delicious. - Botan Shrimp Tempura Sun-dried 880 yen I bought a few bags as souvenirs. The bitterness of the miso is a mature taste, but the taste of the sea spreads in your mouth. It was good. [Summary] The restaurant does not have any stock, and you won't know if you can eat until the day of your visit, but that's because they are particular about using freshly caught sea urchins. At least I don't know of any sea urchin bowl tastier than this one. It takes over an hour by car from Otaru to get to Shakotan, but I think it's worth adding Shakotan to your itinerary just to eat sea urchin here.

I came to see the Shakotan Blue! For lunch, of course, it's uni (sea urchin) time! When it comes to Shakotan, it's all about uni! There are plenty of restaurants serving uni in Shakotan. When in doubt, asking the locals is the best way to go! So, they recommended this restaurant to me. Nagisa Shokudo! I wanted to have the Nishiki-don (two-color bowl), but unfortunately, it seems they couldn't get the Bafun uni today. So, I had the Murasaki uni-don (purple sea urchin bowl) instead! Over in the back, there's an old lady diligently scooping out uni. I ate that uni. It's delicious. Uni is delicious! It's creamy. It's so tasty that it disappeared in no time. I want to eat more. The price was 2800 yen. It's cheaper compared to other restaurants! With this much delicious uni in it. It seems they only operate during the summer. A truly charming restaurant with a beach house vibe. I hope they continue to thrive and do well! It was a wonderful restaurant. Thank you for the meal!!

I arrived a bit early at 6 AM on a regular Wednesday morning, and Okami-san, who noticed the sound of my car, kindly guided me to the parking lot and then into the restaurant. Unfortunately, the weather was rough, so I decided to have a Murasaki Uni bowl. While chatting with the grandmother and the Okami-san, I met the Murasaki Uni in just 3 minutes of waiting! I first tried it without any soy sauce... delicious! For the second bite, I tried it with a little soy sauce, but personally, I found it tastier without it. It was a completely different taste from the saltwater Uni I had in Sapporo yesterday, and I quickly finished it. As I was leaving, the grandmother sneakily fed me some Uni and said, "Come back again next year!" It was a happy moment, even though I didn't get to try the Bafun Uni. The Murasaki Uni was satisfying enough.

At this time of year in Hokkaido, many places are welcoming the fishing season for Ezo Bafun Uni (Red Sea Urchin), which is a dream come true for sea urchin lovers. I traveled around Hokkaido and tried sea urchin in various places like Shakotan, Hakodate, Rebun Island, Abashiri, and Nemuro... But in the end, I returned to Shakotan because I couldn't forget the taste of Ezo Bafun Uni I had at Misaki. I arrived early in the morning at Misaki, wrote my name on the waiting list, and had some time to spare, so I headed to Kamiiso Cape. On my way back, I was intrigued by a certain shop with a sign that said "Fresh Uni". Driven by a mysterious force, I entered the shop. 【About the shop】This cozy shop is run by a mother and daughter duo, and surprisingly, it has been in business for over 50 years! I heard that among bikers, it has become a sacred place, and it is a common route for those who arrive in Tomakomai by ferry to head to Nagisa, eat Uni Don, and then head north. Some even stop by Nagisa on their way back. The shop has a few simple tables and chairs, and they cannot accommodate large groups. However, due to its small size, you can enjoy the best sea urchin while communicating with the mother and daughter. They purchase sea urchin directly from fishermen, not from the market, so they are subject to the fluctuations in the catch. But in return, you get to enjoy authentic top-quality sea urchin. It seems that someone from Tabelog visited and left a sticker, but they don't seem too interested as the unused sticker was placed in a hard-to-find spot in the shop. Wonderful. They don't do much advertising because if too many customers come, they won't have enough sea urchin to serve everyone, so they rely on word of mouth. Also, they have been approached for TV coverage several times, but after a bad experience and causing inconvenience to customers, they have not accepted any more interviews, showing their consideration for their customers. 【About the sea urchin】I was told that Ezo Bafun Uni was not available the day before or on that day. So, I ended up having Kitamurasaki Uni instead. But it was absolutely delicious. Come to think of it, when I arrived in Shakotan this morning, I hardly saw any boats out at sea, even though a few days ago there were many. It's something that is influenced by nature. ◎Raw Uni Don Kitamurasaki Uni Large Serving 3600 yen x 2 The ultimate sea urchin. It's divine. It's light yet incredibly flavorful. Delicate yet robust, and sweet. It is said that Shakotan sea urchins feed on thin kelp, which may explain their sweetness. The top-quality sea urchin here doesn't even use alum, so you can savor the sweetness and umami lingering in your mouth. It was so delicious that I didn't even put soy sauce on it and ate it as it is. While I was eating, the mother gave me advice to take a piece, dip it in a little soy sauce in a small dish, and try it that way, which was indeed delicious. But in the end, for the second serving, I ate it without anything. The sea urchin bowl here has an incredible amount of sea urchin. Each large piece is piled up on the rice generously. I remember watching the kitchen staff. They were taking out sea urchin from a cloudy saltwater solution that seemed to be filled with a lot of flavor, and with a large ladle, they were draining the salt. It turned out that the sea urchin from three ladles of saltwater was enough for one serving. You can eat this much top-quality sea urchin for only 3600 yen! (Please consider the soup as a bonus.) I asked why it was so delicious, and the answer was, "We just peel the sea urchin bought from the fishermen and soak it in saltwater with the same salinity as seawater. We don't wash it vigorously like the packed sea urchin, which would wash away the flavor. So we just soak it in saltwater. The murky saltwater has the concentrated flavor." It was a simple and easy-to-understand explanation. It was so delicious that I ended up having a second serving. 【Summary】I came to this shop just to eat this sea urchin, and it was worth it.

Hello everyone, this is Yoh. We arrived at Otaru Port early in the morning as scheduled. The weather wasn't great, with a typhoon approaching. After checking the weather forecast again, it seemed like it was going to get worse. After some thought, I decided to make Hakodate, which was supposed to be the final destination of this trip, the first destination instead. First, we took a leisurely commemorative photo at the Otaru Canal in the early morning. Instead of heading straight to Hakodate, we decided to visit the Shakotan Peninsula. Along the way, I remembered there was a restaurant called "Misaki" known for its sea urchin rice bowl, but unfortunately, it was still closed. So we continued driving and stumbled upon a restaurant called "Nagisa." They had a sign for fresh sea urchin rice bowl, so we decided to eat there. The interior of the restaurant was simple, and the menu was simple too, but the prices were quite high. The sea urchin rice bowl started at 2,400 yen, not exactly cheap, but considering the rising price of sea urchin, it was understandable. I wanted to try the Bafun sea urchin, but it was 4,000 yen, so I ended up choosing the cheapest option, the Murasaki sea urchin rice bowl. It was still delicious. I thought about adding soy sauce, but eating it as it is allowed the simple taste of the sea urchin to shine through. The waitress said, "Did you come here by ferry? You guys are early. Take care." After paying, we left the restaurant. Thank you for the meal.

In Hokkaido during the summer, sea urchin is a popular specialty. I'm not a fan of the strong taste of myoban, so I don't usually eat sea urchin outside of sushi restaurants in Tokyo. There are some popular places where sea urchin is piled high, but the more there is, the stronger the myoban flavor. So, if you want to eat a lot of sea urchin, I think it's impossible to do it anywhere other than in Hokkaido. The seasonal Hokkaido sea urchin has excellent sweetness and aroma. You can enjoy just the taste of sea urchin with rice. In Sapporo, Sugino is a popular choice, but this time I decided to visit Shakotan. There are many shops there, but this one caught my attention because they only serve sea urchin bowls. The shop is open from early June to early September. If you want to eat sea urchin, this is the place to go. The shop is simple with no unnecessary decorations or pretentiousness, just a space to eat sea urchin. Inside, there are older women waiting, and when you enter, they ask, "Just sea urchin, is that okay?" They must not like being asked if it's only sea urchin. In reality, there are two types of sea urchin, Kitamurasakiuni and Ezobafununi, depending on the morning's catch. There may be days when there is no catch, so it's better to call ahead. The day before I visited, there was no catch, so I was lucky to have only Kitamurasakiuni available. Since it was a special occasion, I ordered a large portion. The bowl arrived with sea urchin stacked on top of each other, creating an impressive presentation. When I tasted it, the flavor was excellent, and I couldn't stop eating. I rarely eat hearty sea urchin bowls, so getting a large portion was the right choice. The atmosphere, as well as the pickles (pre-made) and soup (matsutake clear soup from Nagatanien), are very straightforward. The contrast with the sea urchin was significant, and I found it rather charming. If I had encountered Ezobafununi, my rating might have been even higher!