I faced a one-day delay in my trip due to a flight cancellation, but I was determined not to let it go to waste. I bravely ordered the last sea urchin bowl at a restaurant. Upon entering, I noticed autographs of famous people displayed on the walls. I ordered the sea urchin bowl, which cost 8,500 yen. Despite feeling nervous, I confidently agreed to the price. The bowl arrived with a generous amount of sea urchin, along with miso soup, a side dish, and pickles. The sea urchin had a refined and rich flavor, leaving me quite satisfied. However, I couldn't help but wonder if 8,500 yen was a bit much.

It was raining heavily on August 5, 2023, but after driving around Rebun Island and returning the rental car, we decided to have lunch. We took a bus back to the hotel, so we had plenty of time to enjoy our lunch. We toasted with Super Dry beer and kelp shochu! It was really good, like drinking broth. I had sashimi set meal and scallop curry sashimi set meal. The sashimi set meal included scallops, shrimp, flying fish roe, and octopus, while the scallop curry had a rich scallop broth flavor.

On the third day of my Hokkaido trip, I visited Isoyakitei located right in front of the ferry terminal on Rishiri Island. As soon as I entered the restaurant, I was surrounded by autographs of famous people and the staff were friendly and lively. I tried their specialty, Rishiri Ramen. It was topped with fresh local seafood and a mountain of Rishiri's famous tororo kelp in the middle, resembling Mount Rishiri. The seafood broth was light and delicious.

I visited the famous restaurant known for its Rishiri Ramen, which has been featured on TV. The interior of the restaurant had a cluttered impression with handwritten menu slips and colored paper decorations. Due to the lack of nearby dining options, the restaurant seemed relatively busy. The Rishiri Ramen, priced at ¥1550 (tax included), was served in a huge bowl. Due to a shortage of mussels, scallops were used as a substitute. The dish also included a whole shrimp, one slice of chashu pork, wakame seaweed, white leeks, and plenty of Rishiri kelp. The broth had a strong soy sauce base with a high salt content, making it difficult to drink a lot. The kelp, however, was delicious. Perhaps a salt-based broth would better complement the delicate flavor of the kelp. The noodles were medium-thin and had a decent portion size. Overall, although not bad, I felt that the dish was slightly overpriced.

In short, it's like an upgraded version of city-style Chinese ramen. The soup is strong with a typical soy sauce flavor, similar to what you would find at a beach house or service area. However, it is made with a generous amount of carefully prepared Japanese-style broth, leaving a lingering umami taste. The quality of the broth ingredients can be felt, but it's overshadowed by the strong soy sauce flavor. The toppings like grated tororo kelp, scallops, and red shrimp are delicious, especially the scallops which have a rich flavor different from what you would find in the Kanto region. It's tasty, but lacks a special touch despite being labeled as "island ramen" or receiving awards on food review websites. It seems overpriced for what is essentially a regular soy sauce ramen with island toppings.

A dining spot located in front of the Oshidomari Ferry Terminal on Rebun Island in Hokkaido. Their specialty is the Rebun Ramen, which has been selected by the Michelin Guide and Best Ramen on Tabelog. When I visited in the evening, the ramen was already sold out, so I ordered the Uni Donburi with Ezo Bafun Uni and Purple Sea Urchin, as well as scallops. The Ezo Bafun Uni was incredibly rich in flavor, a rare delicacy to savor. The scallops were served as sashimi, with sizes and thickness that were extraordinary. They were almost as big as a small rice ball in volume, with a strong taste and satisfying texture. Each piece was only 400 yen, and if you love scallops, you'll want to keep eating them until you're full. A sign on the wall indicated that they only use Uni from Rebun Island, showing their strong attachment to the island. Due to rough seas, there are days when they cannot provide Uni, so it's best to visit early. Additionally, they may close early during bad weather, so it's recommended to visit promptly.

I arrived at around 5:30 pm. By that time, the Rishiri Ramen and Tororo Konbu Ramen were sold out. I was aiming for the Uni Hotate Don. The uni was sweet, and the scallops had even the adductor muscle, so I was very satisfied. It's not an exaggeration to say that there was more filling than rice! The side dishes were also substantial, and one of them was konbu tsukudani. I was very happy. It was a good restaurant.

We had lunch during our trip to Rishiri Island. We shared a bowl of Uni (sea urchin) donburi and ramen. The Uni, both Murasaki and Bafun, was incredibly sweet and satisfying. The ramen was also delicious. If you visit Rishiri Island, be sure to try the Uni.

I came all the way to Rishiri Island~ Since I'm here, I had to try the fresh Ezo Bafun Uni bowl! It was a bit pricey at 4,500 yen, but it was undeniably delicious! The taste of the Uni was rich! Trying to shell the Uni myself was challenging for an amateur, as it was difficult to remove the soft flesh without damaging it. Additionally, removing the small pieces of debris was also tough. It's understandable why Uni is expensive. Thank you for the meal.

The Buffun Uni Don for 4500 yen was absolutely amazing! It filled me with a sense of happiness!! The ramen with a balanced mix of flavors like pork bone and vegetables was also quite good! Unfortunately, the flight I was supposed to take got canceled. This happens occasionally, but when it happens in certain areas, there are very few alternative options. In the case of Rishiri Island, there were limited choices for alternative flights, and even moving to Wakkanai didn't offer many options. Ultimately, I had to stay another night in Wakkanai, causing inconvenience to my workplace and leaving me mentally and physically exhausted. It was a good learning experience though. Rishiri and Wakkanai are known for frequent fog during the summer, so it's best to plan with some extra time in mind. Just before receiving the devilish flight cancellation email, I was enjoying my last meal on Rishiri Island at this restaurant, located right across from the ferry terminal. The atmosphere of eateries in front of Hokkaido's ports always has a special charm. I ordered the Buffun Uni Don without hesitation, priced at 4500 yen. It was incredibly delicious and sweet! The miso soup that came with it had a rich broth and the pickled kelp was a nice touch. The bright yellow pickled daikon added to the charm of the eatery. I also ordered the Rishiri Ramen (1350 yen) which came with large scallops, shrimp, and shredded kelp. The soup had a good balance of pork bone and vegetable flavors, with a hint of sweetness. It was a simple yet well-prepared ramen with a gentle taste. I left the restaurant feeling completely satisfied. And then, just 10 minutes later...

After getting off the sightseeing bus in the morning on Rebun Island, we had lunch. The restaurant is famous for its sea urchin bowl, but it's not available until June. I had the scallop bowl instead. It came with scallop sashimi topped with scallop roe and scallop white liver, along with a side of egg vinegar dish. It cost around 1500 yen, I think. Most of the other customers were having ramen, but the scallop bowl is also really good.

I visited a restaurant quite a while ago. It is located in front of the Oshidomari Ferry Terminal on Rishiri Island. I came to Rishiri Island with the purpose of eating uni-don, so I confidently ordered the most expensive fresh uni-don. The set includes uni-don, pickled daikon radish, simmered kelp, and miso soup. The bowl is generously topped with beautiful Bafun uni. The rich sweetness spreads throughout the mouth. My family of four all enjoyed it in silence. I have tried delicious uni-don at various restaurants in Sanriku, Misaki in Shakotan, and Umi Murakami in Hakodate, but for me, this place was exceptional and delicious. Actually, the next day, I had uni-don at a highly-rated restaurant in Rebun Island, but unfortunately, it had a slight bitterness and felt somewhat unsatisfying compared to Isoyakitei. I would like to visit Isoyakitei again, although the location is quite challenging. The total bill was 18,000 yen for the whole family. It was quite a valuable experience to pay this much cash at a local diner.

Sea Urchin Bowl for 4800 yen. The contents are all made with high-quality Bafun sea urchin. While the Katakai restaurant in Wakkanai offers a large quantity of Murasaki sea urchin, our restaurant on Rishiri Island focuses on quality, creating the best possible dining experience. The ramen, made with our specialty kelp broth, was also delicious.

I traveled to Rishiri and tried the famous Rishiri Ramen. It was a soy sauce-based ramen with a light taste, enhanced by the seafood broth. It was delicious and very filling.

The fresh scallop bowl is sweet and delicious.

The biggest scallop I've ever had in my life.