Visited "Kumanoya," a restaurant in Shiretoko known for its rocky shore cuisine, located right in front of the Shiretoko World Heritage Center. Shiretoko is famous for its salmon and salmon roe, so I made an effort to visit this restaurant. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is reminiscent of a fisherman's home, with a cozy feel. I ordered the following items from the menu: - Seafood bowl (2450 yen tax included): A delicious seafood bowl with plenty of fresh salmon roe, salmon, scallops, and octopus. The rice was tasty, and the overall combination was very satisfying. The miso soup had a rich seafood flavor. - Shiretoko seafood salt ramen (900 yen tax included): A luxurious seafood salt ramen with a rich seafood broth and thin noodles. The soup had a strong fish flavor, and it was filled with meat, shrimp, and Chinese cabbage. A delicious ramen dish. - Venison tataki (1100 yen tax included): A specialty of Shiretoko, made with fresh venison that was slightly rare. It was served with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Hokkaido has many delicious restaurants, and this place is no exception. The seafood here is top-notch. I can see why this restaurant is so popular. If you're in the Shiretoko area, I highly recommend this place. They only accept cash, so be prepared. It was a truly delicious meal. I will definitely come back. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Even though we are not fans of sea urchin and salmon roe, we wanted to taste local ingredients while visiting Shiretoko. We stumbled upon seafood ramen, hoping for a quick and satisfying meal. To our surprise, it exceeded our expectations and we devoured it eagerly! If we ever find ourselves indecisive about lunch in Shiretoko again, we will definitely go back.

I arrived at the restaurant for lunch during the Obon holidays at 11:30. Before coming here, I went to check out a popular restaurant and found a line of nearly 20 people, so I decided to give up. That restaurant didn't have any sea urchin available, but this one did. The restaurant was still empty, so I was lucky to be seated right away. I was torn between getting a seafood bowl or sashimi set (1,950 yen), and I decided on the sashimi set. While other restaurants around were charging over 2,000 yen for their seafood bowls, this place seemed reasonably priced. In about 5 minutes, a luxurious assortment of sashimi was served. The sashimi included tuna, white fish, scallops, octopus, shrimp, salmon, and sea urchin. The sashimi was large and incredibly fresh. The tuna was particularly crispy, almost beyond chewy. I'm not usually a fan of shellfish, but I never knew sashimi could be this delicious, especially the tuna. The sea urchin was sweet and satisfying. The food was delicious, the service was pleasant, and I highly recommend this restaurant.

Today, I originally planned to have lunch in the Rausu area, but I lost track of time while looking at the primeval flower garden... This is not good, there is a possibility that they will be closed... so I rechecked the restaurants in Utoro and chose this one. It was around 1 pm. There were parking spaces available in front of the store... and surprisingly, there was only one seat available inside. I sat down and looked at the menu... it's a bit pricey for a tourist spot... but I decided to go with the seafood bowl for 2450 yen including tax. I also have a travel support coupon worth 750 yen that I need to use today, so it's not too bad. The food arrived surprisingly quickly despite the crowd... in about 10 minutes. It had a good amount of ikura on top. Today, it also had what seemed to be flounder on it... The bowl was big, but the rice portion was quite modest. I heard that it would come with sauce, but when I tried the rice, it didn't seem like there was much... I might have added some soy sauce if there was some on the table... When I tried the rice alone, it looked good so I thought it would taste good too... and it did. It was really delicious. Once I started eating the ikura, it had a strong flavor... which made up for the lack of sauce. It was so tasty that I could eat just the ikura and rice. The flounder was really fresh, which made it quite firm and had a good texture. It was really delicious. A very luxurious seafood bowl (in terms of the balance between the toppings and rice). When it came time to pay... I couldn't use the travel support coupon! The remaining balance was 750 yen so... the store only accepted payments in increments of 1000 yen... It was a bit of a problem with the store's policy.

I forgot to upload the visit was in June. The seafood ramen with sea urchin was delicious. The sea urchin was locally caught Bafun uni. I should have tried the sea urchin bowl. My friend had the sashimi set meal and it looked delicious too. Shiretoko is difficult to move around, but it's nice, isn't it? The second picture is the road leading to heaven, and the third picture is Godzilla Rock.

I'm starting to get tired of seafood, so I wanted to try something else, and I found this place called "Kumanoya" that also serves ramen. I decided to have lunch there. It's located in front of a Michi-no-Eki (roadside station). I heard that the hokke (Atka mackerel) in Rausu is delicious because it's fatty, so I tried that as well. The ramen had thick noodles with a salty taste (on the stronger side), and the hokke was okay, not too fatty, so overall, I wasn't very satisfied. However, when I finished my lunch and left the restaurant, I noticed that there was a line forming. Why? Maybe because the ramen is priced at less than 1,000 yen? Yes, the lunch prices in this area are quite high.

Located right in front of the exit of the station, this popular restaurant is featured in guidebooks. I arrived right after it opened, so there were no other customers yet, but more arrived soon after. I decided to splurge and ordered the special Araso Don for 2,950 yen. It is a dish overflowing with the blessings of Okhotsk, featuring seafood caught at a nearby fishing port. It was delicious without a doubt. The texture and taste were well thought out, sure to satisfy any food lover. With large shrimp, sea urchin, salmon roe, octopus, and more, it was a great combination. However, maybe it was a bit too extravagant...

We decided to have lunch near the Utoro Fishermen's Co-op on our way to Shiretoko, but our intended restaurant was closed due to the state of emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We found an open restaurant right in front of the Michinoeki (roadside station) called Kumanoya, which seemed to offer a taste of the seafood from Shiretoko. Since we had sushi the night before, my wife and I both thought raw seafood might be too much, so she ordered the Special Aragosta Don (2,950 yen) and I opted for the Grilled Fish Set Meal (Hokke Hiraki - 1,350 yen). Ten years ago, I would never have ordered grilled fish, but now that I'm over 40, I feel like I'm starting to appreciate its taste. The Special Aragosta Don and the Botan shrimp, as well as the delicious sea urchin and large slices of sashimi, were all very satisfying. While we're not big fans of salmon roe, we would have preferred more variety in sashimi instead of a large amount of salmon roe, but even so, the quality of the Special Aragosta Don was undeniable. The prices were not overly inflated for a tourist spot, and I felt that the Donburi was worth the price. The Grilled Fish Set Meal consisted of thickly sliced Hokke fish. The taste of the dried fish itself is not much different from what I remember eating as a child, but I can now appreciate the umami flavor that I didn't find delicious at all in the past. I would prefer to eat it for around 1,000 yen, but considering the size, it was a reasonable price for a set meal. There are several other restaurants near the Utoro Fishermen's Co-op that offer similar seafood bowls. While the prices are similar, I believe the taste here is definitely reliable.

A wide variety of dishes are available at this restaurant, from seafood bowls to Shiretoko ramen. They also offer plenty of appetizers like deer tataki, sea urchin, and grilled turban shell that go well with alcohol. It's great that they are open until 4:00 pm, with the last order at 3:00 pm. During lunchtime, there may be a line, so aiming to arrive around 2:00 pm might result in a shorter wait.

For over 30 years, this restaurant has been focusing on using locally sourced ingredients, allowing customers to enjoy the seafood and mountain delicacies from Utro. Located right in front of the entrance to the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Heritage Site, is the Michi-no-Eki Utro-Shiretoko. I wanted to try their specialty "Special Ariso Don" but unfortunately, sea urchin was not available due to it being off-season. Instead, I opted for the sashimi set which was filled with shrimp, scallops, salmon, and more, topped with crab. Although it didn't have as much salmon roe as a seafood bowl, I was still completely satisfied with the meal at this time of year. Another specialty dish is the Shiretoko seafood noodle soup which was delicious with shrimp and crab in a perfectly seasoned broth. They even added meat on top instead of char siu, which was also very satisfying. Thank you for the delicious meal! I will visit again during sea urchin season.

Visited a restaurant in front of Shiretoko's Michi no Eki, during a break from the activity. It was a cold time with lingering drift ice, so I warmed up with a bowl of ramen. I'd like to come back in the warmer season to try seafood like uni and ikura sashimi.

I made a reservation for a Shiretoko cruise and before that, I needed to eat something. I got a good recommendation from my pet sitter for a restaurant called Kumanoya in Utoro district. When I entered the restaurant, there was a sign saying "no fresh sea urchin available". We were seated at a table for two and I was looking forward to the sashimi platter or maybe a bowl of vinegar rice. Since I feel like I only have a few more years to enjoy eating out, I decided to order what I wanted to eat (even if it was expensive). My companion, who is picky about food, was against mixing different ingredients, so this time the roles were reversed in terms of pricing (laughs). I ordered the special Ariso bowl for 2950 yen, as recommended by the pet sitter, while my companion ordered the Shiretoko seafood ramen for 850 yen. The dishes arrived in less than 5 minutes (so fast!). While it wasn't vinegar rice, the overall taste was good. However, the sea urchin was replaced with crab, which might be confusing for those with less experience from Honshu. Under the salmon roe were octopus, salmon, scallops, and yellowtail, along with a button shrimp that you could easily remove the shell from. The rice was topped with minced seaweed and miso soup with clams, as well as pickled cucumbers. My companion enjoyed the seafood ramen with a salty flavor, made with seafood broth (and possibly MSG). Although I had to help peel the shrimp shells, it was satisfying overall. If you're looking for seafood in Utoro, the bowl is a good choice, but surprisingly, the seafood ramen was impressive for its price. We enjoyed a meal at a restaurant that prides itself on serving the abundant seafood from the sea near Utoro. Thank you for the meal.

I unexpectedly visited the Shiretoko Peninsula. There is a shop in a place called Utoro with a unique name. Inside the shop, there were several autographs of famous people displayed. I ordered a seafood bowl, which costs 2,200 yen including tax. The bowl had salmon roe, salmon, scallops, and octopus on top of the rice. There was quite a generous amount of salmon roe. The scallops were large, and all the ingredients were fresh. It came with miso soup, seaweed vinegar, and pickles.

They didn't have an outro at night. Only one place two doors down from this shop was open... It was good too, but it lacked a bit of Hokkaido vibe. So, for lunch, I wanted to eat sea urchin at a place that feels like a seaside eatery in Hokkaido! At first, I tried going to "Ishinoya," but they weren't serving it, so I decided to go to the popular "Kumanoya" instead. It was around 11:30 on Saturday, and it was quite crowded. I thought about just getting sea urchin, but since it's a fishing town, I wanted to try various seafood, so I ordered a seafood bowl. It was really delicious! I couldn't find any faults. It was just delicious. I can't put it into words. Simply delicious. I wanted seconds, like asking for another stomach (laughs).

During the tour in Shiretoko, I had lunch. I was hesitant between getting a seafood bowl or something else, but since I had already tried seafood bowls elsewhere, I decided to go with the recommended Shiretoko seafood noodle soup! It was delicious with shrimp and crab in a salty broth. Plus, the freezing cold weather made it even more satisfying for my chilled body. Hokkaido is just too delicious! Thank you for the meal~♪

Today, I went to Hokkaido with my family. It was my first time, but my family has been here several times. We decided to go to this restaurant because my family wanted to have seafood bowls. The reason we chose this place is because they offer both seafood bowls and ramen. It's convenient for me as I have children who may not eat seafood. They also have fried rice and pork bowls, which is great! It's a popular restaurant, so we had to wait in line to get in. Even though we thought we missed the lunch rush, there were only three staff members running the whole place. They only call you in when they are ready to seat you, even if there are empty tables. We waited for about 20 minutes before we could enter. Once we were seated, it took about 10 minutes for the staff to take our order. The food arrived quickly after we ordered. The children had ramen, while the adults had seafood bowls. Everyone was delighted and said the food was delicious. It was worth the wait. I also enjoyed the food. It was good, but not exceptional. The atmosphere of the restaurant added to the overall experience. I tried the ramen as well, and it was decent. But the ambiance is what makes the dining experience special. It's important to create that Hokkaido vibe when you come here. I learned the importance of atmosphere in a restaurant. Thank you for the meal!

Lunch on the first day of my Shiretoko trip was here. I arrived at a good time, around 11:30, so the place was not crowded yet. However, by 12 o'clock, it was quickly filled up! I ordered the Uni and Ikura rice bowl. It came with pickles and miso soup. The uni was rich and creamy! The ikura was also fresh and flavorful, a local specialty. It had no fishy smell. And there was a generous amount of ikura. I finished it in no time. Thank you for the meal, it was a great start to my trip.

Opposite the Michi-no-Eki is Kumanoya, a restaurant serving dishes made with local seafood. It was bustling with customers during the weekends and tourist season, with staff appearing overwhelmed and sometimes providing curt service, asking customers to wait outside. They were also cold towards foreign visitors, speaking to them in a brusque manner in Japanese. However, considering the large number of foreign customers, I believe the staff should make more effort to improve their service. I tried the Ariso Donburi for 2,850 yen, topped with shrimp, sea urchin, and salmon roe. It was luxurious and delicious, but given the price, there were no surprises.

I came to the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage Site. November in Hokkaido is considered the off-season for food and tourism. There are few open shops and limited food options. This restaurant is located right in front of a newly built roadside station, and I am grateful that they are open all the way out here. The only other open restaurant is inside the roadside station. I ordered the Shiretoko Seafood Hot Noodles for 850 yen (tax included). Initially, I ordered the one with sea urchin, but they informed me that sea urchin is not available off-season. What a shame! The hot noodles arrived and they were more luxurious than I expected. I started by sipping the soup. Wait, is this chicken broth? It makes sense since it's hot noodles. I thought it would be seafood broth, but it turned out to be a peppery chicken broth. Mixing in the crab and repeatedly dipping the shrimp in the soup, it somehow created a seafood vibe. Oh, I see. It's like saying I added crab and shrimp to my ramen at a Chinese restaurant. Is this truly Shiretoko-like? I'm not sure. But I'm glad I could have lunch here and it warmed me up. Thank you for the meal.

Lunch at Kumanoya in Utoro on the first day in Shiretoko. I had been curious about this place for a while. I wanted to come at night, but apparently they only serve lunch now. I ordered the sashimi set and enjoyed the seafood from Hokkaido. If you go right when they open, you shouldn't have to wait in line. It's a good idea to check their business hours!

I stopped by here before joining a cruise to freshen up, and I wasn't expecting much since I didn't research the place beforehand. However, the seafood was delicious. Seafood in Hokkaido is definitely on a different level compared to Honshu. It may be common in Hokkaido, but as someone living in Honshu, it was more than satisfying.