I recently tried the Misogi no Shio Soft Serve at a roadside station in Kogonai and it was delicious! The soft serve itself was sweet but refreshing, with a hint of saltiness that paired well with the watermelon and salt sauce. It had a unique taste, kind of like a rare cheesecake. The salt used in the soft serve is made from seawater from the Tsugaru Strait. I also want to try other menu items next time. Thank you, Wu-ta-san, for the recommendation!

After several years, I headed to Hakodate on the Hokkaido Shinkansen. Lately, I've been taking the ferry more often. Yes. I stopped by the Michi-no-Eki Kikonai, located in front of Kikonai Station on the Hokkaido Shinkansen. This is my second time stopping by this Michi-no-Eki. There are no rental cars at Kikonai Station, so I went to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto to rent a car. And then I came back (laughs). There was snow, but the main roads were not frozen thanks to the anti-freezing agent. Almost time for lunch, but it's snack time. The old man who loves croquettes had a Wagyu croquette for 280 yen. Where's the Wagyu? That's the kind of croquette it was. Well, it was a crispy croquette. Alright. Unlike Hakodate, there are few tourists around here. Oh? There's a lottery ticket booth. I bought "10 tickets for the year-end Jumbo." Now, off to the hot springs we go. Bon appétit!

On the third day of my trip to Hakodate, I decided to take a ride on the Isaribi Railway. With a free pass in hand, I hopped on the train and was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful scenery along the way. The train had a guide on board who provided commentary about the passing landscapes. After about an hour and a half, we arrived at the final stop, Kikonai Station. With an hour to spare before heading back, I explored the tourist attractions at Kikonai Station, such as the Shinkansen Observatory, Misogi Beach, and an abandoned station (I forgot its name). Feeling hungry after not eating anything since morning, I stopped by Kitchen Kiko at the Michi-no-Eki Misogi-no-Sato shop in front of the station to grab a snack. I tried the Hakodate Wagyu croquette and the Misogi salt soft-serve ice cream. The croquette was crispy and delicious, but I couldn't quite tell if it was made with Wagyu beef as advertised. The ice cream, topped with salt sauce, had a surprisingly good balance of flavors that didn't feel out of place at all. Overall, this Michi-no-Eki served as a little oasis at Kikonai Station with its unique food offerings.

I forgot to upload a special feature (;´∀｀) This is a visit from April 2021 (probably) during my road station tour at "Misogi no Sato Kikonai." Feeling a bit hungry, I bought the "Octopus and Squid Surimi Skewer" (180 yen) from the fast food restaurant Kitchen Kiko inside the road station. I enjoyed it at the eat-in space. It's a skewer of white fish surimi with octopus and squid mixed in and grilled. Since the ingredients were not listed, I couldn't tell exactly, but it was a tasty surimi without any strong flavors. The size was just right to feel the texture of the octopus and squid, making it even more delicious. Later, my companion bought the spring-limited Misogi no Sato Soft Serve, the "Misogi Salted Strawberry Soft Serve." It was a creamy soft serve with a hint of salt, topped with a milky strawberry-flavored condensed milk sauce. It was delicious. Thank you, Kitchen Kiko! :)

On October 29, from Hakodate to Matsumae, my grandchildren wanted to ride the Hokkaido Shinkansen, so I booked reserved seats on the H5 Hayabusa. There are not many trains, so we quickly visited Goryokaku before moving to Hakodate-Kita Station. We were satisfied riding the H5, which we couldn't see at Tokyo or Omiya Station. It only takes about 10 minutes to get to Kikonai, but they seemed happy. We are getting closer to completing our Shinkansen journey (lol). From Kikonai Station, we took a rental car to Matsumae, which was smoothly arranged by JTB. The rental car shop is located at the Michi-no-Eki (roadside station) in front of the station. It claims to be the best roadside station in Japan - really? Inside, the atmosphere is woody with high ceilings, very open and inviting. After completing the rental car procedures, we had lunch. They offered ramen, and the recommended limited-time special was "Miso Wakame Hijiki Ramen" for 410 yen - really? My husband ordered it cautiously, and when our order number was called, he went to pick it up. It was a generous portion with lots of ingredients and plenty of noodles. The ramen was delicious and light. It was very satisfying and the 410 yen price tag felt like a steal. It's on par with school or company cafeteria prices (lol). Truly fitting for the best roadside station in Japan! The shop also had a great selection, so don't forget to buy souvenirs on your way out. Thank you for the meal!

On the first day of my trip to southern Hokkaido, I visited a restaurant called "Kitchen Kiko" located at the Michi-no-Eki "Misogi no Sato Kikonai." I always thought that Osugi and Piko were siblings, but it turns out they are not! Kikonai is a town with a lot of energy, with a new Shinkansen station and Michi-no-Eki, and a high-standard road planned for the future. "Misogi no Sato" is named after the traditional festival "Kikonai Town Midwinter Misogi Festival" that has been held since 1831. The festival involves people entering the winter sea in loincloths, which seems a bit crazy to me! I tried the Misogi no Satou Zangi for 260 yen, which was a lightly fried zangi similar to a fritter. It was not greasy enough for my liking, so it was just okay.

I haven't been to Hokkaido in 2 years ＼(^o^)／ I couldn't go last year, so I'm happy now ♡ As usual, I'll be traveling by rental car (*^_^*) I happened to stop by "Michi no Eki Misogi no Sato Kikonai" in Kikonai town that I saw. They sell snacks like corn and shaved ice, takoyaki, etc. I bought soft cream at the kitchen keyco where they sell light meals. ■ Misogi no Shio Soft Cream Milk soft cream with a special salt sauce on top, sweet and salty and delicious ♡ Misogi no Shio is salt purified from the sea off the coast where the ritual "Misogi Festival in Midwinter" has been held since the Edo period in Kikonai town. Hearing that story, I started feeling grateful and felt like I had to accept it (；´∀｀) Local soft serve always makes you want to eat it, right? Thank you for the meal ☆彡

I was told that the curry bread would take a little time, so I hesitated and ended up eating a croquette (250 yen). It was made with plenty of the local specialty, baron potatoes, and the potato flavor was amazing. When I finally found the meat, I thought, "Was it you, Kiko?" If you want to feel more of the meat, go for the minced cutlet.

The best dish at Kitchen Kiko in Kikonai, the southernmost station of the Hokkaido Shinkansen, is their salt soft serve ice cream. It features a generous serving of salty cream on top of creamy milk soft serve. It's a unique flavor worth trying at least once. The restaurant has a touristy vibe. In reality, the limited edition Hakodate Wagyu and leek miso ramen was incredibly delicious. I hope they continue to explore and offer more innovative dishes in the future.

I had salt ramen, Wagyu croquette, grilled rice ball, and miso-fried rice cake skewer. The miso-flavored fried rice cake skewer was surprisingly delicious with a nice balance of sweetness and saltiness!

"Misogi ice cream beef croquette"

The salted melon soft serve was quite delicious.

After finishing lunch at Michi no Eki Misogi no Sato Kikonai, I decided to have dessert, of course! The home CEO bought it for me, and I casually ate it, but I was surprised! It was a bit unusual! It seemed like a regular soft serve with some kind of sauce on top, but that sauce was the key to its unique taste. At first, you get hit with a tangy flavor, followed by a sweet vanilla taste, making the sweetness stand out even more! It's a soft serve ice cream with a perfect balance of flavors. It was delicious!

In January 2017, I stopped by the Michi-no-Eki "Misogi no Sato Kikonai" in Kikonai for a little break. Since I was there, I decided to buy something to eat. I went to a shop called "Kitchen Kiko" which opened in August last year. I was intrigued by the "Baron Potato Curry Bread" so I bought that for 250 yen. It was a bit pricey compared to curry bread from a regular bakery. I took a picture of the bread, tore it in half, but my hands got oily. I wiped them with a tissue, took another picture, but it didn't look much different. The taste was surprisingly spicy and had a mature flavor. The baron potato didn't stand out much. When I looked at the bag, I noticed it was from "Kitajima" bakery across the street. Suddenly, it didn't feel as special. Overall, it was an okay experience, and I may or may not visit again.

In the Michi-no-Eki Kikonai, a new restaurant called Kitchen Kiko has opened. Since it's in Misogi no Sato, I had to try something and get purified, right? The takoyaki is only 250 yen for the grand opening, down from 350 yen. What a deal! And surprisingly, it's delicious too! The outside is crispy like Gindako, while the inside is soft and the octopus inside is quite big. It's not greasy like Gindako, which is great. Even at 350 yen, it's a good value for the quality.

When it comes to Mokonai, it's all about the salt soft serve ice cream! As expected during Golden Week, it was super crowded haha. The most popular choice for everyone is definitely the salt soft serve! I couldn't wait to eat it! After waiting for about 10 minutes, I finally got my hands on it. Mokonai's salt soft serve in a waffle cone (300 yen). The perfect amount of saltiness! I can understand why this is considered the best soft serve in Hokkaido!!! Eating it with the waffle cone makes it even more delicious. This is a must-try when you visit. Thank you for the meal!

Salted mandarin orange sauce soft serve ice cream. The salt sauce with a hint of orange aroma adds an interesting touch. The soft serve ice cream is not too sweet, and the salt sauce is not overly salty, creating a perfect balance. The aftertaste is refreshing, making it enjoyable without needing a drink to wash it down. It seems they have various limited edition salt sauces available, and I would like to try others as well. Thank you for the meal.