Although it was close by, I couldn't go there often, but I plan to go more frequently from now on! I had a sudden craving for fried rice and decided to go! The fried rice was moist and fluffy, with a strong Chinese broth flavor that was delicious! The accompanying soup was a bit salty, but the quality of the fried rice was high! I wish it had a bit more volume, but I'm interested in trying other menu items, so I would like to visit again!

I wanted to try the Enma Yakisoba in Noboribetsu, so it was my first visit to this restaurant. It had a local Chinese restaurant vibe. The yakisoba had a nice level of spiciness and was very delicious with shrimp, vegetables, meat, and flat noodles. The fried rice we ordered was also delicious! The Enma Yakisoba can be found at various shops in Noboribetsu, and each shop has slightly different flavors. This was my fourth time trying it, and once again, I had a satisfying lunch.

- Date: 2022/02/15/TUE #035 - Restaurant: Fukuraiken - Dish: Fried noodles - Price: ¥1000 After completing a mission at my parents' house, I returned to Sapporo. But before that, I decided to grab a meal. I wanted to go to Sanmeikan behind the station, but they are closed on Tuesdays. Oh well, there are still plenty of dishes here that I haven't tried yet, so it's all good. This time, during the busy lunch hour with the old man and manual laborers, I decided to try the fried noodles. Ta-da! The noodles were fried to a crisp, almost to the point where I thought they might stab the back of my throat if I'm not careful. Even with the hot sauce poured over them, the noodles maintained their crunchy texture. The sauce was indeed salt-based, with a soft saltiness and a nice hint of sesame oil. The variety of ingredients added to the dish made it delicious. I added a bit of chili oil from the table in the middle of the meal, and it added a nice spicy kick. Next time, I might try the regular yakisoba or maybe the mixed vegetable noodles. Thank you for the meal! (Source: http://mrbin1203.com/?p=31871)

On 2022/01/03/MON #001 ★ Fukuraiken @ Canton Noodles ¥850 I really wanted to go to Sanmeikan behind Horobetsu Station to have my first drink of the new year... But it seems like they are still on New Year's break since I couldn't reach them by phone (T^T). However, over here we are open and lively on the 3rd day of the new year!!! I left my parents' house with plenty of time before the bus, so even if it's a bit crowded, it's no problem (^-^)v. So, I decided to order the Canton noodles. Bam! ( ^罒^ )v After waiting for about 10 minutes, a steaming hot bowl of Canton noodles was served! The sesame oil aroma rises up and stimulates the appetite, even though the meaning is not necessarily good. Let's dig in right away. Oh!!! It's a Canton noodle with a full sauce topping, with a gentle salty base and the flavor of sesame oil coming through. The vegetable-filled sauce, along with the slightly chewy noodles with a hint of chili, create a delicious combination. If you eat it in a hurry, the hot sauce is sure to make your jaw drop, but there are also shrimp and pork belly in the mix. If it's this type of dish, it would probably be delicious even with simpler ingredients, like a moyashi soba style. Towards the end, I tried adding some chili oil and vinegar from the table to make it more like a hot and sour soup noodles, and it was also delicious!!! When I looked back at the menu later, I realized there was no hot and sour soup noodles listed, so it might be good to add chili oil and vinegar from the start for tuning. It really warmed me up because it was so cold. Thank you for the meal (*˘╰╯˘)ゞ http://mrbin1203.com/?p=31261

Fukuraiken @ Hiyashi Ramen ¥850 After leaving PAPIA, I still have about 40 minutes until the bus arrives. I also have room in my stomach, so let's go for another meal! I thought about going to Sanmeikan behind the station, but they are closed on Tuesdays. So, I came here instead. It was lunchtime, and the place was bustling with customers coming and going, and the kitchen was working at full speed with two mothers working efficiently together. I ordered the year-round available Hiyashi Ramen, ignoring the seasonal menu. Here it comes! It looks classic and has a good portion size, perfect for a second meal. Let's dig in. The slightly sweet sauce with a good balance of acidity goes well with the chewy noodles, which I really like. If it was like this, I could have easily gone for a large serving as well. I'll definitely come back again! Thank you for the meal.

Today's lunch was Chinese food! It was my first visit here. The kitchen is run by two mothers, and it seems like they are quite busy even during lunchtime, as they are the only Chinese restaurant in the area. I wanted to eat rice rather than ramen, so I ordered fried rice. It was delicious. There were many families as customers, giving it a local Chinese restaurant vibe.

On Sunday night, I returned to my parents' house to complete a certain mission, which was just cutting the hair of some relatives. After staying over at my parents' house on Sunday and Monday, I returned home on Tuesday afternoon. But before that, I decided to have a light meal at a long-established Chinese restaurant in front of Horobetsu Station. This place is known for serving cold ramen (hiyashi chuka) all year round, which is quite rare nationwide. I chose the spicy cold ramen, which had a plain appearance but was surprisingly delicious. The soup was based on the sauce of cold ramen with added spiciness from chili oil, and the noodles were chewy and well-matched. The crispy fried pork pieces, the crunchy texture of jellyfish, and the refreshing taste of cucumber all blended well with the spicy sauce. The portion was not very big, so I finished it quickly. Next time, I would like to try the Cantonese noodles. Thank you for the meal. Additional note: The bus stop had moved to the opposite side of the station, and I almost missed my bus, which was quite a close call.

Today, I tried to explore new places and found this restaurant on Tabelog. I visited around 1 pm and it was almost full, so it seems to be a popular spot. I ordered fried rice and Enma yakisoba. Although I wanted to order more, the place seemed too busy. It took over 20 minutes for the fried rice and Enma yakisoba to arrive. When I tried the Enma yakisoba, it wasn't spicy at all, it seemed to be stir-fried with sesame sauce. It was a bit bland. The fried rice was very moist and soft. Did we order the wrong dishes? Were the other options better? Overall, it was a bit disappointing.

I went to Canadian Fried Chicken in front of JR Horobetsu Station and had a fried burger, but that wasn't enough, so I wandered into this restaurant next door. The atmosphere was like a local Chinese diner. An elderly woman was in charge of cooking in the kitchen, which was a bit surprising. The menu includes classic Chinese dishes, affordable lunch options, and even local specialty items. The fried rice was $7. I could see the cooking process from the open kitchen, and the fried rice was on the moist side with a decent amount of soup poured over it at the end. The seasoning was good, and I could enjoy it smoothly as a popular fried rice dish. Not bad. The portion size was average. The soup had a strong flavor when I mixed it well, which was a bit too salty and raised my blood pressure. This was definitely an error, and I couldn't continue eating it. That was disappointing. Maybe it's better to go for the affordable lunch menu here. I'd like to try the Gyoza set meal for $6 if I have the chance.

It's been almost 20 years since I last visited this restaurant, and the mama and auntie seem to be having a great time in the kitchen. I ordered the Ankake Yakisoba from the first table. It had a light seasoning, a nice char on the noodles, and the sauce was delicious. I heard they raised the prices in June. Hmm... is it 50 yen more expensive now? The Ankake Yakisoba was 850 yen. Thank you for the meal!

Recently, I visited the Sodas Shokudo as I mentioned before, but in my hometown, there is a Noboribetsu Brand Promotion Council. I saw a review by Tanuki Noguri, a friend from Tabelog, and heard that they also serve Enma Yakisoba here, so I wanted to visit if I had the chance! Actually, the opening hours here and my timing passing by the restaurant didn't match, so I had been rejected several times this year. But this time, the timing was perfect! By the way, I remember seeing a mention of this place's daughter in a manga by Koji Aihara a long time ago. I ordered the Enma Yakisoba, of course! The preparation process was interesting to watch, as the noodles were actually pre-packaged steamed noodles. It was a bit of a shock for me, but whether they are steamed or fresh noodles, as long as they taste good, it's not a problem. Unlike the one at Sodas Shokudo, the ingredients here are simple. However, it includes shrimp, pork belly, bell peppers, Chinese cabbage, carrots, and the flat noodles bring it all together, making it quite delicious. They say it's slightly spicy, but I didn't feel much heat, so I added a little chili oil from the table, and it instantly became even tastier. Oops! The time for the JR train heading towards Muroran is approaching, so I quickly paid and headed to my next appointment. Thank you for the meal!

This is my second time here! My mother also loves it, the famous dish from Noboribetsu, "Enma Yakisoba" (for more details, please refer to my first review). This time, I'll focus on trying this dish. It's the last day of the three-day weekend, Monday at 11:30 am, no customers in line, with 5 groups of customers seated. First, a beer for me (I'm the only one drinking). Asahi Super Dry for 480 yen. I ordered the Enma Yakisoba for 850 yen, along with 6 pieces of gyoza for 400 yen and 5 spring rolls for 750 yen. We'll share these dishes between two people. The spring rolls are served piping hot, dipped in vinegar soy sauce. I carefully take a bite to avoid burning myself. The filling is a mystery, but it tastes delicious. The gyoza, served with sauce, I add a bit of chili oil. They are hot but cool down quickly. The filling is lacking, not much juice. A bit disappointing for the price. The Enma Yakisoba arrives, just like last time, piping hot with chewy flat noodles. The sauce is like an American-style sauce, slightly spicy. It contains shrimp, squid, Chinese cabbage, carrots, and green peas. So delicious! Total time spent: 35 minutes. Total payment: 2480 yen for two people. The Enma Yakisoba's unique flavor might make me come back again! *Please refer to my previous review for the menu.

Fried rice set (soy sauce ramen)

The devil's yakisoba was the best! It was incredibly delicious! The rest of my family had zhajiangmian and salt ramen, and they were all delicious too.

Fukurai-ken, located right in front of JR Horobetsu Station in Noboribetsu City. It was just before 12:00 on a weekday during the Obon period. There were about 7 customers in 3 groups already seated, and 8 customers in 3 groups arrived later. We initially sat at the counter, but were kindly offered a table seat which we gladly accepted. We ordered Enma Yakisoba for 850 yen, Fried Rice for 600 yen, and a medium-sized draft beer for 480 yen. The beer was Asahi Super Dry, cold and refreshing. We shared everything except the beer. The Enma Yakisoba, introduced in 2015, uses flat noodles made from Hokkaido wheat, a secret sauce of Enma Daio, and local ingredients from Noboribetsu. The noodles were chewy and shiny, with squid, shrimp, cabbage, green beans, carrots, and onions. The sauce was slightly spicy, reminiscent of a béchamel sauce. It was delicious. The fried rice was moist, with finely chopped eggs, onions, carrots, and pork. The seasoning was just right, not too salty, which I liked. The soup that came with the fried rice was light, with seaweed and green onions. We spent about 40 minutes there and paid a total of 1,930 yen. I might want to try Enma Yakisoba from different restaurants and compare them in the future.

I forgot, haha. Somehow, the topic of May came up. Horobetsu in Noboribetsu, Fukuraiken ^^ It seems like a good name for something good to happen if you come here on New Year's. Three of us, a colleague, boss, and I, visited the restaurant. The interior was clean and not cluttered. The restaurant is not very spacious, with a counter for 6 people and 3 tables for 4 people each, which were all full. It wasn't too crowded during lunchtime. The boss ordered cold ramen (no photo), I ordered fried rice, and my colleague ordered... I can't remember, maybe it was the liver and leek set meal from the photo. I don't eat anything other than meat, so offal is a big no for me. The boss's cold ramen was the usual, following the standard recipe. Cold ramen is pretty much the same in taste, with a sweet and sour sauce that defines it. My colleague's set meal was okay, with the dumplings looking like they were cooked at home. The fried rice was delicious, following the standard Chinese restaurant taste. It was crispy and tasty. I prefer fried rice with a burnt crust rather than an egg-coated one. I make fried rice at home using a wok and adding egg first. I then stir-fry finely chopped meat, spring onions, onions, and sometimes shrimp, bell peppers, and shiitake mushrooms. I add the rice and stir-fry vigorously over high heat. I season it with salt, a bit of pepper, and sprinkle chicken broth powder as I stir-fry. It's easy to make and tastes great. However, I can never recreate the taste of the fried rice from a Chinese restaurant. Maybe it's the use of lard or the type of broth they use. The gas stove's heat might also play a role. Fukuraiken has good value for money, and the fried rice is delicious, but I probably wouldn't go there if it wasn't for work in Noboribetsu. It's a shame because the food is delicious.

The interior of the restaurant is clean and bright. The mascot girl of Fukurai Ken welcomes you. The owner is very friendly and has a pleasant demeanor, like a mother of a close friend. I ordered the Canton noodles and enjoyed them with plenty of vinegar and chili oil. It was simply delicious. When clearing the dishes, the owner said, "Oh, you finished it all!" And when leaving, she said, "Take care!" The lady is so lively. I will definitely come back. *\(^o^)/*