When it comes to Abashiri, it's all about "kamaboko"! One must-try item is the freshly fried "chigiri age," which is crispy and full of sweetness and umami. The limited-time "okiami" kamaboko is incredibly flavorful. It's a perfect sweet treat. The "ika" kamaboko is also delicious. Each pack is only 300 yen, making it a great snack for a drive. The shop also offers packed kamaboko for takeout. The variety includes red pickled ginger, octopus chigiri age, and cheese chigiri age. They are tasty on their own but even better when lightly pan-fried at home. Although there used to be many kamaboko shops in Abashiri, now only Yoko Yamakamaboko and Oyakamaboko remain. I hope they continue to thrive, as I love the slightly sweet kamaboko from Abashiri.

I thought about having breakfast in Abashiri, but couldn't find a good-looking restaurant. So, I ended up going to this place that opens early at 8:30 am. There was a factory in the back and a cash register at the entrance. I saw the staff making food at the back, so I rang the bell to call them over. I couldn't decide what to order, but ended up getting the "trial set" for 550 yen. They fry it right there where you can see it. I enjoyed eating the freshly fried food in my car, it was nice and warm. Even though my hands got oily, it was worth it. Here are my thoughts on each item in the set, from largest to smallest: - Red pickled ginger: It had a good amount of red ginger mixed in, giving it a nice flavor. - Pumpkin: It was pumpkin-colored, but the pumpkin flavor wasn't very strong. It was the heaviest item in the set. - Fish cake: It looked like Ganmo (a type of fish cake) and had a strong fish cake flavor. - Bite-sized pieces: There were 5-6 small pieces that were incredibly easy to eat. I could have eaten many more. They accept electronic payments like QUICPay. I was expecting a light breakfast, but unexpectedly found the food to be delicious. It was a great way to start the day with some unexpected oil intake.

I didn't know until now that there is a long-established fish cake shop in Abashiri, even though I am a resident of Abashiri. Abashiri is known as the birthplace of frozen surimi, with about 4-5 fish cake shops in the city. I was taken there by my mother, who mentioned that one of the shops had closed down. It is a shop with a factory attached to a direct sales outlet. I bought a "trial set for 555 yen" to eat at home. They fry it before packing, so the car smelled so good on the way back. I also bought "Choten" which had more than 10 pieces for 980 yen. They don't stick together even when frozen in the bag, so it's convenient to have them in the freezer and use them one by one. I cook them on a hot plate as a side dish for grilled meat. They are thin but packed with flavor and delicious. Variations like edamame or pickled ginger are nothing special but have a consistent taste. I bought a "assorted set for 1500 yen" for home. They have a good shelf life, so I enjoy a little bit every day. Thank you for the meal!

A traditional and polite fish cake shop. Their signature product, ginger fish cake, is very refreshing and easy to eat. I also purchased scallop and squid fish cakes, which were all gentle and flavorful. Oh, I want to go buy more again! I will definitely visit again!

I have a hobby of using card payments, so I checked and found out that I could use my card here too. I visited the store, which is a small shop located on the corner, selling traditional fish cakes. I was mainly there to make a purchase with my card, so I decided to try the fish cake with cheese that was displayed in the refrigerator. It was thick and bouncy, with the cheese adding a nice touch. The cheese wasn't too overpowering either. It's nice to see more stores in rural areas accepting card payments these days.

I went out eagerly on a rainy day to buy something. Of course, I saw a review from a prominent figure in Abashiri and it caught my interest. Despite the heavy rain, the shop was open as there was a flag outside. I hurried inside without being able to take a photo of the exterior. There was no one inside, so I took some photos while a woman came out and greeted me. I quickly asked for a sample set, which she promptly prepared from the factory next door. I could see through the window. As I was observing closely, they turned on the lights in the factory. The fridge at the cashier had limited items, with two packs of "chigiri," "ginger," and "pumpkin" priced at around 298 yen in total. I noticed a celebrity's autograph on the wall. The car ride back home smelled amazing. The "chigiri" was for my husband's bento, and I enjoyed it as a snack. It was delicious, either squid or octopus. The rest was for our evening drinks. The pumpkin was without batter (unlike the one from Kitami Food, which is sweet), showcasing the true taste of pumpkin. It wasn't as sweet as the Kitami Food one, with chunks of pumpkin inside. It was delicious. There were crunchy bits in the round tempura. I thought it was bamboo shoots, my husband thought it was potatoes. The tempura was sweet, according to my husband. He said the one without batter (pickled ginger) was more delicious. I preferred the pumpkin. As expected from a long-established shop, the surimi was tightly packed and delicious. I often see Kajiwara Kamaboko shop on the local news at the end of the year for making New Year's kamaboko, but I never see Yokoyama-san in the local supermarkets. I wonder where they distribute their products.

This is Abashiri. I visited a long-established kamaboko shop that has been in business for 68 years in Abashiri, the birthplace of "frozen surimi". Do you know that "frozen surimi" was born in Abashiri? Of course, the local dignitaries must know. The Abashiri-origin "surimi" is called "SURIMI" and is eaten all over the world. Now, about this shop (factory & direct sales store) 'Yokoyama Kamaboko Store'. The location is a bit far from the city center, making it difficult to find without a flag from the main road. You can buy kamaboko at the direct sales store in a corner of the factory. When you tell the staff (who is actually the president) your preference, they will fry it on the spot. "Nagaten" is still the main product, right? According to a book, "whale meat and nagaten" is said to be the soul food of the people of Abashiri. Let's go with "chigiri age". These are bite-sized kamaboko. There are a total of 5 types: "shrimp", "squid", "burdock", "green peas", and "cheese". 150 grams (1 pack) for 258 yen. (Squid and cheese are 288 yen) We bought "squid", "green peas", and "cheese". The president himself fried them for us. Since there is no eat-in space at the direct sales store, we ate the freshly fried kamaboko in the car. It's piping hot and delicious! We couldn't stop eating, and we finished more than half in no time! We'll save the rest for a snack later. By the way, our favorite is "cheese". The capacity is not as large as "Deduka" in Mombetsu, but I really liked "Yokoyama" in Abashiri.

"Yokoyama Kamaboko-ten" is one of the four kamaboko (fish cake) shops in Abashiri. It is famous for its "Choten" kamaboko. The shop is small with a big factory attached to it. The shop owner passed away, and the business is now run by the employees. The shop is not very noticeable, but it has regular customers and supplies to supermarkets. I tried the recommended trial set, which was delicious and reasonably priced at 550 yen. The kamaboko with squid and octopus was tasty, and the ginger tempura was also good. Overall, the quality of kamaboko is comparable to those in other cities like Monbetsu and Otaru. My wife also loved the Choten kamaboko. We have tried two out of the four kamaboko shops in Abashiri and plan to visit the remaining two soon.

◆March 2016◆I was at Tobu's Okhotsk local products exhibition. I love the fried fish cakes here and often buy them at the shop. I saw some flavors I don't usually see, like edamame and cheese. They were 3 packs for 1000 yen, so I bought edamame, cheese, and squid flavors. The edamame fish cake with a hint of soy sauce was amazing. The sake just kept disappearing. The gooey cheese was also delicious. I love the cheese tempura at Izuka, but these bite-sized ones are easier to eat. I wonder if they sell these at the main store too? It was so tasty, I definitely want to buy them again. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ◆June 2014◆I heard from a friend about a delicious fish cake shop and decided to visit right away. It's located behind the Seven Eleven across the bridge from the station. They have a store next to the factory where they fry the fish cakes fresh on the spot. It's similar to the fish cakes in Izuka, Monbetsu. I remember seeing them at Tobu's events and festivals. They have various menu items, but the recommended one is the ground fish cake nuggets. They have shrimp, squid, and burdock flavors, 200 grams for 257 yen, which is very affordable. I had them as a snack with my evening drink at home, and they were softer and fluffier than the ones in Izuka. They are bite-sized, making them easy to eat. I heard they taste great with a sprinkle of chili soy sauce, so I tried it, and it was amazing! Goes perfectly with sweet potato shochu, right? I couldn't stop eating, and ended up finishing all three servings. It was delicious, I have to go buy more.

Welcome. ---------- September 2015 ---------- Just a little off the main road, there is a factory's direct sales store that is open from the morning. The facade doesn't look like a direct sales store, with a sign as a landmark. When you enter, you are greeted by Reiko-san standing in the middle surrounded by various fish cakes. There are so many options to choose from, but I found a great set here. Reiko-san mentioned that this set is their bestseller, which is a bit contradictory if everything else is also good. The freshly fried fish cake set was popular and there was only one left. The set had a variety of fish cakes and the satisfaction of over 555 yen was definitely there. The set was a combination of quality and quantity. The surface was crispy while the inside was filled with delicious fish cake. The texture of the squid and the fish cake was a perfect combination. The squid tempura had a nice kick from the ginger and a mild flavor from the red pickled ginger. The hijiki and carrot tempura had a light texture and a hint of sweetness. The edamame tempura had a great texture and umami flavor. Each item had its own unique taste and the aftertaste was fulfilling. While there are many tofu shops, there are few fish cake shops. I hope they continue to thrive for a long time. Thank you for the meal.

Located about a 5-minute drive from Abashiri Station, this long-established fish cake shop is situated near the Okhotsk Promotion Bureau. With over 60 years of history, it is a well-known local shop. In the retail space adjacent to the processing plant, several types of products are displayed in refrigerators, and freshly fried fish cake sets are also sold for 555 yen. If you ask, they will also fry fish cakes on the spot, called "chigiriage". The finely balanced white fish surimi makes for a delicious delicacy. Last year, I sent this fish cake as a year-end gift to my family, and they were very satisfied. According to my father, the traditional "nagaten" was "very delicious". This shop also focuses on contributing to the local community, allowing children to experience making fish cakes. By observing the artisans making the products with care and participating in the process themselves, they can cultivate a sense of valuing food.

I came to Abashiri! Every time I come to Abashiri, I can't help but buy kamaboko, which I love as a fish paste lover. This time, I visited Yokoyama Kamaboko store. Inside the store, there is a refrigerator where you can take the kamaboko and bring it to the register. I bought some fried edamame kamaboko for myself and a set for souvenirs. - Fried Edamame Kamaboko: I microwaved it and it was very chewy. It has a firm texture. It's rare to find kamaboko this chewy. - Fried Kamaboko Long Tempura: This one was also very chewy. It has a solid texture. I microwaved it, but I wonder if it would taste different if I grilled it. This kamaboko is known for its chewiness. It might feel tough for elderly people due to its firm texture. Thank you for the meal!

I learned the trick of placing a phone order and then picking it up, so I made a reservation over the phone first. This time, I got a sample pack as a souvenir for my friend. It included ginger tempura, pumpkin tempura, and edamame balls. They were hot and ready for pick-up right away. I also bought the same pack for home. I'm not a fan of sweet pastes, so the fish cakes here suit my taste the best in this area. There was also a good deal pack in the refrigerated section that I wish I had bought as well.

Hokkaido has many delicious kamaboko makers. This time, I purchased a product from this maker for the first time. The product is a ball-shaped kamaboko with octopus inside (bite-sized). It can be used as an ingredient for oden, but I enjoyed it as a side dish with rice. It also goes well with alcohol.

There were a variety of items in the tempura mix, which seemed perfect for sharing with everyone, so I bought it as a gift for 1500 yen. I called ahead to request it be fried so it would be ready for pick-up at a specified time. It's labeled as a "daily special limited item," so the contents may vary each day. The mix included two long tempura pieces, two pumpkin pieces, two slices of pickled ginger, two round tempura pieces, and many small balls resembling edamame. To make it easier for everyone to eat, I reheated them in the toaster oven and then cut them into smaller pieces. Everything was delicious! Even when they cooled down, they still tasted good, but it seemed like they were slightly overcooked in the toaster oven. I like cheese, so I might add some next time.

The kamaboko shop in Abashiri, a pilgrimage of conquest. Located behind Seven-Eleven, this place seems like a long-established shop that I never noticed before. When you enter the shop, they fry your order even if it's a small amount. Amazing! I ordered cheese, octopus, and pickled ginger to be fried. While waiting, I wondered if I should have ordered a variety pack. I also bought some sasa kamaboko from the refrigerator. Now, this place is a big hit! Although they look similar, the texture of the cheese and octopus kamaboko is different. Maybe they intentionally made them different. Both are delicious and easy to eat. I love pickled ginger, so it was a safe choice. I will definitely come back again.