Today, I went for a drive around Lake Toya. I came across a shop called "Mizu no Eki," which I had never heard of before. It seemed like a rival to a roadside station. I decided to stop by and check it out. They had local products and freshly picked vegetables, just like a roadside station! There was a beautiful view of Lake Toya right in front of me, so I headed there first. The lake was magnificent and the swans were so majestic. I heard that these were invasive species called Whooper Swans, but they looked perfect in this setting. After enjoying the view of Lake Toya, I went shopping. I wanted to buy the shiso juice I had tried at the shop earlier because it was so delicious. I found it for sale and bought some. It tasted great when mixed with soda, very refreshing! It's perfect for the hot summer days ahead. Thank you for the meal.

Today the weather is nice so I went for a drive to Lake Toya (๑•̀ •́)و✧ I came to the "Mizu no Eki" that I've been curious about for a while. It's not a regular roadside station but they have stamps here (lol) It feels just like a regular roadside station, with a combination of a direct sales store and a cafeteria, offering a variety of local vegetables for consumption in the Lake Toya area. I bought some vegetables to take home (´･ᴗ･`) ●Green asparagus (from Rusutsu) 648 yen ●Yurine (2 pieces) 432 yen ●Enkawa Chanja 820 yen I bought the in-season large asparagus and the winter delicacy, yurine, both specialties of Rusutsu and Makubetsu villages (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ The Enkawa Chanja was also good. The weather was nice so I took a stroll by the lakeside... It was a delightful meal~♪ [Tabelog] ☆3.18 [Tanuki Rating (lunch)] ★Overall... 33 points ★Atmosphere... 7 points ★Food... 7 points ★Menu variety... 7 points ★Cost performance... 6 points ★Likelihood to revisit... 6 points

2020/2 Footprint Review (°ㅂ°) I came close by so I decided to stop by to increase my count of visited places haha. There is a splendid building by the lakeside of Touya Water Station. It's a holiday but the parking lot is completely empty. When I went inside, there were zero customers. The udon restaurant attached to the store was also closed. Maybe it's because of the season or the coronavirus, people are refraining from going out? It's a big blow for tourism (;´Д⊂) I bought vegetables elsewhere so I didn't really need anything. But when I was about to leave, I found "dried wood ear mushrooms". I love wood ear mushrooms~ ( *´艸) These are rare ones from Sorachi, they are large and thick compared to imported ones, and the texture is totally different. It was reasonably priced at 500 yen for 30g. I made wood ear mushroom and scrambled egg dish. Just showing off my cooking skills haha. Thank you for the meal (^ω^)

I tried the famous red perilla soft serve ice cream! It was a mix of flavors, like something an old lady from Spirited Away would make. It felt like I was in a Ghibli world. At first bite, I honestly thought it was one of those weird-tasting things made for the sake of being trendy. But somehow it became delicious and refreshing. It's strangely addictive. It's not too overpowering and has a perfect balance of flavors. I even felt a hint of perilla in the vanilla side. Maybe they mixed in the flavors? I definitely sensed it, though, haha. But it was well-made and not too strong in taste. Blueberries are also a local specialty, and I'd like to try that next time. The water station had lots of vegetables and fruits for sale, and while I'm not sure about the prices, there was quite a buzz. It was fun trying out this unique soft serve. Thank you for the meal!

It was hot, so I had a Blue Hawaii soda. The terrace-like seat had a wonderful view of Lake Toya. The Blue Hawaii soda was a bit too sweet and not very cold because there was too much syrup and not enough ice, so the flavor was strong and lukewarm.

I stopped by Lake Toya's Mizu no Eki to use the restroom. While looking around the shop, I came across a red shiso (perilla) soft serve ice cream. I decided to try it out since I found it. The flavor was not what I expected at all. It's hard to describe, but it didn't taste like shiso. Well, it's all part of the experience. Thank you for the meal.

On the day when the town of Lake Toya was bustling with cosplayers, the shops were very busy. They said they could make soft serve ice cream, so I tried the red shiso flavor. It tasted like a mixture of umeboshi juice... I wonder why. Hmm. I was able to buy delicious broccoli and red shiso, so it was good.

Located along the shores of Lake Toya, "Toya Mizuno Eki" is a spot set up by the local tourism association as a place for interaction between visitors and residents. One highlight is the "Vegetable Corner" where locally grown fresh vegetables and rice are displayed in a simple and rustic manner. The prices are surprisingly cheap. Asparagus, potatoes, wild garlic, lettuce, Korean lettuce, and other green vegetables are plentiful. The "Asparagus" is delicious when boiled simply. The "Toya Vegetable Salad Set" is a steal at 200 yen for the massive volume and sweet taste of the vegetables. The next day, I noticed a slight hint of bitterness in the vegetables, which I assume is normal for freshly harvested produce. It's envy-inducing how locals get to enjoy such delicious vegetables that are not easily found in supermarkets. Be sure to visit and try them out!

Lake Toya in winter is also beautiful. We left our inn and stopped by the Mizunote station, then drove around half of Lake Toya before heading back to Soubetsu. The station was open from 9 in the morning. Even though local vegetables are scarce this time of year, there are still some available, and there is plenty of beans and Zaita rice as well. Next to the register, I found some delicious grass mochi, which was half price due to its expiration date being today. Don't worry, it's still soft. This mochi is from a nearby confectionery shop.

On December 22, 31.12, I visited the Toya Michi-no-Eki station and had Sanuki Udon Tempura Udon for 500 yen. It was more like tempura than tempura, but it was delicious. The settlers in Toyako Village are from Kagawa, and here they consider it a taste of their hometown. The clear broth and chewy udon were delicious!

The fox udon with a large piece of fried tofu was impressive and delicious. The Junner Bunjun Udon has noodles as the base. What about ramen? The broth? Why is that? Japanese people tend to imitate when something looks good. Holding a spoon in one hand and chopsticks in the other, facing all kinds of noodles. It's pathetic when women and children do it. A man with a beard looks even more pathetic. Why not just drink the broth first and hold a spoon and chopsticks in both hands while eating? I think it's a little cool for a man to do that. Well, everyone does it, so I should too, right? If you're a man, drink the broth with a bowl and endure the heat.

A station by the lakeside with delicious Yumepirika. The vegetables are also fresh. It glistens with morning dew!

I found the beet sauce at the inn delicious, so I decided to buy some beets here. Even though I usually make borscht with them. Even small beets can be chopped up and used for borscht and salad, all for 180 yen. The color is really beautiful, a deep red that feels good for the body. My friends enjoyed the pear jam from the inn, so they bought some pear jam too. They also found some great deals on burdock and were intrigued by the unusual edible ground cherries. It's always fun to explore different foods wherever you go.

Curry at a restaurant by the stormy Lake Toya

Udon with meat for ¥500. Delicious!

Vegetable Purchase =========== I bought some vegetables.

I got recommendations from the guide who took care of us on the canoe, so I stopped by on my way back. When I entered, I realized, wait, this isn't the place... I mistook it for the Silo Observatory (;´Д`). On the left side after entering, there is a space where you can eat Sanuki udon and soft serve ice cream. On the right side, there is a space selling souvenirs, vegetables, flowers, etc. I decided to skip the meal this time and buy something for home. I bought 20g of freshly harvested seaweed from the Fukutoku Bay in Hokkaido for 200 yen each. It's cheap! It's about the same price as in the supermarket, but it's from within the prefecture! I also bought wild vegetable miso made with butterbur sprouts for 580 yen. It uses mountain vegetables from Lake Toya, and I love butterbur sprouts! I heard that the recipe was passed down from a retired lady, but it's hard to go to the mountains and pick butterbur sprouts. The ones around here are a bit resistant... I quickly made a big bowl of rice and tried it! It's slightly bitter and delicious. It has a variety of ingredients to make it last longer, so I prefer the simple recipe from the old lady (^_^) There were various types of pickles and jams in the handmade series, so I'll try buying them next time. I was satisfied with the butterbur sprout miso and forgot to stop by the Silo Observatory.

Let's go home! Wife: "I want to look inside for a bit, do they have asparagus?" Me: "It's this time (3:30), they might not have any." As expected, the asparagus section was empty. Actually, most of the products were sold out and the shelves were almost empty. My wife left the shopping basket at the cash register... What did she buy~? Wasabi greens for 130 yen, green onions for 250 yen. Thank you for the meal!