It's been decades since I last visited this place. Back in my younger days, I used to come to this site quite often. The farthest one was in Sawaki, Omu from Abashiri, which took 2 hours and 40 minutes to get to. Of course, it was impossible to commute, so I rented an old house, renovated it, and secured a place to stay. The old house in the middle of the woods was full of bugs I had never seen before. The first time I encountered the "Ketsubasami" bug was here. I don't know its real name, but it doesn't affect my life one way or another, so I don't really care. It just gives me the creeps every time I see it. From Koubu, it took 2 hours and 20 minutes from Abashiri. There was also a place called "Kajutou" that has been there since those days. They are doing well. If this place disappeared from Koubu, it would be quite a shocking event. I visited the restaurant after being invited. They asked, "Would you like a scallop bowl?" I said yes because I didn't want to bother choosing. "Sure." It's cheap, but when the food arrived, I really thought so. The scallops were not big, but the quality was good and they were sweet. Luckily, it was vinegar rice, so I would eat all of it even though I don't usually eat rice. It was delicious, and the shrimp soup was also tasty. It's unbelievable value for money. This is what they call value for money. I hope they don't use this term just because it's cheap.

On the third day of my Hokkaido touring trip, I stopped by for lunch. I sat at the counter and without even looking at the menu, I ordered the chirashi sushi that other customers were having. Conclusion... it was delicious! The fresh ingredients really made a difference. Each piece had a firm texture and delicious flavor. The scallops were my favorite, with a sweet and mellow taste that lingered in my mouth. It was a luxurious and satisfying lunch experience. Thank you for the meal.

I have been visiting or passing through Okoppe for over 20 years now. When you think of Okoppe, what comes to mind? Milk and soft serve ice cream, right? Most Hokkaido residents probably think so, maybe... This time, I visited Okoppe for fishing as usual. I stopped by the roadside station where I always use the restroom and had their soft serve ice cream as usual. After that, I took a short nap. Feeling hungry now. So, what should I eat? Oh, I remember eating at a soba or sushi restaurant here in the past... Hmm, it was a long time ago, so I forgot the name of the place. Let's search on my smartphone. First, let's check Google Maps. Hmm, is this it? I checked the interior images and reviews. Oh, I see. It seems like the place I visited in the past... Then, what about sea urchin bowl?... Wow, it looks delicious, right? Is that Bafun sea urchin? And it looks like it's in saltwater. Huh? Is this price for real? Let's go! ( ˘ω˘ ) It's the perfect time. I arrived. It was closer than I expected from the roadside station, haha. The interior of the restaurant seems familiar yet unfamiliar... Was it a private room before? Well, it's nice and relaxing in this private room. Let's order. Excuse me, can I take your order? "Yes." Um, scallop bowl and sea urchin... "Oh, sorry, we don't have sea urchin today (´・ω・｀)"... Huh? Am I deaf today? Let me ask again. Sea urchin... "We don't have it today (-_-;)" What? (￣д￣)... But, there was a sign outside saying sea urchin bowl... And on the menu, there was sea urchin bowl... ...?... It was eel bowl (2,000 yen)... What a shock!... Wait, I'm already more in the mood for sea urchin bowl than scallop bowl. But if there's no supply, there's nothing I can do, right... (ノД`)・゜・. Okay, then I'll have scallop bowl and shrimp tempura bowl, please. After about 15 minutes, the shrimp tempura bowl arrived. Then, about 5 minutes later, the scallop bowl arrived. Oh, the scallops are neatly arranged... Looks delicious~ The shrimp tempura bowl also looks delicious. The batter seems to be made with rice flour. Let's dig in! The shrimp tempura bowl is devoured by the shrimp-loving wife... And I enjoy the scallops! Mmm! The sweet and flavorful taste of the Okhotsk scallops spreads in my mouth~ So delicious~ And what's that green thing in the vinegared rice? Oh, right, the hostess asked me if I was okay with perilla seeds... I forgot about that because of the sea urchin bowl shock. A beautiful green color in the vinegared rice. This is truly a treasure chest... (Ignore that) The perilla seeds are not intrusive but add a nice accent. However, the amount of scallops is unbelievable. How many scallops are they using? The sliced scallops are 27 pieces. Even if you slice one shellfish into 3 pieces, that's quite a thickness. Even if you consider using Japan Sea farmed scallops from the nearby supermarket, they cost around 150 to 250 yen per piece. Let's say 7 shells, that's 1,400 yen... But this is North Okhotsk. It's definitely natural scallops. Considering labor costs, service fees, and other factors, it's too cheap. Only 1,000 yen including tax. This is the best value! I tried a bit of the shrimp tempura bowl... Oh! It's so fresh~ The batter is not crispy but crunchy, giving a nice texture! The umami flavor of the shrimp spreads in the mouth. The sauce is not too sweet or spicy, just right. I like this sauce. The sauce also coats the white rice, creating an even better combination. I love the tempura bowl at this restaurant! As I eat and think about these things, the sliding door of the private room suddenly opens. There stands a handsome man who seems to be the owner of the restaurant. And this handsome owner says, "We can't make sea urchin bowl...".

During my stay in Okoppe for a few days, I went out to look for lunch. Okoppe actually has quite a wide range of lunch options, with several cafes around for some gourmet exploration. Cafe or Japanese food... I was undecided, but then I saw a sign flag at a restaurant saying "Uni Donburi." Uni Donburi...! Ah... so the season for that has arrived, huh... Summer is approaching soon. The temperature difference has been quite strong recently, so I haven't been paying much attention. Uni Donburi is one of those dishes where you eat it once, feel satisfied because of the generous amount of sea urchin, and then say "I'm good" but then find yourself tempted by Uni Donburi again... It's a strange allure, isn't it? Before I knew it, I had parked my car and walked into the restaurant. As I entered, I saw a sign hanging that said "Preparing," which made me anxious that I might have missed lunchtime... but when I asked, it was okay. Phew. I sat at the counter with about 4 seats. Looking at the menu, the words "Limited Time Scallop Donburi" further confused me. Ohhh Scallop Donburi, Uni Donburi... what should I do? Hmm, I pondered, and just as a reference, I asked the chef about the price of the Uni Donburi. 2000 yen. Huh? 2000 yen? It's cheaper than I thought. I also inquired about the portion size, and he said it's a normal-sized bowl of rice with a whole pack of sea urchin used. Oh, that's a lot of sea urchin... Hmm, the initial motivation is important after all, so I decided to order the Uni Donburi. Uni generously served on vinegared rice with chopped seaweed and sesame sprinkled on top. They also mentioned that pickled shiso would come with it, but since it's not to my liking, I politely declined. A soup made by simmering whole shrimp heads was also served, piping hot. I blew on it to cool it down before savoring it. A gentle flavor with a hint of shrimp miso aroma. The Uni Donburi was truly exquisite. Soft and delicate, with no bitterness. Sweet. Delicious. The vinegared rice didn't overpower the flavor of the sea urchin, allowing it to shine. It was just right. It also came with soy sauce and wasabi on the side, which I used to change up the flavor as I ate. At first, I was worried about the portion being too much to finish, but that turned out to be unnecessary worry... I devoured it all in one go. In my personal Uni Donburi ranking, including value for money, I think it's top-class. In the end, I was very satisfied. I'm glad I came. I'd like to come again next time and try the Scallop Donburi, sushi, sashimi, or something else. I heard that the restaurant sometimes stays open until late at night (around 9:00 PM) depending on the number of customers, so it might be nice to drop by for dinner as well. On a side note, I quite liked the atmosphere inside the restaurant. While the chef was making nigiri for another customer in front of me, I mindlessly enjoyed my Uni Donburi. The sound of wind chimes softly whispered in my left ear. It was a moment where I felt the unmistakable footsteps of summer amidst the temperature difference. When you visit Okoppe, why not stop by this restaurant, Gasuto (Gastou), and savor the seafood from the Okhotsk Sea?

After several years, I visited this restaurant again. Last time, I was brought here by a business partner, but this time I was told to "take a break" in the car, and it happened to be lunchtime (^^; There were many delicious-looking dishes, but I chose the tempura bowl that I had seen on TV before. There were a lot of local customers and other guests, so I thought I might have to wait a long time, but it only took 30 minutes from ordering to finishing the meal! The tempura was crispy and crunchy. The sauce was on the sweeter side. It was delicious, but I started to get a little tired of the sweetness of the sauce. There were many set meal options, so maybe I chose the wrong menu? Thank you for the meal~!

Tempura and sashimi set meal! As expected from Hokkaido! The sashimi is incredibly delicious! The rice and tempura are also delicious, I am very satisfied.

It takes about 2 minutes by car from Michi-no-Eki Okoppe. This long-established restaurant in Kyowa Town offers a wide range of menu options, from set meals to sushi. I had lunch there, but unfortunately, they didn't have sea urchin rice bowl that I wanted to try.

Volume full of flavor, worth visiting when in Koshimbe Town!

The sushi, soba, tempura, and everything else are all delicious!

I had lunch at Koshu Togi in Okabe. The interior of the restaurant is like a sushi restaurant with a counter and a display case for the sushi toppings. There are also raised tatami seating areas and second-floor seating, so it is quite spacious. The menu includes over 10 set meals as well as soba, udon, curry, rice bowls, hot pot dishes, and sushi, offering a wide variety of options. I was torn between curry and sushi, but I ended up ordering the sushi set meal. It looked very stylish and luxurious, which got me excited. The sushi included tuna, squid, shrimp, flying fish roe, and tekka maki rolls, totaling six pieces. The sashimi included scallops, squid, and either yellowtail or amberjack. The side dishes included potato salad, tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), eggplant, konjac, bamboo shoots, sweet simmered dish, fish cake, and tomato. It also came with chawanmushi (savory egg custard) and shrimp soup. I was surprised that the tuna was incredibly delicious. Could it be fresh bluefin tuna in the tekka maki rolls? The sushi was so tasty, almost like chu-toro (medium fatty tuna). The sashimi was fresh, and although it was a bit pricey, I was very satisfied. The pork cutlet curry that other customers ordered smelled amazing! I will definitely try the curry next time.

<Katsu Curry> at Gast x Gasuto in Okabe ⚪︎ The curry sauce had a slightly gritty texture, like mashed potatoes. The katsu was average. The portion size was generous and left me feeling full. The restaurant was quite crowded, indicating its popularity in Okabe.