With the closure of Rumoi Station, the standing soba noodle shop within the station has moved to a roadside station. Hello everyone! This year, even in mid-June, there have been many cold days, so wearing warm clothes is still necessary when fishing. However, the days are gradually getting warmer in the northern region. So, I decided to go fishing in the Rumoi and Obira area. I went fishing from night until around 9 am. Hmm, not much luck today. It seems like the fish in the Rumoi area might disappear soon (just kidding). It's around 9:30 am, and I'm feeling hungry. Maybe I should grab a light meal. I decided to go to the roadside station for some soba noodles. The place was crowded with cars, mostly rental cars with non-local license plates. It seems like the Rumoi and Obira areas have become quite popular. I wonder when that started happening. Anyway, I'm hungry, so let's focus on food. I ordered some soba noodles and a herring bento box. The soba noodles looked delicious, and the herring bento box was quite expensive, but I decided to try it for the first time. The soba noodles were amazing, with a rich and slightly salty broth that went perfectly with the noodles. The herring in the bento box was also delicious, with a good balance of flavors. Overall, the food in Rumoi is a must-try. When you visit Rumoi, make sure to try it out!

You can try the 3rd place Nishin Bento from the National Ekiben Festival. It is very delicious, with the savory flavor of the herring being irresistible. The fish roe is also plump and crunchy, making it very tasty. I heard that it sells out by noon, so I came early in the morning. It seems that you can also make reservations.

Part of the JR Rumoi Line was discontinued, and Rumoi Station was also closed down. Three years ago, I had soba at Rumoi Station during a tour, and I wondered what would happen to that soba shop after the station was closed. At the end of last year, I found out that instead of closing down, the shop would relocate and reopen at Roadside Station Rumoi in March. Although I won't be able to go on soba-eating tours anymore, I understand that station soba is different from regular soba shops. Eating station soba during a tour makes it taste even better. I parked my bike in the parking lot, entered the building on the south side, and found the shop. It wasn't very big, more like a food court where you order at the counter. You have to wait for your order, but since it's the original station soba, it's served quickly. After paying, you sit down to eat. The shop itself is small, similar to a food stall, but now in a food court setting. As I slurped the soba and bit into the herring, I thought, "Ah, this is it!" It tasted just like the one I had at Rumoi Station. The dark broth also goes well with the soba. When I had udon with this type of broth at Sapporo Station when I was younger, I was shocked and thought, "This isn't udon!" But after living in Hokkaido for so long, I've come to prefer this kind of broth with soba. However, udon broth has to be Fukuoka style for me (laughs).

With the closure of Rumoi Station, the station soba has been relocated here (inside the Rumoi Road Station management building). Is relocation the right term? Well, even before the closure of Rumoi Station, Musashiya was operating a summer-only stall in front of the road station, and now it has become a permanent fixture inside the facility, serving soba there. The owner of the previous station soba was Mr. Musashi. That's why it's called Musashiya. Anyway, it's great that the station soba is still available. I had the Tsukimi Soba (450 yen). My usual go-to is tempura soba with an egg, but on this day, I didn't have much time, and I had just eaten lunch in Enbetsu Town. As for the taste, well... I can't really tell. I think it's the same as before, but the station soba at Rumoi Station had its own unique flavor. When it comes to station soba at a clean road station, the taste is slightly different. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant for the first time since it moved from Rumoi Station. The new location is spacious and feels refreshing without the old sign. I ordered the tempura soba, which tasted just as good as before. The slightly sweet and salty broth warmed my stomach. I am grateful to the owner for continuing the business. I will definitely come back.

Last year, I didn't go, so it's been 2 years. I went to my father-in-law's hometown, Rumoi, during the Obon period. The lunch spot I stopped by on the way was "Musashiya," which opened on April 24, 2021. It's located at 2-114 Funamachi, Rumoi City, at Michi-no-Eki Rumoi. The operating hours are from 10:00 to 16:00, closed on Tuesdays. They have parking and takeout available. Check their website for the latest information. I was surprised even though it's only been 2 years. The expressway (free) has been extended to the city center of Rumoi! It made the journey so much easier. I took the route from Asahikawa to Multo-shi, Numata I.C., Rumoi I.C. It used to take about 90 minutes, but now it's around 70 minutes. Another surprise was that right after getting off at Rumoi I.C., there was a roadside station in Rumoi! I stopped by and checked it out. The building is called "Rushin Fure Ai Park." It has a huge... Happy Turn! (Just kidding). There are children's play areas, cafes, observation floors, souvenir shops, but the toilets are a bit limited. I wonder if it's okay for tourist buses to come. Next to the "Rushin Fure Ai Park" building, there are 5 food and beverage-related prefabricated buildings. In the "Challenge Shop" corner, one of them is "Musashiya." We had the Nishin Soba for 700 yen tax included. The soba is warm, and the nishin is sweet simmered. Even in a prefabricated shop, they serve proper soba. The texture and flavor were noticeable. I love sweet simmered nishin, so I generally enjoy it. It was on the sweeter side. But eating nishin soba while feeling the sea breeze blowing from the seaside enhances the taste by 10% compared to eating it in a regular city shop (maybe?). It's more of a mood thing. I also tried the Musashi Zangi for 500 yen tax included. It's spicy, sweet, and salty. The taste is quite intense, almost like a snack. It might be good with some white rice.

"The 'nishin oyako bento' and the 'nishin soba' were both excellent."

A few weeks ago, I received a delicious "nishin oyako bento" as a souvenir. I made a reservation the day before and visited. I also brought one as a gift for my aunt. Shortly after, I received a message saying, "The rice is not from yesterday, it's hard." When I tried it, the rice was indeed hard and dry, completely different from the deliciousness of the previous time. I had built up high expectations for my aunt, only to be disappointed. Could it be that when you make a reservation the day before, you might end up with leftovers from the previous day?

"I visited a bento shop and light meal restaurant located at the Michi-no-Eki Rumoi. I went there on a holiday afternoon in early October. I had pre-ordered the "Herring and Salmon Roe Bento" and purchased it. I didn't have time to eat it on the spot, so I brought it back to Sapporo to enjoy. When I opened the package, I was delighted to see the herring in sweet soy sauce and salmon roe generously served on top of the rice. The seasoning was not overly spicy, which was great. It was very delicious and I finished it all. Thank you for the meal."

I visited Rumoi... stopped by a Michi-no-Eki (roadside station) and found a new restaurant open. Although it's not listed on Tabelog, I decided to check it out. They serve soba and udon, but their specialty seems to be the "Nishin Oyako Bento @900" which placed 3rd in the "National Ekiben (station bento) Contest" in 2004. It reminds me of the popular bentos in Hakodate. I wanted to try the soba, but didn't have time to sit and eat since it was already past lunchtime. I ended up getting the "Musashi Zangi @500" and tried it in the car. It had a kick to it, maybe from red pepper or black pepper... a bit spicy. The base flavor was soy sauce, not particularly unique but quite intense. I wish I had some rice balls to go with it... The price seemed a bit high for the portion size. I'm curious about the "Nishin Oyako Bento"... will definitely try it next time. Thank you for the meal.