Roadside station located in the Shirataki area of Tohoku Town. I stopped by here for a break during my trip to the Okhotsk area. It is easily accessible from the free highway, making it convenient to use. The building has a small roadside station feel, but there is a restaurant inside, so you can also have meals here. This time, I had the "Soft Serve Ice Cream (300 yen)" while taking a restroom break. The soft serve ice cream has a rich texture and you can taste the milk, but the aftertaste is refreshing and delicious. I saw someone else order the "Curry," which looked delicious, so I would like to try it if I have the chance.

Today I went on a trip to visit the roadside stations around Lake Saroma. I started at Shirataki Station, a roadside station located a short drive from Asahikawa. It is located off the Monbetsu Expressway at the Oku Shirataki IC. The Monbetsu Expressway is not a highway, so there are no service areas or parking areas. It seems to be used for rest stops and toilet breaks. It feels more like a parking lot than a roadside station. However, it was nice that they had a stamp for the 24-hour roadside station. Since I couldn't have a full meal here, I just took a break. I bought a canned coffee and drank it to wake myself up after driving for almost 3 hours straight! They also sell mountain vegetables and other items in the shop, so you can enjoy browsing around. Thank you for the meal.

On the way to check the current situation at Abashiri site, I stopped by for a snack time at 10 o'clock. I was undecided on what to choose from the takeout items, but I ordered "fried mochi". I waited for about 10 minutes as they fried it after ordering. When it was ready, I was called, paid 200 yen, and returned to my car. It was piping hot, so I dipped my chopsticks in it. It was not greasy, and the texture was gooey and chewy, making me unable to stop eating! I was about to finish it in no time, but I restrained myself and saved the rest for 3 o'clock snack time (laughs) - 3 o'clock snack time - It was not piping hot anymore, but it was not too hard either. I enjoyed it deliciously. I will definitely buy it again next time.

On this day, I headed to my regular client in Kitami, whom I had been commissioned by before. Feeling a bit peckish, I decided to have a snack time here. Of course, I ordered a "Curry Pan" (curry-filled bread) with a smile. I also bought some "Yuki no Sei" steamed buns from the bakery "fu-sora" as souvenirs for my family. I quickly went back to my car and enjoyed the Curry Pan. The crispy texture was pleasant, but the curry flavor was a bit on the sweeter side. I thought it would be better if it had a bit more spiciness.

I felt like I traveled quite a bit on my road station tour. It's been quite a while. It's exactly 12 o'clock, lunchtime. I've had a meal here before, so I'm hoping for a different restaurant this time. I'm craving sugar, sugar. My concentration is starting to wane from driving. The temperature isn't high, but I want some soft serve ice cream. The humidity in the car is low, so I gather excuses like needing to hydrate, get sugar, take a break, and end up choosing soft serve ice cream. I was only looking for this from the start. Now, the soft serve ice cream. Hmm, it's good. Full of moisture. Cold. But is it sweet? Huh? It doesn't taste sweet. There's definitely a vanilla scent. But the sweetness is faint? Did I crave sugar too much? Were my expectations too high? I couldn't taste the sweetness until the end. Disappointing. Is it a healthy food that doesn't affect blood sugar levels? Hmm. Well, I had it.

First visit for a road station tour! It's easily accessible without getting off the highway. About 4 hours by car from Sapporo. I was curious about their soft serve ice cream. It was slightly milky, sweet, with a rich flavor and a refreshing aftertaste! And all for just 250 yen, which is amazing! It's a taste that makes you want to come back for more!

I bought a soft serve ice cream at the Michi-no-Eki "Shirataki" shop for 250 yen (tax included). It was a regular size with no special comments. It's convenient to stop by during restroom breaks on the highway. The staff didn't have a smile, though.

We had a break and decided to head to Sapporo. On the way out, my wife mentioned that the coffee at Sekoma is delicious. I stopped by and bought two cups of coffee. It was indeed tasty, but it's a bit too close for comfort. As we left Kitami, my wife suddenly said she needed to use the restroom. We stopped at Shiro Taki Michi no Eki and had soft-serve ice cream. It was our third one in four days, and the size was just right for the two of us. My wife tried it first and exclaimed that the vanilla flavor was amazing. The soft-serve was smooth but had a lot of air whipped into it, making it light and sweet. It was a delicious treat. Now, let's get back on the road.

Curry bread for 210 yen. It was crispy and freshly fried with plenty of filling. A very satisfying and affordable gourmet treat.

I went on a one-night trip to a B'z live concert. I forgot my digital camera charger, so I had to use my smartphone for photos. I brought a spare battery, but it's now 3 am and I can't sleep because my husband's snoring is so loud (he has asthma and snores even louder when he drinks). We usually sleep separately, so this is a tragedy that happens during trips. We stopped at Shirataki Michi-no-Eki and had a meat bun for 130 yen. It was served in a thermal container. I sat down to eat it. When I finished, I went to throw away the trash, but a lady said, "I'll take care of it." It's not very crowded here since it's a weekday.

This is the first soft serve ice cream of Heisei 30. I uploaded the third one first, but... Heading to "Shirataki Michi-no-Eki" in Sapporo. The GPS keeps saying "Stop by the restroom!" Does a GPS really say that? When asked "Can you hold it until Shirataki?" it started sweating like a toad and said "I'll tighten up!" and went to the restroom. I went to the store. I thought it wasn't open because it's the second day... but it was open. The store opens at 9 am, so it's open. Soft serve ice cream, right? "Do you have soft serve ice cream?" "Yes, it's 250 yen!" It's cheap and good. I actually saw them making it, but they threw away two cones, just the soft serve part. I got it on the third try... maybe the machine is acting up? Probably... it's not selling that much this time of year, so I felt sorry for them. When they handed it to me, they said "It's hard!"... I'll endure a little inconvenience. First soft serve of the new year. Heisei 30, how many will I eat this year? I want to count them. My goal is 100... what a goal, right? Are you an adult? Kids are starting to come back from school. I said it was "hard," but it's not that hard. But it does retract when you push it. It's smooth, but has a crunchy texture too, which is interesting. When my wife came back and I gave it to her, her first words were "It's hard!" The sweetness is restrained. There's a decent milk flavor. It was a delicious soft serve ice cream.

We are on our third bus tour to the eastern region, heading towards Bihoro Pass! After getting off the Asahikawa Monbetsu Expressway (free section), we stopped at a rest area in Enbetsu Town. It took about 2 and a half hours from Sapporo. My husband kept bothering me as I tried to sleep on the bus. We explored the shops outside and bought some souvenirs, including "Shirayosha's rice seasoning for making hand-rolled sushi." We haven't tried it yet, but I'm satisfied with the purchase. The rest area had large cans of 2-cup size canned food, which seemed unique to this place. I ordered a self-serve coffee for 150 yen, and the youngest lady there made it for me with care. We were the only ones on the bus who got hot coffee. Probably a treat for us! Thank you for the wonderful experience!

On a holiday in May 2017, I visited a roadside station on my way to Yubetsu Town to see the tulips. This roadside station allows you to visit without getting off the high-standard road. While opinions may vary among roadside station enthusiasts, personally, I hope to see more of these kinds of roadside stations. Especially the Okotanpe Parking Area on the Doto Expressway. It is in a perfect location for a rest stop when traveling between central and eastern Hokkaido, but during holidays, it gets crowded, and sometimes there are traffic jams just to enter. I wish they would expand and turn the Okotanpe PA into a roadside station, with access from both directions. Moving on, there is the "Michi no Eki Shirataki." This roadside station is located right next to the Okuhakutaki IC, on the toll-free section of the high-standard road, so there is no need to differentiate between parking for regular roads and high-standard roads. However, to be honest, it's not easy to visit unless you can access it from the high-standard road. I bought a curry bun here. The bread had a nice wheat flavor, but the curry filling was too sticky, making it feel like I was eating paste. I think it would be better if the flavor was a bit spicier.

I visited after a long time on July 3, 2016, and found that the dining area had expanded a bit. I ordered soy sauce ramen with bamboo shoots, green onions, naruto, and one slice of chashu. The soup was quite light. The noodles were medium-thin curly noodles cooked just right. However, it seems that the noodles have changed from before, with a stronger curl, making them seem a bit like instant noodles. But surprisingly, they were not bad. Shirataki Road Station Address: Okushirataki, Teshikaga-cho, Monbetsu-gun Tel: 0158-48-2175 Business hours: 9:00-18:00 Closed: Open daily Parking: Plenty available.

Returning from Sapporo, I decided to have a few beers before the ladies could drink them all. I ended up drinking 8 beers and fell asleep with my luggage. I woke up at the Shirokawa Michi-no-Eki rest area, where it was quite cold. I decided to try the soft serve ice cream there, and when I asked for it, the lady at the counter understood me well. My daughter also came out of the restroom with a sausage, and my luggage seemed happy to share. The soft serve ice cream had a nice texture and a milky flavor. The sausage was hot and had a tough skin that caused me to burn my lips. Despite the unexpected mishap, the sausage turned out to be surprisingly delicious.

- 11/10 Visit - After finishing a meeting in Kushiro in the morning, I head towards Abashiri for another meeting at noon. On the way, I stop by a client in Nakashibetsu to say hello, but end up staying too long. For lunch, I eat convenience store onigiri while driving to Abashiri. After finishing the meeting in Abashiri, I drive to the next destination, Teshio. At 3:30 PM in Teshio, I finish today's work and head to Asahikawa, where I will be staying tonight. I drive on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway and make a pit stop at the usual Shirataki Parking Area for a restroom break. I realize they serve soba here! (I had it once a long time ago) and decide to go in. I see a menu photo for "Anji Soba" which is made with 100% soba (with sesame) and Shirataki-grown "mountain wasabi". I have to order that! I place my order with the cashier and receive a number in return, then take a seat. It's 30 minutes before closing so of course, the place is empty (laughs). After about 10 minutes, my order is ready, and I pick up the soba and bring it back to my seat. The soba looks good with its angular shape, probably because of the sesame (laughs). The condiments include mountain wasabi, chopped green onions, and plenty of shredded seaweed on top of the soba. I dig in and the soba has a decent texture and chewiness, good for my throat. The dipping sauce is a bit thin, but it's okay because of the mountain wasabi (laughs). I add the mountain wasabi and it has a gentle spicy kick, so I add it all (laughs). The portion was not small, but maybe I was really hungry because I finished it in no time (laughs). Towards the end, I noticed more soba scraps, but overall, it was a satisfying meal. If the timing is right, I might try their udon next time.