Visited for lunch. Was in Iwanai Town for work. Discovered this place while driving. Ordered the "Grilled Fish Set Meal" and chose the saury. While waiting for the food to be ready, they brought out some appetizers (lol). It's been a while since I've had saury! It's delicious when it's freshly grilled (^^) The rice is so good. I'd like to stop by again if I'm in the area. Thank you for the meal٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

Grilled fish set meal (Atka mackerel) for 900 yen. They served "salmon flakes" as a tea snack, and as a bonus, they included cod roe. I usually don't like when they bring out things I didn't ask for as a "service," but this was much appreciated. Everything, including the Atka mackerel, was delicious. The cold tofu was silky smooth. The miso soup had a taste that perfectly matched my preferences, which was a first. It was a satisfying breakfast. Thank you for the meal.

I had breakfast at a seafood restaurant near Iwanai Bus Terminal. I ordered a "tarako bowl" for 1000 yen, a "grilled fish set meal (hokke)" for 900 yen, and "squid sashimi" for 500 yen. They also served me salmon flakes as a complimentary dish while I waited. First, the "grilled fish set meal (hokke)" arrived. It came with plenty of grated daikon radish, delicious miso soup, and cold tofu, making it a perfect breakfast that tasted great. The "squid sashimi" was fresh and sweet, very delicious. The famous "tarako bowl" was simply rice topped with tarako, but the tarako covering the rice had a mild salty flavor and was delicious.

I wanted to eat sea urchin so I went to Iwanai! I asked the locals beforehand and they kindly served me a sea urchin and salmon roe bowl. I also had a three-color bowl with salmon roe, cod roe, and sea urchin, as well as a scallop set with thick slices of meat. Sea urchin tastes the best here, as expected. It was the highlight of my trip!

Tsubu sashimi for 500 yen and two glasses of draft beer for 500 yen each in a quaint old restaurant near Iwanai Michi no Eki. The outdoor seating was a bit crowded, so we sat inside where it was hot despite the door being wide open. The draft beer was well chilled and refreshing. The food took a while to arrive due to multiple orders. We enjoyed some salmon flakes while waiting. After about 20 minutes, the tsubu sashimi we ordered finally came, but our beer was empty... Time for a refill! The tsubu sashimi consisted of about three white tsubu pieces, but I wish they were a bit firmer. This is a rare place where you can have a daytime drink in Iwanai. Thank you for the meal!

I ordered the cheapest set meal at this restaurant for 800 yen, which came with a choice of either hokke or flounder. I chose flounder, but the fish was not cooked properly. It was thinly sliced and undercooked. The set meal also included rice, miso soup, tofu, and pickles. For the price of 800 yen, I would not recommend this meal to others.

When it comes to the lovable character of Iwana, you won't forget the sight and name of Taramaru once you see it. So I decided to try the tarako bowl. The hot rice was covered with a thick layer of fresh tarako, so much that you couldn't see the rice underneath. Just enjoy it without worrying about gout or anything else.

Squid sashimi set meal is delicious.

Today's sea urchin bowl was enjoyed in Iwanai. First, I parked my car at "N43° Dining" but it was full (bitter smile). So, I parked at the Michi no Eki (roadside station) and saw a sign for "seafood bowl" and "tricolor bowl" at the "Marumaru Market". I entered the store... There were 4 customers ahead of me and 2 behind me. I saw the menu on the wall, and there it was, a "sea urchin bowl" for 2,800 yen. I had enough cash with three 1,000 yen bills in my wallet (laughs). I ordered the "sea urchin bowl" and paid in cash. It arrived in about 10 minutes. It came with miso soup, pickles, and a small piece of cold tofu. They also left sea urchin bowl sauce for me. Now, let's try the sea urchin. It was sweet and delicious!♪ I lightly poured the sea urchin bowl sauce and enjoyed it. Yum! Yum! Good!♪ The rice, miso soup, and pickles were also delicious♪ I finished everything without stopping my chopsticks!♪ Oh! I only left the wakame in the miso soup (laughs).

Visited on 2016.9.25 on the way to a villa in Iwanai. I stopped by on the way to have some BBQ, but ended up eating seafood bowl instead. I thought it might not be the best idea before having BBQ, but oh well! Uni bowl is out of season now, so they didn't have a lot, but they could make a three-color bowl. So I went for the three-color bowl with salmon roe, sea urchin, and cod roe. A festival of fish eggs! It's delicious but also feels like a guilty pleasure. If I ate this all the time, I'd die early! Luckily, they only had enough for two more servings of the three-color bowl. Phew! The grilled half-Atka mackerel set was a bit disappointing as it was only half a fish, but the taste was good. Thank you for the meal!

- Visit after a long time on 6/16 - Today, I checked the completion status of the Nishino site in the morning and then drove to Iwanai. I finished explaining the products in Iwanai by 11:30 and decided to visit this shop after a long time. I parked my car at the Michi-no-Eki parking lot and saw a sign for "Seafood Bowl" and "Three-color Bowl," so I decided to try the Three-color Bowl (laughs) and entered the shop. There was one customer before me and four customers behind me. I looked at the menu posted on the wall and saw that they had a Uni Bowl. Judging from the price, it seemed to be Ezo Murasaki Uni. I sat at a table for two and ordered the Uni Bowl from the lady and paid in cash. It arrived in about 5 minutes. It came with miso soup, pickles, and a small piece of cold tofu. They also left Uni sauce for me. First, I tried the Uni. It was white Uni, sweet and delicious. Then, I lightly poured the Uni sauce over the fresh Uni. Mmm, the flavor of the Uni spread in my mouth! The rice was not vinegared. The miso soup and pickles were also tasty. I finished everything without stopping my chopsticks! I remember that the Ikura Bowl was delicious here, so next time, I might try the Two-color Bowl with Uni and Ikura (laughs).

Iwanai Town, right near the Michi no Eki (roadside station) with plenty of parking spaces. Many touring guests and families visit for work, expecting fresh seafood and cheap dishes. However, the sweet shrimp bowl for 1000 yen was disappointing with little rice and average shrimp in terms of quantity and taste. My companion ordered the 700 yen grilled flounder set, but it was also nothing special. The restaurant opens at 7 am, known for attracting fishermen. The quality of the grilled and simmered fish can vary day by day. Tourists who specifically come to Iwanai Town may have high expectations, similar to the seafood shops in nearby towns like Kakizaki Shouten. It is important for the town's tourism image that improvements are made to the dining experience, possibly by utilizing Iwanai's deep-sea mineral-rich water for promotion. Personally, I hope they can offer more generously portioned and higher quality fish consistently, then they could attract more customers during lunchtime.

Whenever I come to Iwanai Town, I always eat at the restaurant located at North Latitude 43° across the street. But this time, I decided to try a different restaurant because I am on a solo trip. I was curious about this open-style restaurant with tables by the sea and umbrellas. I ordered the salmon roe rice bowl. The taste was good, but I felt like something was missing. Maybe it lacked a certain atmosphere. It's a shame that I came to a town known for its seafood but ended up eating at a festival-like food stall. Maybe the open style of the restaurant is the reason why I couldn't fully relax while eating.

I am a fishing enthusiast who loves to go fishing every spring on the Japan Sea side, heading towards Shimamaki Village. I take a spontaneous solo trip, spending a night in my car, and finishing the next morning with fishing. After that, I drive along my favorite route from Shimamaki to Suttsu to Iwanai to Mount Yotei. I wash my car in Iwanai to remove the salt it accumulated. It's usually lunchtime by then. A few years ago during a fishing trip, I visited a seafood restaurant near the Iwanai Michi-no-Eki. The place had a rustic charm with a prefabricated building and dried fish like hokke displayed outside, giving off a genuine "seaside eatery" vibe. The service from the staff was a bit rough but not off-putting, fitting well with the coastal atmosphere. While spring is the season for hokke and cherry salmon, the waitress strongly recommended their specialty, the "ikura tarako don." I ordered it without much thought. The dish consisted of a bed of rice topped with half portions of ikura and tarako. The ikura had a plain seasoning, and the tarako seemed artificially colored without any distinctive flavor. It was tasty, no doubt, but I felt it wasn't something worth having at that particular place. The only thing that gave off a seaside vibe was the miso soup. While they may have used good quality tarako and put effort into the seasoning, simply laying it on top wasn't very appealing. It lacked uniqueness. I believe they could improve by avoiding artificial coloring and adding some originality. For now, it seems like a menu catered to tourists, but I'm curious about their other dishes like the sweet shrimp bowl during its peak season.

Located next to the "Michi-no-Eki Iwanai" in Iwanai Town, the "Iwanai Tara Maru Market" houses a tourist shop. I visited early in the morning at 7 o'clock when it was open, as I had come for fishing. I ordered a light breakfast of "tarako donburi" and asked the staff about it. They explained that it was "seasoned tarako placed on top of rice." When it arrived shortly after, I took a bite and found that it was simply store-bought tarako spread over rice. Not only that, but the saltiness was overpowering, and the amount of rice was unbalanced. I had expected something like raw tarako seasoned like ikura on top of rice, so I was completely disappointed. If it had been around 500 yen, I might have understood, and up to 700 yen could be justified as a tourist spot price, but at 900 yen, it felt like a rip-off. Furthermore, before serving what the customer (me) had ordered, the staff took a picture with a digital camera... probably for use in the menu or something, but if you're going to do it, do it in the kitchen where customers can't see! It was extremely unpleasant. Additionally, the staff (mostly middle-aged ladies and gentlemen from the neighborhood) chatted loudly in front of customers or sat in a corner smoking, showing a complete lack of awareness of customer service. The location is right near the center of Iwanai Town, so to be honest, there are plenty of other appealing restaurants for lunch. However, if you're really in need before they open, this seafood shop also offers menu items like gyudon (beef bowl) and curry.