In March, during the off-season, there were few open shops... After walking around, I finally found one that was open! A lifesaver! I was able to have lunch because they were barely serving. It was seafood, typical of Hokkaido. It seems like a place to enjoy at night with some drinks.

As an appetizer, a set of potato salad, pickles, and fish cake appeared. I enjoyed it while waiting for my grilled fish set meal to be ready. The other three people I was with ordered rice bowl dishes, so theirs arrived quickly, but I had to wait a little longer for my grilled fish. Today's grilled fish was probably hokke, with thick and fatty flesh compared to what you usually find in Tokyo. I was very hungry, and the substantial grilled fish was delicious. The rice portion was quite generous!

Seafood rice bowl for 2000 yen, scallop butter grilled for 500 yen. The sashimi was plentiful and satisfying. Each bite of sashimi was incredibly fresh and delicious. They even gave me a miso soup with swordfish and a small appetizer. With a soft drink, the total came to 2700 yen. I couldn't book the hotel's dinner plan, so I ate here instead, and I'm glad I did because the food was much better. It seems like a local favorite, as many customers seemed to know each other.

When I entered this restaurant alone, I was seated at a raised table instead of the counter seat, and I was even offered a sunken kotatsu table. I had a salmon bowl and it was delicious!

The weather wasn't great and it started raining, so I changed my plans and headed straight to Lake Toya Onsen. I arrived around 10 o'clock and first searched for a day-use hot spring at a ryokan that was open at this time. I found the newly renovated Toya Sun Palace Resort & Spa. Since the guests had already checked out, it was almost like a private bath experience with a spacious outdoor bath overlooking the beautiful Lake Toya. They had various baths like a silk bath and hinoki bath, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It felt like heaven. However, even close to noon, I didn't feel very hungry, maybe due to the "ageimo" effect. I decided to have a light lunch nearby and stumbled upon a clean-looking restaurant. I wanted to try this kind of spontaneous visit during my trip. There was a large Akita dog in front of the shop, which seemed to be the shop's mascot. The restaurant was called "Seafood Dining," and they had a few lunch menu options. It was still quite new, having opened in January this year. The place was run by a couple. The interior had a counter seat in the front and sunken kotatsu table seats in the back where you had to take off your shoes. I was the only customer, so I leisurely sat at a table seat. I ordered the most expensive lunch menu, the sashimi set for 1,500 yen. The blackboard mentioned abalone, tuna, and scallops. The meal arrived promptly, and it was quite a generous portion for the price. It came with salad, three small side dishes, and miso soup with three scallops in the shell. The sashimi featured a large abalone that exceeded expectations for the price. I couldn't help but comment on its size, and the owner mentioned that they keep the abalones alive in a tank until they are ordered for lunch. This ensures that you get fresh seafood. The other two types of sashimi were also decent. In the end, I had the place all to myself. It was a nice meal in a corner of the hot spring town. I made sure to register the restaurant on "Tabelog" for the first time. I was a bit worried because I didn't receive a receipt, but I later found the address and phone number when I googled it, which was a relief. It's a small, new restaurant amidst the large hot spring hotels. I hope they do well. Thank you for the meal.