Handmade Hamburger Shop IRENKA ■ 2020/9 Located in Noboribetsu Onsen Town, this hamburger shop is situated in the heart of the Gokuraku Street shopping district in Noboribetsu Onsen. Operating hours are from 10:00 to 16:00, closed on Thursdays. Opened in July 2019, this shop offers unique hamburgers made with Hokkaido-specific ingredients. The name "IRENKA" means "ideal" or "hope" in Ainu language. The interior is simple, with seating for 2 and 4 people. Decorated with Gundam posters, Ultraman and Kamen Rider masks on the wooden walls. Self-service for cold water, playing J-pop music, and smoking is prohibited inside. Visited on a Saturday around noon, the shop was moderately busy with 2 groups of customers totaling 3 people. They offer a variety of burgers such as Ezo deer meat burger for 750 yen, Noboribetsu pork chashu burger for 800 yen, and Shiraoi Wagyu beef burger for 850 yen. Side menu includes items like french fries for 350 yen, melon pan ice cream for 400 yen, and chewy donuts for 350 yen. They also serve a selection of drinks like cola, orange juice, and various flavored sodas for 300 yen each. Set menus with fries and a drink are available for 400 yen. Telephone orders and takeout are possible. Unfortunately, they were out of Ezo deer meat for the burger, but they use Shiraoi Wagyu beef for the burgers. I ordered the Shiraoi Wagyu beef burger set with melon soda. The burger was large with a patty, fried egg, sliced cheese, tomato, lettuce, and mustard mayo sauce on top. The patty was made with 100% Shiraoi Wagyu beef and was juicy and flavorful. The buns were made with locally sourced wheat flour and topped with white sesame seeds. Overall, I found the burger to be slightly pricey at first, but considering it's a tourist area, it might actually be quite reasonable for this type of quality. The shop is operated by the social corporation Hope (Shiraoi Town) Frontier Noboribetsu, which supports the social reintegration of people with disabilities. I would like to support them by trying the Ezo deer meat burger and Noboribetsu pork chashu burger next time, even though it may be limited to visit due to its location.

I was planning to have lunch at a ramen shop, but it was closed and other places were quite crowded. I was about to give up on eating lunch when someone called out to me as I passed by a shop, so I went in. They were selling three types of burgers, and I had the roast pork burger. It was quite delicious. The atmosphere of the shop made it seem difficult to enter at first glance...

The White Old Cow Burger had a good volume, which was great.

White Old Cow Burger's evaluation: Overpriced.

IRENKA, a gourmet burger shop located along the Gokuraku Street in Noboribetsu Onsen. I visited during my trip in mid-October and ordered the "Shiraoi Wagyu Burger" for takeout in the evening. The name "IRENKA" means "hope" or "ideal" in Ainu language. The friendly staff quickly prepared my burger, which consisted of buns, lettuce, wagyu patty, cheese, tomato, fried egg, and more buns. The thick wagyu patty was juicy and delicious, complemented by the slightly sweet BBQ sauce. The combination of flavors from the egg, cheese, lettuce, and tomato was perfect. I finished the burger quickly and enjoyed every bite. Thank you for the meal!

The spot that had been closed due to the state of emergency has reopened from July 3rd, and will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for the time being. The White Horse Wagyu burger is huge! One is enough to fill you up! The Wagyu patty is juicy and delicious. Considering it is operated by a vocational support organization, the price is reasonable for a tourist hot spring town. Nevertheless, Gokuraku Street remains quiet. Thank you for the White Horse Wagyu Burger for 850 yen! (^^)v