Until the end of February, you can enjoy Oita direct delivery pufferfish. I really wanted to try it, so I made it just in time. It seems like many others had the same idea, as the table seats were set up for hot pot. The reservation seems to be fully booked. The course included appetizers, hot pot, sashimi, fried chicken, fin sake, porridge, and dessert for 8000 yen. It was a satisfying amount. The Ponzu sauce from Umaji Village goes well with it. It has a fresh acidity and aroma! In order of preference, I liked the skin in hot water, porridge, and sashimi. The chocolate mousse dessert was homemade and had a Valentine's Day feel to it. The white fish tempura is an additional 2800 yen, but it's worth ordering. It goes well with Hakata salt. Even if you dip it a lot, it doesn't overpower the flavor. Maybe gratin would have been good too. I was completely satisfied today as well. Thank you for the meal.

During the Obon holiday, I visited with one other person. Due to a flight delay, we arrived after 8:00 PM, and there were two other groups already there. (Even when I called to say we would be late for our reservation, the lady was very kind and understanding, which I truly appreciated.) The owner and his wife had a very gentle and friendly demeanor, and they took great care of us. We ordered most of the recommended dishes from the owner, and they were all exquisite. The seasoning was perfect, but what stood out was the rich flavor of the ingredients, which even amateurs like us could appreciate. My companion and I even said, "They could easily make it in Ginza." *I don't drink alcohol, so I didn't have any, but they had a wide selection of drinks, and my companion enjoyed plenty of sake. There are many restaurants in Abashiri, but overall, this is a top-notch establishment. Being able to make reservations online is a great convenience for me. (Many restaurants in Abashiri only take reservations by phone...) When we settled the bill after eating to our heart's content, it was only ¥5000 per person. "Is that really true?" I asked, and the wife replied with a laugh, "I double-checked three times, so yes, it's true." Great taste, value, and atmosphere - I highly recommend this restaurant. In these uncertain times, I wish them all the best. Thank you for the wonderful meal. I will definitely visit again when I return to Abashiri.

Today is the only chance I have. I will be confined for about 10 days starting next week. So, I have made a hair salon appointment for tomorrow, a neighborhood association meeting on Friday, and starting Saturday, I will be on a restricted diet in preparation for the confinement. It's nice to be invited with a "Are you coming?" I'm heading there by bus. Hopefully, there will be a seat available... Managed to find an available seat at the counter, which is better anyway. Can't go wrong with beer. It's delicious. The local edamame is being peeled by hand. What are you doing? Just eat it as is, no seasoning, and it's delicious. "Want to try sea squirt?" "Yes." I'm not a fan of strong flavors, but according to the expert, it's fresh and delicious. I ate most of the braised pork tempura, but in return, Yome-san enjoyed her favorite corn tempura, which was incredibly sweet. I didn't have to eat it, but it was tasty, and she insisted I try it. She ordered eel because she eats it, but I politely declined. She mentioned that the eel was "already cut." I have no idea what that means. As always, the meal was delicious. As I was leaving, they asked, "Are you coming back?" I replied, "I'll be back."

Today, I went to a local restaurant for a drink. It's a place I try to visit once a week, but it felt like it had been a while since I last went. Last week I went to a different place in Kitami, so maybe it had been two weeks since I was here. I used to go out twice a week, but lately it's been just once a week at most. The first place I went to had delicious Western-style food, so for the second place I chose a Japanese-style restaurant. The counter was full, so I moved to a table in the back which was empty. The beer was as tasty as always. I wonder why things I usually don't like, like mountain vegetables, taste so good here. My wife was surprised and said, "That's unusual," as I quickly finished the green vegetables. She had eel, which she said was delicious, and I had a dish with grated yam and sea urchin, which was so delicious it almost made me cry. It must be because of the sake, but I'm trying to cut back, so I settled for shochu on the rocks. I ended the night with a cold TANUKI shochu. It was a good day today, worth writing about in my diary.

I regret not knowing about this wonderful restaurant earlier. Each dish is simply delicious. It's the best restaurant I've eaten at in Abashiri. If I'm wrong, let me know. I'll take responsibility. Eating should be done while relaxing, right? Thanks to the friendly nature of the master and mama, you can relax and enjoy delicious food. I don't lie. You should try going there first. I guarantee it. It's also recommended for a date.

The surgery itself is not a big deal, it's the preparation that's tough. My wife, who usually wakes up late, woke up early to help me because she knows how difficult it is. "After it's over, shall we go out for something delicious?" she asked. Normally, you wouldn't think about drinking alcohol after having a colon polyp removed, right? But she knows it's a treat for me, so she has a carrot dangling in front of my nose. Well, they managed to remove one, but there was something they couldn't get, so I had to be hospitalized to have it taken care of. Oh well, I have to go through the discomfort again. The treat got postponed. We arrived at the restaurant before it even opened, surprising the staff. We were given a beer at the counter to relax. The butterbur stalks were cooked perfectly, crunchy and delicious. The tofu came with soy sauce-marinated garlic, which was also tasty. The sashimi platter looked great, but I only had a taste as my wife wanted it all for herself. The dish with octagonal something (probably referring to star anise) was delicious, as I like star anise. The asparagus tempura was thick and not very sweet, probably because it's not in season. The steak was good, especially with the chilled wine they gave us. In the end, it was a delicious treat.

Today there were three of us. When I asked, "Where are we going?" they said, "Yuzurika." As expected, we ended up at Yuzuri. I was pleasantly surprised by the way they served the food. We sat at a table instead of the counter and ordered beer. The appetizers were delicious. I felt like having ginger pork, so I ordered it. And of course, ginger pork goes well with red wine, right? So I ordered that too. We took pictures of the dishes lined up, and although it felt a bit strange, it didn't matter to me. I believe that having the courage to pair different flavors together is important. The ginger pork was delicious, with a nice, light seasoning and bean sprouts instead of cabbage underneath. The beef tataki and asparagus yuzu-style were also delicious. It's a great restaurant where everything tastes good.

I have been placed on an international wanted list and will soon receive a passport surrender order. Once my passport is no longer valid, I will be forcibly deported as an illegal resident. In the midst of this situation, I am considering moving. Isn't that foolish? Last night, I forgot about White Day and asked, "Is it better to go out for cake or a meal?" It's so obvious that I made a mistake. Are you Akira or something? For the second place, my wife prefers to go to three different places. The first place we went to had an available counter, so that's where we ended up. We had delicious beer and a light-flavored lotus root simmered dish. Then we had bamboo shoot tempura. Today, I'm satisfied with just that. I devoured everything in no time, including the tempura. Tempura is great, isn't it? After the bamboo shoot, we had spicy pasta. My wife even said, "I might be better at cooking than this place." Nevertheless, we stick to our rotation of restaurants, as my wife insists.

The food and drinks were both amazing, but what stood out the most was the chef who created the dishes. It was the 3-month anniversary of the opening today, and the owner and hostess were very warm and engaging, making the conversation enjoyable and leaving me feeling happy. The dishes highlighted the natural flavors of the ingredients, using seasonal produce, and the selection of sake complemented the food perfectly. Personally, the seasonal fugu fin sake was the best I've ever had. I will definitely visit again when I come to Abashiri.

I visited the restaurant for the second time, even though I had just been there recently. I feel bad for going to a second place again without making a reservation first. There were three of us drinking. We always say we'll just go to one place, but end up going to a second one. We were lucky to find seats at the counter at "Yuzuri." The staff remembered us from our last visit, which made my friend happy. We had a toast with beer, but one person doesn't drink much beer. The snow crab innards were frozen and best enjoyed when they start to melt in your mouth. The sashimi and salad were delicious, and the rolled omelette was amazing. We ordered sake, even though I've been trying to cut back on drinking. They offered handmade soba noodles, which we all eagerly ordered. The soba noodles had a good texture and flavor, while the broth could have been a bit stronger. We ended the meal with delicious soba noodles.

I can't go out for two weeks starting next week. It's not because of COVID, and it won't cause any inconvenience to others. So, I don't usually invite people out for meals, but this time my wife had a few places in mind. We went to a restaurant near the station first, but it was full, so we ended up at a new place. The food was good, especially the beer. We also met someone unexpectedly at the restaurant. My wife ordered gratin and sake, even though she usually doesn't drink. It was a fun and enjoyable experience, and we will definitely visit this restaurant again.

While visiting my hometown of Abashiri, my usual routine is to search for and eat delicious food in the city. Tonight, I searched and found a new restaurant called "Washokudokoro Yuzuri" and decided to give it a try. The interior of the restaurant was very clean, likely due to being a new establishment (or recently renovated). The atmosphere was traditional Japanese but not too formal, making it a comfortable dining experience. As for the most important part, the food exceeded my expectations. I was surprised to see on the menu thinly sliced tiger pufferfish, which is rare in Abashiri! Unfortunately, it requires a reservation at least 5 days in advance (which is understandable for live pufferfish), so I couldn't try it. Instead, I had the Yuzu Fugu, another type of pufferfish that was recently featured on TV. It was my first time trying it, and I was impressed by its texture and flavor. The other dishes were also delicious with rich broth and careful seasoning. Additionally, there were unique fusion dishes in Japanese cuisine that added to the overall enjoyment of the meal. I could sense the chef's dedication to pleasing the diners, and I look forward to visiting again.