Visit date October 28, 2021 On this day, after enjoying delicious Zangi, we wandered around the Suehiro area to fill the gap in our stomachs. Just as we passed by, we saw a couple coming out of Nichinodesushi. If one group is leaving, that means we can get in, right? So, the second stop was Nichinodesushi with my companion. Since there was no menu, we ordered: - Chef's choice sushi x2 - Draft beer At this time, we had a total of 10 pieces. Flounders, scallops, surf clams, crabs, whelks, tuna, shrimp, salmon, sea urchin, salmon roe, I think? Looking at the photos. I liked the flounder, while my companion enjoyed the salmon. The sushi rice had a mild vinegar taste, or rather, it had more sweetness than acidity. The rice balls were on the larger side, but the toppings were even bigger. The total bill for two servings plus one draft beer was 5,200 yen. It was incredibly cost-effective. The service from the head chef and the staff, possibly his daughter, was comfortable with a good distance. Both of the places we visited that day were great, and we were lucky. It was delicious, thank you for the meal.

About a 10-minute walk from Kushiro Station, near the Nusamai Bridge in Kushiro's downtown area, I stayed and decided to have dinner around there. While there are eateries, there are no shopping malls or the like. The atmosphere has a retro Showa era feel. Following a recommendation from one of my followers, I called ahead to confirm availability before visiting the restaurant. Due to heavy rain that day, we were the only customers. I nervously entered, but was relieved by the kind demeanor of the chef. We had a sashimi platter with sea urchin, scallops, and whale, followed by a 10-piece assorted nigiri set (chef's choice). Afterwards, we ordered additional sea urchin nigiri, salmon roe, bottled beer, and hot sake. Before coming here, we also visited a robatayaki restaurant and ate a lot. The warm and cozy atmosphere allowed us to relax and enjoy our meal. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

I stayed in Hokkaido for about a week and had my first taste of ikura (salmon roe). Last year it was around 10,000 yen per kg, but this year it's about 6,000 yen (wholesale price). By the time it reaches our mouths, it's more than double that. It's not something you come across every day, so I savored every bite. We had hokki, tsubu, matsukawa, and more with the kind people we met in Hokkaido. The quality of the ingredients was excellent, and everything was delicious. I think it's a great restaurant.

This sushi restaurant gives off the impression of being traditional and has a very unfriendly atmosphere. They only offer two types of regular sake, both served cold in 300ml for 1000 yen. The menu is very limited, with only sashimi and nigiri available, and likely no other options. There are no soup dishes available either. The rice used for the sushi is typical. Overall, the quality of sushi restaurants in Kushiro is generally low.

Fresh and delicious! Especially the sardines and surf clams were beautiful!

I was taken to this restaurant by a friend for a second round. I don't usually eat sushi, so I felt like the place might be a bit high-end, but it turned out to be very friendly and cozy. We weren't here to fill our stomachs, but to enjoy some snacks and sip on sake like adults! The quality of the sushi was amazing, especially the fatty sardines which left me impressed! The oysters, octopus, everything was delicious! I think this is a wonderful restaurant that I would definitely want to visit again when I come to Kushiro.

I forgot to post about it even though I went there last year. This restaurant is well-known among bloggers in Kushiro and even Fighters players have been there. On this day, I ordered at the counter as I liked. When you hear "order at the counter as you like," you might worry about the price, but this restaurant is fine. It's cheap and you can feel at ease with the prices. In the era of conveyor belt sushi, non-conveyor belt sushi is still delicious.

A few days ago, I made a phone reservation and visited with five people. The restaurant is located on the outskirts of the Kushiro entertainment district, in an old Showa-era building. The middle-aged master, originally from the Kanto region, seems to be running the place by himself. He is very friendly and easy to talk to. We sat at the counter and ordered from the cold case. The selection of sushi toppings was not very satisfying that day, but everything we tried was good. Especially the Bafun Uni from the Hamanaka area was of excellent quality. Just for this Uni, I would want to go back again, although there were no other notable toppings that day. It may have been just a coincidence, but our expectations were perhaps too high. Eating Uni in Kushiro is always a good experience. My companion mentioned that the master's good personality covers up everything else. I plan to visit again.

Men's nationwide food tour in Japan, Kushiro edition Next week, my annual business trip to Hokkaido will finally begin. This month, I have almost all my work scheduled in Hokkaido, so I will be away from home for a long time. To prepare for the business trip, my family and I decided to take a pre-trip to Hokkaido for a family vacation during the 3-day weekend before the business trip starts. Our destination this time is Kushiro in eastern Hokkaido, and we arrived by plane on Saturday afternoon. We rented a car at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido and headed towards eastern Hokkaido. It took about 4 hours by car to finally reach Kushiro. Kushiro is really far by car, I'm exhausted. Tomorrow, we have plans to explore Kushiro, so we quickly had dinner to prepare for tomorrow. When it comes to Kushiro, known for being a fishing port town, the seafood must be delicious. So, of course, we decided to look for a sushi restaurant in Kushiro. Walking around the bustling area of Kushiro, we found many sushi restaurants. Among the many options, I chose "Hinode Sushi" this time. About the restaurant: Hinode Sushi is located on the outskirts of Kushiro's downtown area, on the 1st floor of a rather old mixed-use building. It doesn't seem like a place where tourists would go, both in terms of location and appearance, but I really like this kind of place. We took a commemorative photo of my daughter at the entrance before entering the restaurant. Inside, there were counter seats and table seats, with local regulars enjoying themselves. The owner of the restaurant, who seemed to be around 70-80 years old, was managing the place alone. About the food: There is no menu at the restaurant. You order what you want from the items in the showcase. They don't offer grilled dishes, so it's either sashimi or sushi. I asked the owner for recommendations and decided to try a few dishes. - Assorted sashimi: It included saury, tuna, scallop, and flounder. The saury, famous in Kushiro, had a good amount of fat and was delicious. The flounder was well-aged and flavorful, but the scallop was a bit lacking in sweetness. - Simmered saury: A dish recommended as a sake accompaniment. The saury simmered in soy sauce was tender and flavorful. - Surf clam & Japanese ivory shell sashimi: Ordered by my wife, who loves shellfish. The surf clam was crunchy with a strong taste of the sea, and the Japanese ivory shell was thick and satisfying. - Finishing with sushi: We had squid, salmon roe, sea urchin, mackerel, and conger eel. The squid was a bit thin, the salmon roe was well-marinated in soy sauce, the sea urchin didn't have a strong sweetness, the mackerel was delicious, and the conger eel was tender and rich. Lastly, when my daughter asked for "cold tea," the owner offered her Ito En's "Catechin Oolong Tea." It was a surprise for a small child, but she took a sip and seemed to enjoy it. Overall, the food was delicious, and we had a great time at Hinode Sushi in Kushiro.

In July 2013, I visited "Hinode Sushi" located in Kawakami-cho, Kushiro City. This restaurant was recommended to me by a friend from Sapporo, Kamisorihikku. We started with a toast with beer and had the chef recommend 5 items for us. Here are our impressions: Omakase Nigiri: We sat at the counter and told the chef, "We came from Tokyo with a recommendation from a friend in Sapporo! We can't eat too much, but we're a bit hungry, so please give us something to start with!" The chef quickly served us shrimp, tuna, scallop, whelk, and surf clam. They were all incredibly fresh! The chef seemed to consider our appetite and focused on lighter shellfish for us. Thanks to the chef's nice choices, we were able to enjoy each piece deliciously with a good balance. The shellfish had both umami and a crunchy texture, showcasing their freshness. When we asked for today's recommendation, the chef said, "Today, it's all about sardine and tuna!" Additional nigiri included: Tuna: Tuna caught in Kushiro. We had it a few times, and it was very delicious with a fatty medium fatty tuna-like texture. Sardine: We also had this a few times. It was fresh and fatty. The wasabi was just the right amount and didn't overpower the fish. Sea Urchin: I believe it was from Nemuro. It was so fresh that the shape was clear, and it was sweet and mellow. It was the best sea urchin I had during my stay in Hokkaido. Salmon Roe: Large and delicious! The rice was large and soft, not overshadowing the topping. Tamago: My partner always eats tamago as a dessert. The tamago here was thick-cut. It was not too sweet, so it was quite delicious. Overall, all the nigiri were delicious with large toppings and rice. My partner, who grew up in a rice-producing area on the Japan Sea side, praised the soft rice at this restaurant. We enjoyed them with the famous Hokkaido Nemuro sake "Hokkai no Katsu." I can't remember the exact amount, but it was surprisingly affordable, so the value for money was excellent (I think it was around 6,800 yen in total). On this day, we also had a drink at "Robata Hyoutan" and took a stroll around Kushiro Fisherman's Wharf MOO before visiting this restaurant. We had a nice chat with the chef, and it turns out that the largest gourd displayed at "Robata Hyoutan" was a gift from the chef. Although he was originally from Saitama, he moved to Kushiro when he was young and has been making sushi ever since. He nostalgically talked about the thriving days of Kushiro in the past. Along with "Robata Hyoutan," this is a restaurant I want to revisit in the future.

There are no photos of the food, so please try to feel the atmosphere of the place through the text. Razor: "I'm alone, is that okay?" Master: "Just a moment..." I sat between three customers. The one on the right was a salaryman from Kushiro, and the one on the left was a family. We ordered tuna, cured mackerel, sea urchin, cutlassfish, horse mackerel, and two hot sakes. Customer: "The octopus here is delicious! I'll have some octopus, please." Razor: "The tuna here is also delicious!" (Everyone suddenly smiled) Customer: "I've been coming here for 40 years, and everything is delicious." Razor: "I wasn't even born 40 years ago..." Master: "My son is about the same age." Tuna belly. Slightly sticky texture. It's raw tuna. The red flesh is rich and has a deep flavor... delicious. Cured mackerel sushi. The cured mackerel here is not too vinegary like in many sushi restaurants, but has a perfect balance of flavors. It has a slightly fatty texture and is... also delicious. Cutlassfish. Winter is the season for cutlassfish, and it has a rich and smooth flavor... also delicious. Horse mackerel. They source it from Kyushu. It has a good texture, looks beautiful, and was also delicious. Octopus. Customer: "Razor, this is delicious!" (Surprised to be called by name) Razor: "Then, I'll have one octopus, please." Master: "We boil the octopus in the shop. When it's good, we even serve it raw." Soft yet slightly chewy texture. The rice is cooked just right, not too soft or too hard. The vinegar is mild, enhancing the flavor of the ingredients. Customer: "Master, you've changed a lot since the old days." Master: "Back then, I couldn't talk well with customers..." The building shows signs of aging and is not a grand sushi restaurant by any means. However, it is a wonderful place where you can enjoy delicious sushi at a reasonable price and have pleasant encounters with local people. I thought this was something special about this place. Thank you for the meal! I would like to visit again slowly next time. *Today's total for tuna, cured mackerel, sea urchin, cutlassfish, horse mackerel, and two hot sakes was 3500 yen. Just for reference.

The sushi rice is cooked with charcoal! The chef, who is around 65 years old, may seem stern at first glance, but he is actually very friendly. I have been coming here since I was young, and when I mention my budget, he always recommends good sushi for me. I have seen him making sushi for young travelers, asking about their budget and how much they want to eat, and then making a custom sushi for them. It's a welcoming place where you can feel comfortable dining alone. I always order a sushi box to take home after enjoying a few pieces. My wife and friends love it, saying it's delicious even for breakfast. When I told the chef about this, he said, "It's because our sushi rice is different from other places." When I asked what's different, it seems that they cook the rice with charcoal. I'm not sure why, but it might be the reason why it stays fresh until the next day. The texture of the sushi rice is completely different, and you probably won't find it easily elsewhere in the country. When they cook the rice, it gets a slight charred flavor, which adds to the unique taste. If you ask the chef, he might give you some to try.

I felt like eating sushi on a business trip night, so I decided to visit a restaurant recommended by a friend. It was early, so I sat alone at the counter. I ordered some drinks and sashimi, which included salmon, sardine, tuna, and snapper. I also tried to order saury, but unfortunately they were out of stock. I saw octopus and cod milt in the display case, so I decided to order those. The octopus had just been prepared and had a perfect texture, it was the most delicious thing I had that day. However, I didn't find the cod milt particularly tasty. For my final dish, I asked the chef to make me a chef's choice sushi. It was just the right size and seasoning. Unfortunately, there was some kind of crab leg sushi that I didn't enjoy. Overall, I will definitely revisit this restaurant if I ever come back to Kushiro.

When I went to the bustling downtown area of Kushiro, Eimachi, to have dinner, I found this sushi restaurant quietly standing on the first floor of a dull mixed-use building. At first, I thought, "Is it okay to eat here?" but it turned out to be a hidden gem! The sea urchin and salmon roe were exceptionally delicious! Also, it was the perfect season for Pacific saury, and the owner confidently prepared it for us. The richness of the fish was outstanding. I was surprised by how the Pacific saury melted in my mouth. It's a small and simple sushi restaurant, mostly with a counter, but I think it's worth visiting when you come to Kushiro.