I realized that my last visit was a mistake, and this is now my third time here. Yes! I enjoyed the ramen set with salt! It comes with regular ramen and half a fried rice. Yes, this is the vibe. This time, I added garlic, which I didn't do last time. It's a bit disappointing that the salt ramen doesn't come with wood ear mushrooms. The flavor is mild and gentle, as expected. Adding garlic gives it a punch, but somehow it feels a bit off. I was thinking about what it could be, and then it hit me—yuzu pepper! Though I don’t have any (laughs), or maybe yuzu peel, but I don’t have that either (爆笑). Well, it’s not really for me to decide... I have to say that I think they put in a lot of effort. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be coming back three times. I personally think it’s delicious.

This is my second time visiting. Last time I thought I should have ordered salt, so this time I went for the set with salt ramen. Contrary to my expectations, I received a half-size ramen and fried rice—a bit of an unusual combo. Is this the standard for salt ramen? The flavor was as I anticipated; I prefer the salt ramen here, as it suits my tastes better. It has a mild taste, and the soup pairs well with the noodles. This is not the kind of ramen that seeks to deliver a punch but rather has a nice, gentle flavor. The fried rice is light and fluffy, making it easy to enjoy. Ideally, I would have preferred a full-size ramen with a half portion of fried rice. Overall, the dish has a mild and gentle taste.

I had miso ramen. At first, I felt a sweetness, which I believe is from the white miso base. The variety of ingredients included in the dish was satisfying. Personally, I really love wood ear mushrooms. However, there was a bit of a sharpness to the miso's saltiness. I wonder if it would have been better to order the salt flavor instead. The chashu was thickly sliced, with three pieces providing good volume. It was not tough, so I appreciated the meaty texture. Although the flavors were well balanced, it lacked a bit of punch and had that sharpness from the miso. I think it would have been great if they had prepared things like garlic paste to add more impact.

On this day, I arrived at the restaurant a bit early, around 11:10 AM. There was one customer ahead of me and one behind. The background music was J-Pop♪. This place, which closed in 2017, reopened after renovations on November 20 last year and resumed lunch service on January 24. I was torn between getting ramen or my half-year absence from "ankake yakisoba" (stir-fried noodles with a thick sauce), so I ordered it via the touch panel. It took about 10 minutes to prepare! Wow, it looked quite appealing! I pulled the noodles out and blew on them to cool them down. One bite...??? Oh no! The strong taste of the menma (bamboo shoots) made it inedible (^^; What to do? I asked for some mustard and mixed it all in, then generously sprinkled some pickled ginger from the table on top. How about that? It worked! I happily finished my meal, and the fact that I didn’t go with ramen earned me a one-star rating. Well, I guess we all have days like this, right? (laughs) The ankake yakisoba cost 1,100 yen. Thank you for the meal! (^^)v

I received a request on Instagram asking me to visit their shop, so I decided to drop by at an opportune moment. Even though I was invited, I made sure to pay my bill—this is a serious business. Nishijin is a sushi and washoku restaurant that has been operating in the Tomikawa area for a long time, but it sadly closed a few years ago. Currently, a young owner has taken over the name and is running the business in a rented space, operating as a ramen shop during the day and an izakaya at night. When I arrived, I noticed the "Men-Ou" (Noodle King) sign, a place that used to be in the Tomikawa area as well. Upon asking the owner, I learned that Men-Ou is his wife's family business, and they are using Men-Ou’s recipe for the ramen. ● Shio Ramen: 900 yen ● Half Fried Rice: 450 yen The ramen is quite traditional, reflecting a Showa-era style. The broth is rich, likely made from kombu, pork bones, and fragrant vegetables. The saltiness is balanced and not overwhelming, with a slightly subdued oiliness, resulting in a gentle flavor. The char siu is moist and tender. The fried rice is also perfectly cooked—soft and loose with just the right amount of seasoning, making it satisfying on its own or as a companion to the ramen. Indeed, I have visited Men-Ou a couple of times, and the appearance and taste here definitely evoke nostalgia for long-time fans. However, to attract customers mainly for the shio ramen, some sort of uniqueness is needed, as the classic taste is comforting but might lack excitement for regular visitors. I was told that the miso ramen is the most popular, but to stand out as a definite choice when in the mood for ramen, another unique menu item might be beneficial. Options like spicy ramen or a refined version of an ane-kake yakisoba, and perhaps a modern take on the Men-Ou's Hidaka Kombu Ramen could provide plenty of possibilities.

I heard they reopened, so I decided to have lunch during my break! I didn't have much time, so I quickly ordered soy sauce ramen using the touch panel. It arrived without much wait. The appearance looked good. I started with the soup. Hmm, it's quite tasty. I took a bite of the char siu. It was tender and easily fell apart. Wait a minute. This is just the flavor of the soy sauce based on the braising liquid from the char siu. The broth seems a bit weak, perhaps? Overall, it felt like a waste of flavors considering the price. It seems that this location has transitioned from a place called Men Oh, serving ramen and set meals during the day and operating as an izakaya at night. I wondered if the person managing the lunch shift was the owner’s son, as there were two women who looked like they could be his mother working together. They update their social media frequently, so I'm looking forward to what’s next. Thank you for the meal! (-人-)

In Hidaka Town, Tomikawa, the general izakaya options are "Tsubohachi" and "Nishijin." They serve delicious seafood dishes and tasty ramen for a satisfying finish. The lunch offerings, including ramen and set meals, are also highly recommended.

Since it was a second party with quite a bit of alcohol, we only ordered snacks. Starting off with the famous shishamo from Mukawa, the male shishamo had a wonderful aroma and rich flavor, while the female had just the right amount of eggs inside, providing a delightful pop. Truly, the authentic Mukawa shishamo is delicious, far surpassing the Kuril Islands shishamo. Next, we enjoyed the northern surf clam, sourced from nearby Tomakomai, served as sashimi. The sweetness and umami exploded in my mouth, with a lovely firm texture. We also tried it grilled with butter, which enhanced the sweetness even more and made the texture plumper and more enjoyable. This time, the grilled butter version won. Finally, we had the Matsukawa flatfish as sashimi. The flesh was resilient and had a fun bounce when biting into it. It was subtly flavored yet rich in umami, making it a perfect match for Japanese sake. The engawa (the fatty part along the fin) was beautifully rich and flavorful, and the hot sake made it even better. I became a bit tipsy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the night in Tomikawa.

I went to the Menbetsu Shishamo Festival on October 29, 2017. Wow, there were so many people! I was looking for shishamo sushi, but when I finally found it, there was a long line (º ﾛ º ). I lost the motivation to wait in line, so I decided to check out some salmon marinated in salt nearby. Just then, I heard someone say, "Shishamo sushi is sold out!" Can you believe it? It was only 10:30 (´ｰωｰ`;;). Well, I had no choice but to buy some dried shishamo, both male and female, and some salted salmon, and I enjoyed some fish cake soup before leaving the festival early. But since I came all the way here, I really wanted to try the shishamo sushi! I saw a big sign on the way that said "Shishamo Sushi," so I decided to stop by. They had takeout shishamo sushi stacked up, and fortunately, it wasn't sold out (〃´o｀)=3 ﾌｩ. I wanted to try a freshly made piece at the counter, but the atmosphere felt a bit intimidating. I bought a box of shishamo sushi for 1,300 yen and dug in right away in the car. At first glance, it looked dark, and it was different from what I imagined (´°ω°). They hadn’t removed the skin. The texture was quite firm, and the vinegar flavor was strong. It reminded me of the taste of hatahata (sandfish) sushi... My first experience with shishamo sushi was a bit challenging (^^;). Thank you for the meal! Oh, and the dried shishamo I bought at the festival was wonderfully fatty, and we were really satisfied—we finished 20 of them together (≧∇≦)!

The restaurant had such an impressive appearance that I initially thought it might be closed... (my apologies). When I passed by at night, I noticed it was properly lit up, so I realized it was open. I found out from a map made by junior high school students from Monbetsu that they served a variety of set meals for around 1000 yen, which is why I decided to come here. However, at first, the only menu available was the lunch menu. When I asked, "Excuse me, do you have other menus?" the owner rummaged around and brought me a rolled-up menu! As I unwrapped it feeling like a ninja (and it was quite heavy...), I realized that the "daily special" mentioned by Nagareboshi-san was not available. Is the set meal for around 1000 yen the daily special or is it the "omakase lunch" during lunchtime? Unfortunately, it seemed that the daily special wasn't on the menu for dinner, so I chose the "Chusei Sushi" for 1400 yen. First, I received a plate with gari (pickled ginger), a small dish, and tea, followed by the sushi. It included five pieces: mackerel, surf clam, scallop, shrimp, and tuna. Next, I received two pieces of salmon roe and sea urchin, with the owner mentioning that the sea urchin was complimentary. (I wonder if they swapped it with another kind of topping?) To finish, I had three pieces of kanpyo maki (dried gourd roll). In total, it was 1400 yen for seven pieces of sushi plus the kanpyo maki. At the end, I received hot tea again. The taste was quite average... I felt that 1400 yen was a bit expensive for that. The complimentary sea urchin was the tastiest! I would love to come back during lunchtime for a better deal. Thank you for the meal!

On my way back from visiting Bitto in November 2014, I decided to have lunch in Fukukawa. I heard that Nishijin in Fukukawa serves shishamo sushi, so I called to confirm if it was available since it was already November. They assured me that it was fine, so I made a reservation and visited the restaurant. I was shown to a tatami room. The recommended dish was the "shishamo gozen," which features a variety of dishes including shishamo sushi and grilled shishamo. I ordered this set. When it arrived, it was quite a substantial portion. It included five pieces of shishamo sushi, sashimi, tempura, grilled shishamo, and kombu rolls, allowing me to enjoy shishamo in various preparations. Everything was very delicious. Thank you for the meal!

One of the pleasures of this season is shamozushi, along with tempura and grilled dishes. Daifuku Sushi in Mukawa is usually very crowded, so I found this restaurant three years ago, and it was really delicious and had a nice atmosphere. This time, I thought it would be a problem if we couldn't get in, so I made a reservation for lunch at 12 PM the day before. We arrived too early and passed the time nearby, going in 20 minutes early. The tatami room we were taken to had about 15 other customers eagerly waiting for their food. However, at our table, there were already three portions of food laid out. Ah – was it pre-prepared? My mood dropped immediately. After traveling for an hour from Sapporo, I had been looking forward to this. I tried to shake it off and eat, but the sushi tasted like it had been on the conveyor belt for a while. The tempura was okay. We finished eating right at 12 PM, the time we had reserved. The grilled shishamo was the only thing that hadn’t come out yet. After another 40 minutes, the grilled shishamo finally arrived. The soup still hadn’t come either. I understand that this is a peak season, but it was a disappointing experience. I need to find a new place for next year. By the way, even though the grilled shishamo was so late coming out, it wasn't warm at all. What a letdown! (￣Д￣)ﾉ

I visited a restaurant called "Nishijin" to enjoy seasonal dishes while they are still available. I mistakenly got the opening time wrong and waited in my car for 30 minutes before entering at 11:30 AM when it opened. The restaurant has both counter seating and raised floor seating, and this time we chose the raised floor seats. I had heard rumors about the famous shishamo set, so to compare the dishes, we decided to order different items. The shishamo set, as shown in the photo, includes tempura, sashimi, sushi, grilled fish, and kelp rolls, priced at 1,500 yen. The premium sushi, available during lunch, was 1,700 yen. There weren’t any pictures of the items on the menu, so it was a surprise when they arrived. Since I wanted to fully enjoy the seasonal flavors, I also ordered a single serving of shishamo sushi. This comes with 7 pieces, compared to the set which has 5 pieces. I was surprised by the size, as I usually only see imported ones. Naturally, the grilled size of the fish is smaller, so the raw fish must be even larger. The sashimi was also sizable, and while I might think I could prepare something similar, the freshness is crucial when dealing with shiny fish, so I realized that it would be difficult to replicate. Indeed, preparing shiny fish requires not only the right ingredients but also skill. After the meal, I could enjoy coffee from a self-service machine. Overall, I left the restaurant feeling satisfied with the quantity and quality of the food.

It seems that Nishijin has been serving raw shishamo sushi for quite some time. Unlike the pale, filleted sushi found in Mukkawa and other areas on the Pacific side, their sushi features the skin of the fish. The fish is also vinegared, giving it a light, bright flavor. It's a well-known fact that fish skin is packed with oil and umami, so this method makes perfect sense. Despite that, there’s no unpleasant smell. I really enjoy sushi made from shiny fish, and this was delicious. The flavor of vinegared fish is truly irresistible to those who are used to it, but it might be less appealing to those who aren’t. Thank you for the meal. I recommend this place to those who have eaten Mukkawa shishamo sushi multiple times. They offer a 20% discount for lunch from 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM, and other sushi options are also a good deal. Lunch options include: - Famous Shishamo Sushi: 800 yen (comes with miso soup) - Special Shishamo Set (includes shishamo sushi, sashimi, grilled dish, tempura, and more): 1500 yen (limited to 10 servings a day) - Lunch with coffee: 900 yen (chef’s choice) - Regular Sushi Lunch: 880 yen - Special Sushi Lunch: 1760 yen It's self-service, but coffee is also available for free.

In the Nishijin area of Tomikawa, Hidaka Town, this might be the only place where you can enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine. The restaurant is primarily a sushi establishment, and their autumn special, the "Shishamo Gozen," offers great value for money and is quite impressive. However, regarding the regular sushi, it's neither particularly good nor bad. My personal recommendation is the "Daily Set Meal" for 1,000 yen. It features a Japanese-style set that provides a luxurious atmosphere, including sashimi, tempura, grilled fish, and several small side dishes—an impressive array. The flavors are quite good, and you can glimpse the meticulous skills of the chef. The only critical point I would mention is that the quality of the "white rice" can be inconsistent, with varying cooking results. Nevertheless, for the price of 1,000 yen, the overall content is very satisfying. This is a recommended restaurant if you're looking for a traditional set meal in this area. (Overall rating of ★3.5 is for the "Daily Set Meal" and "Shishamo Gozen." Sushi and the 500 yen lunch, which is quite basic, would rate ★3.)

The restaurant is located just after exiting the Hidaka-Funagawa IC on the Hidakado expressway, along National Route 237 heading towards the sea, a little before reaching National Route 235 on the left side. Since they open at 11 a.m., I arrived around 10:55 a.m., but the lattice shutter was closed, and there was no sign of life inside. It didn’t seem likely they were closed for Golden Week, but I considered going to another shop when someone finally came out and started opening the shutter. The restaurant still retains some remnants of its former luxurious appearance, but it looks quite worn down now. Inside, there was a counter and several private rooms. Since I was the first customer, I was shown to the closest private room. Now, I wondered if they had sea urchin rice bowls. There was only a lunch menu on the table, so I asked the staff, and they brought me the full menu. The menu listed a sea urchin rice bowl for 2500 yen. I placed my order as planned... After a short wait, the sea urchin rice bowl arrived, and I thought to myself, "Hmm, this looks a bit sad." The sea urchin was sparse, and I could see the rice beneath it. It really didn’t compare to Shakotan. The rice tasted like vinegared rice, and my friend mentioned it was a bit too vinegary. After finishing, I checked a travel guide and confirmed it does mention the use of vinegared rice. The sea urchin was generally good, but unfortunately, the quantity was lacking. When I settled the bill, it came to 3000 yen... Well, I confirmed in the guide that it said 3000 yen, but I wonder why it differs from the menu. I wish they would fix that properly. I know I shouldn’t compare it to Shakotan, but while the taste wasn't particularly different, the amount of sea urchin was extremely small, and considering cost performance, I think it was quite poor.

In autumn, the best sushi is made with shishamo, while in spring, the top choice is sushi with bafun uni. Other delicious options include hokkigai and matsukawa. Ultimately, enjoying fish from the local area is the best experience. The balance of the rice, the freshness of the fish, the size of the sushi, and the kick of wasabi all come together perfectly. I have a hobby of trying sushi in various towns, but I always find myself returning to similar places. I appreciate that there are no table seats behind the counter, which helps me feel relaxed. The owner has a calm demeanor, which is a relief for someone like me who dislikes flashy atmospheres. Since I’m not a local, I can only visit for lunch and it’s a shame I can’t enjoy any drinks, but I look forward to coming back during the seasonal peak for seafood in Hidaka.

During the Golden Week, I set off on a drive without a specific destination in mind and casually stopped by a sushi restaurant. I had a craving for non-conveyor belt sushi and found a convenient parking spot in front of the restaurant, so I decided to go in. I learned from the menu that the restaurant specializes in shishamo (smelt fish). On my way out, I noticed a sign for "Shishamo Sushi," but… it wasn’t in season. I ordered the "Shishamo Set" for 1,500 yen, as well as "Special Sushi" for 1,760 yen and the "Omakase Lunch" for 900 yen. The Shishamo Set included shishamo sushi, shishamo sashimi, grilled shishamo, shishamo rolled in kelp, and fried shishamo, so it was filled with shishamo dishes. Given that it wasn’t the right season, the sushi and sashimi didn’t have that fresh feel. It couldn’t be helped. The tempura, however, was fluffy and the most delicious, in my opinion. As for the Special Sushi, it looked so delicious! I was thinking of trying one piece, but my husband quickly devoured it all before I could even note the types of toppings or how many there were. What a glutton! All I can say is that it looked amazing at first glance. The Omakase Lunch also came with that fluffy shishamo tempura, plus grilled salmon, sashimi with octopus and tuna, a small dish with salmon roe, and a few other small side dishes. Overall, it was a tasty restaurant. I was especially happy that the rice was delicious—just what you'd expect from a non-conveyor belt sushi place! The prices seemed reasonable for a lunch in a tourist area considering the quality of the food. I also appreciated the free self-service coffee. Since it's free, I'm not going to quibble over the taste!

I attended a work-related banquet for the first time in the Monbetsu and Tobukawa area. To be honest, I had only passed through this region and often dined at Izumi Shokudo, so it was a good opportunity to explore. The restaurant is located on the left side as you drive from the Hidaka Road Tobukawa IC towards Tobukawa city, close to the intersection with the Urakawa National Road. The place has a distinct "long-established" feel to it. Since it was a banquet, we were naturally taken to the second floor. The banquet room on the second floor can accommodate about 40 people, but I felt the semi-transparent restroom door (shared by both genders) was a little off-putting; it could be a bit uncomfortable for women. Now, let's talk about the food. The sashimi consisted of tuna, yellowtail, and shrimp. Considering it’s a port town, it was acceptable, but I assumed tuna and yellowtail wouldn’t be locally caught. The shrimp, however, was delicious. The tempura platter included fried shishamo (smelt) and shrimp. The tempura shishamo was quite tasty. They also served grilled shishamo, which was stuffed full. A local mentioned it was a local specialty. I had the image that "shishamo is from Mukawa," but considering they are both coastal areas, I guess that makes sense. Next, we had a platter of sushi, which included raw shishamo. The raw shishamo was washed in vinegar and then sushi was made with it. This was my first time trying raw shishamo. It looked similar to a gizzard shad, but it was light yet full of flavor. I thought it might be slightly fishy, but it was surprisingly addictive. On the way out, I noticed a poster for "lunch" at the entrance of the restaurant. It seems they offer regular sushi at a discounted price during lunch hours. Typically, lunch menus differ from standard offerings, but this one seemed to just lower the prices, which gave a pleasant impression. I plan to visit again for lunch in a more private setting.