Instead of the famous local gourmet dish of Izumiya's Spakatsu, try the very homey Katsuspa at a casual diner. It's more than 300 yen cheaper and quite delicious. The dad even goes out for delivery with a basket. In the midst of Uber Eats and other delivery services taking over, this place offers a taste of nostalgia.

Katsuspa at Shokudo Benkei (Kushiro City, Hokkaido): I had some regrettable ramen the night before, but enjoyed the Katsuspa at this local spot the next day. It was my first lunch in Kushiro, and I was recommended the Katsuspa by a local salesman. The dish consisted of a mountain of pasta covered in rich meat sauce and crispy fried pork cutlet. The combination was surprisingly delicious. However, I was still feeling the effects of the salty ramen I had the night before. Despite that, I managed to finish the meal and look forward to trying the large serving next time. Thank you for the meal. #KushiroGourmet #Katsuspa #FoodieClub #FoodieHaiku #TonkotsuShoTaro #LocalCuisine #LateNightMeal #Hokkaido

I went to a restaurant called "Benten"! I came to the center of Kushiro - Suehirocho. During the day, the streets are really quiet... but when taking a picture of the storefront, there always seems to be someone passing by... this seems to be a common thing, not just in Kushiro, right? The restaurant has a very nostalgic feel to it! The interior is narrow. Just as I sat at the counter, another customer left. Hmm, the chairs are warm. There are notebooks, calculators, and cigarettes on the counter... who could it be? I thought, but it seems to be the owner. I regained my focus and placed my order. Looking at the menu, soba and udon seem affordable. They also have rice dishes, bento boxes, spaghetti, and various other items. I was puzzled by the "various items". Ramen, curry, fried rice, yakisoba, and omelette rice seem to fall under that category. After some contemplation, I ordered the "fried rice for 700 yen". The lady cooked it for me. Honestly, I couldn't hear the sizzling sound while it was being cooked, so I wasn't expecting much. But surprisingly, it was quite delicious. Let me try it again. It comes with a nice miso soup, which adds to the points. I'm biased towards it (laughs). Oh! It's made with lard, that's why it's so tasty. The seasoning is spot on. It's really delicious. The unique ingredients like bamboo shoots caught my attention. At first, it looked like herring roe, but it was actually bamboo shoots. The bacon and onions added a delicious touch. I experienced the true charm of cafeteria fried rice. It was delicious, so I'll rate the taste as 3.6. Thank you for the meal.

I wanted to see the drift ice, so I visited Abashiri and stayed overnight in Kushiro. For dinner, I visited a restaurant. Unfortunately, they didn't offer beer, but I had the daily special set meal. It was pork ginger stir-fry that day, and it was delicious with a mellow flavor, probably because they used butter. There were also many dishes like spaghetti salad and simmered dishes, so I was satisfied. It would have been perfect with beer, but damn you, Corona!笑

On August 27, 2021 (Friday), I visited a regular oden restaurant recommended by the older sister there for lunch. The exterior and interior of the restaurant had a slightly old-fashioned feel, typical of a local dining establishment. The operation was handled by three women and what seemed to be the owner, a total of four people. They were very busy handling lunch deliveries in the not-so-spacious kitchen. Despite this, they managed to provide normal customer service, which I appreciated. They even accommodated my somewhat demanding order without any fuss. Now, let's move on to the order... - Katsu Spaghetti (Meat) (800 yen) I expected the dish to come on a regular plate, but to my surprise, it arrived sizzling on a hot plate, which made me happy. However, the meat sauce on top of the cutlet made it a bit challenging to mix with the pasta. The amount of meat sauce was also a bit lacking, which was a disappointment. The taste was slightly on the sweet side, but the pasta was cooked just right and delicious. For 800 yen, it was a reasonable price.

Visit date: September 17, 2020 For dinner on this day, I visited Benkei with a companion. We arrived around 19:15. There were 3 customers before us and no customers after us. We ordered: - Oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) for 650 yen each, with an additional 150 yen for a larger portion. It was served in about 8 minutes. The Oyakodon had chicken breast meat, which was a bit dry. It also had onions, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and seaweed. The slightly sweet sauce was plentiful and delicious. The larger portion only included extra rice, so the toppings were not enough. However, the dish was still tasty due to the generous sauce. The miso soup that came with the meal had seaweed and green onions. Although it lacked a strong dashi flavor, the miso soup was quite tasty. While we were eating, they brought us some hot oolong tea, which seemed to be brewed. It was served in small cups, but we appreciated the gesture. They accept payment through PayPay. Thank you for the meal.

I finally went to Benkei-san, a restaurant I had been curious about for a while, with my partner. The restaurant has a Showa-era atmosphere, both inside and out, and seems to do a lot of takeout orders. We started with a toast with bottled beer and were served some chashu as a complimentary dish. My partner ordered the daily bento box (which was taro fry that day), and I ordered the curry katsu spaghetti. The curry katsu spaghetti was delicious, with a spicy flavor that was very enjoyable. The taste was authentic and better than a certain restaurant chain, plus it was cheaper, which was a pleasant surprise. The retro Showa-era atmosphere was also very calming, and I would like to become a regular at this restaurant.

"Benten" in Kushiro, I am alone, continuing my journey to conquer all ramen shops in Kushiro as usual. I thought there were only a few left, but when I searched on Google instead of Tabelog, I found out that there are still quite a few remaining. I was a little worried at first, but since there are still quite a few left, I will take my time and visit them slowly with a relaxed mindset. Well, regardless, I think I am the one who has visited the most ramen shops in Kushiro. Today, I had already decided on a shop to visit from the ones I had researched and noted down on Google. I don't have high expectations wherever I go, as long as it's decent, I am satisfied. I have gotten quite used to Kushiro noodles, and the initial strong aversion has faded. But how would I feel if I went to that "Maruhira" place now? I'm worried, so I decided not to go there and instead went to a traditional Japanese confectionery shop while waiting to eat ramen. While parking my car, I happened to see a restaurant called "Benten" that I had noted down as a ramen shop I hadn't been to. It was only 10:30, but they were open. So, I changed my plan and decided to go there. The parking lot had space for two cars, and one spot was already taken. Upon entering the shop, I noticed there were no other customers, and the owner was sitting in a raised area smoking a cigarette. I took a seat at the four-seat counter, but the chair was low, and the counter was high, making it uncomfortable. I ordered the ramen for 550 yen, and the owner received a call. It seemed like a delivery order for two salt ramen. The ramen that arrived was actually soy sauce ramen, but it was not the typical Kushiro style soy sauce. The noodles were somewhere between Kushiro and Abashiri, not Kushiro noodles, so I could tolerate them. The taste was okay, but the bamboo shoots were tasteless, the naruto was soft and not enjoyable, and the seaweed was also not tasty. The chashu was like a piece of wood, and overall, the ingredients were disappointing. The soup had no seafood or meat flavor, and I didn't like it. It was light, but with some more effort, it could have been better. It was cheap, so I managed to finish it, but the meal was not satisfying. The owner kindly gave me barley tea, so I endured the meal. The owner seemed like a nice person, but it's better to avoid smoking inside the shop.

Bento box featuring miso-grilled pork as the main dish. The sweet and salty miso sauce makes the rice very appetizing. The other side dishes are also tasty on average.

Cheap katsudon for 650 yen.

The spa curry was okay.

Daily lunch box for 650 yen. A local diner rooted in the community. The interior is old-fashioned, but it has a nice atmosphere. The staff are natural and make you feel relaxed. There seem to be many similar diners in Kushiro, and the menu layout made me think they were affiliated. The daily lunch box is made to order, with fried dishes served warm. The rice portion seemed to be a lot, probably due to the compartmentalization of the bento. They seemed busy with delivery orders at night.

I walked around a place I don't usually go, on the opposite side of the bustling area, near Hotel Axia Inn. I was thinking about having a light meal tonight, and when I checked Tabelog, there were no reviews yet, but there were menu photos, so I decided to go there for sure. The restaurant had a counter and two raised tables. It reminded me of the taste of Kitami Hiro, but it was clean and neat. I ordered zaru soba. When it arrived, I was pleased with the portion size, presentation, and the amount of green onions and wasabi. The taste was also great. Finally found a normal restaurant in Kushiro. It's convenient for dinner within walking distance from the bustling area, as places close early in regional cities. I wish they had grilled fish set meal, but they have daily specials and makunouchi, so it seems like I won't get bored. The curry ordered by someone who came later looked delicious and had a good portion. The young man serving us was hardworking, making tea and cleaning the kitchen during downtime. I will definitely become a regular customer. Thank you for the meal!

Hello everyone, it's Ashidamana. Excuse me! Sorry about that! I'm just joking. I'm Wasakana. When you think of Kushiro in Hokkaido, what comes to mind? Probably a variety of things, right? But among them, "Spakatsu" is definitely one of the representatives. This time, I searched on Tabelog to try something new to eat, but in the end, I just had to have it! I want to eat "Spakatsu". With that conclusion in mind, I decided to go to "Benkei" in Kushiro. To my surprise, when I searched, there were zero reviews for "Benkei"! I might be the first one to review this place. This is a new experience for me, so I'm feeling a bit nervous, but I went anyway. The location is a bit hard to find, but it's near Kushiro Station, just turn left before Toyoko Inn. The exterior of the restaurant may not be very appealing, but the retro atmosphere is quite charming. Inside, there are 4 counter seats and 2 tatami rooms for a total of 12 seats. It's a cozy place with an old-fashioned diner vibe. The menu is extensive, offering a variety of dishes at very affordable prices. I ordered my usual "Katsu Spa (meat)" without even looking at the menu. After a short wait, my dish arrived. The portion was generous, with plenty of meat on top of spaghetti. The spaghetti was thick and soft, and the katsu was slightly smaller than what you'd find at "Senya", but overall, it was a satisfying meal. The price was very reasonable, making it a great choice for budget-conscious diners. Overall, I enjoyed my meal at "Benkei" and would recommend it to anyone looking for a tasty and affordable meal in Kushiro.