At a shabu-shabu restaurant in Nishi-Obihiro for lunch. The lunch options are either shabu-shabu or ramen. Depending on the menu, you are asked at the entrance which one you would like. Shabu-shabu lunch with whey-fed pork (880 yen): The pork belly has a delicious fat taste, but the meat itself is a bit dry... I guess it's okay for the price. The 200 grams of meat is a decent amount, but since it's thinly sliced, there are a lot of slices! I realized that if I continued to elegantly shabu-shabu each slice, the day would end, so I just threw in a few slices into the pot at once, haha. There are two types of dipping sauces, so you can enjoy it without getting bored. I personally prefer the sesame sauce where you can add your own ground sesame. And I can't ignore the amount of vegetables, it's so much! In addition to bean sprouts, cabbage, and mizuna, there are also shimeji mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and green onions, and there's a surprising variety and abundance of vegetables! Dipping the vegetables in the sauce along with the meat, the fat from the meat is balanced out, and the dryness is not a concern. Being able to feel full with both meat and vegetables at this price is a delight for both the body and the wallet, it's a great place to eat!

"Darma" Obihiro is alone today and I left early, which is unusual for me because I have to go back early. Obihiro is not as appealing to me as it used to be. I can't seem to find a ramen shop that is consistently delicious like before. Even though I know Tokachi is known for soba, there are not as many soba shops as there are ramen shops. The other day, I went to a soba shop after a long time and the service was so bad that I wanted to run away with the signboard. So, today it's ramen again at "Darma" and there is no one here. "Did you enjoy the ramen?" I guess they had to ask. There are seats with stoves, a counter with two seats, a raised platform with a pit for two tables, and it seems there are still more seats available. There are also tables in a separate room. The upstairs seems to be open as well. They check your temperature. Will they send you home if it's too high? I thought I ordered salt ramen, but I ended up ordering soy sauce ramen. The picture told me "It's okay!" Obihiro's soy sauce ramen, like Kushiro's, has a risky flavor. The BGM is unusual and I'm listening intently. It arrived in about 7 minutes. The soup is cloudy. This should be okay. The other customers are in groups and they are offered water. Why not me? Maybe because I'm at the counter? I'm self-service so I should get my own water!! I don't understand the difference there. Sorry for being an ignorant customer. The noodles are slightly thick, high-hydration, chewy noodles that remain firm. The menma is a large, tasteless, normal flavored one. It's okay, but it doesn't go well with this soy sauce. What would go well with this? The seaweed looks cheap but tastes even cheaper. The seasoned egg is just a regular egg, but when you eat it, you understand why. The white is very hard, but the yolk is almost raw. How do they make this? It's a mystery. The rolled chashu is tender, but they could reduce the portion and lower the price. And please be more generous with the soup. It's too salty. It's not good for your health. The tonkotsu is rich and flavorful, but it's a bit too salty, making it delicious but a bit disappointing. "There's no trash can here?" "We ask that you take your trash with you." This place has good measures in place. The cool and beautiful waitress remains composed until the end.

I went to Daruma for the first time! It's one of the few places in Obihiro where you can have shabu-shabu for lunch. I usually pass by the restaurant and the curtain is not up, even during business hours. But today was different, there was a big sign saying "We're open" so I decided to go in. When I mentioned that I was dining alone, they asked if I wanted ramen, but I opted for shabu-shabu. They led me to a private table in the back where there were two tables. I saw that they also serve ramen here, so I'll have to come back for that next time. I checked the menu and saw that they had a special lunchtime deal with discounted prices for shabu-shabu and ramen. I decided to go for the pork belly shabu-shabu for 700 yen, which came with vegetables, rice, and a soft drink. The portion of meat was quite generous at 200g. The dipping sauces offered were ponzu and sesame, and the meat cooked quickly and tasted delicious. The vegetables were also fresh and abundant. I enjoyed the meal and found it to be very satisfying. The total bill came to 700 yen including tax, which was a great deal. Next time, I'll have to try their ramen. Thank you, Daruma! ✌︎('ω')✌︎

Today I went to a ramen restaurant for the first time, to Daruma Obihiro store. I have been to the Otofuke store a few times, but this was my first time at the Obihiro store. I arrived at 11:30 am and there were no other customers. The exterior of the restaurant is modern with black and red colors. The interior is spacious and comfortable. Although I came for the ramen, when I looked at the menu, I couldn't resist ordering the shabu-shabu lunch with American beef for 1,000 yen (tax included). The meat was slightly thickly sliced with marbling, and the portion was 200 grams with plenty of vegetables and a drink included, making it a good deal. The soup for lunch was only Japanese-style, and the dipping sauces were ponzu and sesame. The meat was thick and satisfying, tender and delicious. The smell of pork bone broth from the ramen in the restaurant was slightly noticeable. Next time, I will make sure to come back for the ramen. Thank you for the meal.

I visited the restaurant after 4-5 years of not going there and not being able to remember the taste of their ramen. The main focus of the restaurant is shabu-shabu, but they also offer high-quality ramen. The owner used to work at a ramen shop called Futatsuki, which closed due to its bad location, and now he serves delicious ramen at this restaurant. Despite the less-than-ideal location of the current restaurant, it has been in business for about 5 years, indicating that they serve tasty dishes. I ordered the shoyu ramen (800 yen), which had a dark, light yet flavorful soup with a depth of Japanese flavors. However, it was disappointing that the soup was too salty, masking its true deliciousness. I also tried a bit of my partner's miso ramen, which had a well-balanced red miso soup with a strong broth, but again, it was ruined by being too salty. If they reduce the saltiness, I believe it could easily be in the top 3 ramen in Obihiro. Very disappointing.

I was also interested in ramen, but this time I tried the shabu-shabu! I had 5 types of lamb and the quality of the meat was probably good. There were no strange flavors or tough parts, and it was very delicious! There were many soup options and after some hesitation, I went with the classic Japanese style (lol). The interior of the restaurant was very clean, the staff were friendly, and I would like to go back again. I went at night and the restaurant was very crowded, so it might be a good idea to make a reservation in advance!

I didn't quite understand the concept of a ramen dish at a shabu-shabu restaurant, so I was hesitant to visit. However, I learned that they have ramen chefs making the dishes. I decided to try their tsukemen (dipping noodles with bonito soy sauce soup) at the counter seat. The restaurant was spacious and clean. The soup had a slight bonito aroma, which may not be too overpowering for those who don't like bonito. However, I found it to be quite salty, so I preferred dipping the noodles lightly in the soup. By adjusting the way I ate the dish, I found it to be delicious. Overall, I enjoyed the meal.

Don Quijote Nishi-Obihiro, a restaurant located on the east side across the road from Niku no Bikkuri Ichi, is known for its shabu-shabu but also has delicious ramen. I heard that the ramen is made by the former popular restaurant "Soki." I ordered the "Black Miso Ramen for 820 yen" and it came with a large portion of chashu. The soup was rich but had a good aftertaste, and it paired well with the noodles. I also tried the half portion of fried rice, which was well-seasoned and tasty. I enjoyed the nostalgic taste of Soki's ramen. Thank you for the meal!

It is a shabu-shabu all-you-can-eat restaurant. The interior is modern with a Japanese influence, featuring tables, sunken kotatsu seating, and a second floor with tatami seating, accommodating 42 seats. Smoking is allowed and there is a parking lot. Background music is playing through a wired system. The restaurant is run by a female owner, and the service was not the best. The clientele consists mostly of families. We chose the cheapest all-you-can-eat course for ￥1730, which includes three types of meat: thin pork belly, pork loin, and chicken. You can choose two out of six types of broth: Japanese-style, soy milk, tomato, herbal, mate, and hot pot. Overall, it was an average restaurant for the price. However, I was disappointed by the soggy rice. Thank you for the meal.

Shabu-shabu restaurant with a 90-minute all-you-can-eat option. This is my third visit. The first time, I chose the "3 types of meat course" for 1,680 yen. The meats were chicken, lamb, and pork, and I selected soy milk and herbal soup from the 4 soup options. It's nice that even when dining alone, you can enjoy 2 different soup flavors. While warming the soup on the table, they brought out the meat, vegetables, and rice. The meat was neatly arranged - chicken, pork, and lamb. The portion sizes were small but beautifully presented. The vegetables were enough for two people - cabbage, green onions, bean sprouts, mushrooms, etc. They provided ponzu and sesame sauce. There was also ground sesame for a richer flavor. Then it's shabu-shabu time as much as you like. On my second visit, I found out they serve ramen from a local magazine. I tried the salt ramen, which was just okay. For my third visit, I went during the restaurant's 1st-anniversary celebration where they offered a special 1,000 yen all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu for 4 days. Normally, the 4 types of meat course would cost 1,980 yen, but this time it was only 1,000 yen. They had added tomato soup, so I chose soy milk and tomato soup, and enjoyed beef, chicken, lamb, and whey pork. This time, I sat at the counter which was a bit cramped, and the tomato soup was more like diluted tomato juice, so it was a bit of a disappointment. If you don't mind lamb meat, I think the 3 types of meat course for 1,680 yen with 90 minutes of all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu is a good choice. If you must have beef, consider upgrading to a higher grade option.

I feel like having tsukemen... So, on this Monday, I decided to go to this place for tsukemen with boiled fish and soy sauce stir-fried rice. I thought they only served ramen during the day, but turns out they also serve tsukemen during lunch. Now, let's get into the review. First, I tried the dipping sauce and it was too salty! The soy sauce taste was overpowering, and I couldn't taste the flavor of the boiled fish at all. When I tried the noodles, they were just average. When dipped in the soup, it was still too salty and lacked any other flavors. I like strong flavors, but this was just salty. I decided to try the soup with a spoon, and it was cold! That was a first for me. The stir-fried rice was okay, nothing special. Overall, I won't be going back to this confusing restaurant again.

I used to like a ramen shop called "Menya Soki," but it closed down, so I was disappointed to lose one of my favorite ramen spots. However, I found out in a local magazine that the ramen from Soki is now being served at a shabu-shabu restaurant called "Shabu Shabu Dharma." I finally had a chance to visit the restaurant, and I ordered the "Black Miso Ramen" for 800 yen. The restaurant has a small counter with about 4 seats in front, and there are also table seats and even seating on the second floor. The ramen looked similar to what was served at Soki, with two slices of chashu, two large slices of bamboo shoots, menma, and a seasoned soft-boiled egg. The soup is a tonkotsu and seafood broth, but the seafood flavor is not too strong, which I liked. The only downside is that the portion of noodles is quite small. I found it satisfying, but it might not be enough for someone with a bigger appetite. They also offer a set with fried rice or pork bowl for an additional 200 yen, but it may not be enough for those who eat a lot. The price for the ramen with soy sauce or salt flavor is 750 yen, which may not be the best value for some. There are about 5 parking spots in front of the restaurant, and you can also park across the street at the nearby shopping centers if needed. Overall, the restaurant is primarily a shabu-shabu place, but I recommend it to ramen lovers who want to try something new.