I went to the "Shokudo Ichiba" that I had been curious about for a while. The name of the restaurant was "Shokudo Ichiba," so I wonder if it has changed back to its previous name? The market set meal was 1200 yen. The types of sashimi were written on a signboard in front of the store. There was plenty of sashimi and the fried dish was delicious, so I thought it was a good value for the money. I would like to go there again.

On the second day of my trip to Hokkaido, while traveling from Furano to Sapporo, I came across this place for lunch. It is located within the Furano Regional Wholesale Market and houses several shops. I ordered the "Market Set Meal" which offers various types of sashimi. The sashimi, including shrimp and scallops, was delicious. There was also mackerel on top, but I still think mackerel tastes best when eaten locally (I live in Fukuoka).

Eating and walking around for lunch in Furano, Hokkaido. The second place we visited was the Heso Seafood Furano Donburi Market, which we stumbled upon. They had a large free parking lot. It had a local vibe with people coming in for lunch. The limited-time unagi (eel) bowl for 1,000 yen was unbelievably cheap. It's hard to believe you can get that for 1,000 yen. The taste was pretty good too. The pork bowl was also good, but the sauce was the same as the unagi bowl. My bad. It was tasty, but I should have just stuck with the seafood bowl. (laughs)

The market set meal had plenty of sashimi with thick slices, although the rice was not enough, it was quite a good deal and I'm glad I ordered it (^^)

Furano Donburi Market in the middle of the inland area without the sea, serves delicious and affordable seafood rice bowls.

Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for a seafood bowl specialty restaurant in the inland area, but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the seafood bowl. I tried the three-color bowl, and the tuna, salmon, and scallops were all incredibly fresh, comparable to what you would find at a seaside restaurant. However, the ingredients are a bit pricey, making it a bit expensive for lunch. In a place like Furano, which is not by the sea, it may be a bit challenging to attract customers, unlike in coastal towns like Otaru. Also, it's a shame that it's only self-service for lunch, even though it's attached to a market. I don't think many tourists come to Furano specifically for a seafood bowl, but if you're curious, give this place a try as it's genuinely delicious.

I had a market set meal at the center of Hokkaido.

This is a hidden gem. The sea urchin bowl was amazing! 😊

Furano, the belly button of Hokkaido. Despite being a municipality without a sea, we pride ourselves on how far we are from the coast. No matter which seaside in Hokkaido you look from, it's far away. Is our location comparable to an unreachable point like Antarctica? So, I wasn't expecting much in terms of seafood, but I decided to visit the Donburi Market next to the market in Furano City. From the outside, it looked like a seafood market! Inside, there were plenty of fish flags! And the menu was full of seafood dishes!... Is this for tourists? In Furano? That's what I used to think, and the locals felt the same way. Also, the management seemed to change frequently - from Market Dining to Nishizawa (if I remember correctly) to Furano Donburi Market. I think it changed once and then reverted back. So, I decided to go in and try it out! It's nonsense to criticize without trying the food. Inside, there was a food ticket machine. You have to do everything yourself - get your tea, water, and food. Efficient and good. You order at the counter with your food ticket and wait at your table. The interior had exposed particle boards, another cost-cutting measure! But it didn't ruin the atmosphere, and I actually like this kind of setup. There were about 4 customers inside. As expected for a seafood place, the service was speedy! I ordered the Furano Belly Seafood Chirashi Donburi for 900 yen. It had crab, flying fish roe, and a bit of tuna, salmon, squid, and scallops. A typical chirashi bowl. I took a bite... Oh?! Surprisingly delicious! The freshness is not bad at all. I later learned that seafood is landed in places like Kushiro and then passes through Furano Market as a transit point. Oh, I see. No wonder the quality is good. There are many things I don't know even though I grew up in Furano. It was better than the seafood bowls I've had in coastal towns, so I was puzzled on my way back home. Expectations really do influence our experience. It's quite tasty, but some may feel that it's not worth coming all the way to Furano just for seafood. If you've visited Furano enough to be tired of it and are curious for a different reason, please do visit!