For lunch today, I decided to try ankake yakisoba. I remembered that I hadn't tried it at Sakanarumaru yet, so I went there. They had three types of yakisoba: ankake yakisoba with vegetables (soy sauce flavor), ankake yakisoba with shrimp (salt flavor), and sauce yakisoba. I chose the shrimp ankake yakisoba (900 yen). The sauce was not too thick, with a slightly salty and rich taste. The ingredients were tender and the noodles were cooked just right. It was definitely tastier than the ones I had before! This place might be best for ordering yakisoba. I haven't tried their rice dishes yet, so maybe I'll order that next time. Thank you for the meal!

I've been trying out various Chinese restaurants in Otaru recently, but I haven't been very satisfied with the fried rice dishes, especially considering the high prices. I've found a few ramen shops that I like in Otaru, but there aren't many good Chinese restaurants around. I had high hopes for a popular Chinese restaurant for their fried rice, but so far it's been hit or miss. I visited a Chinese restaurant located slightly off the beaten path in the Hanazono area. The casual atmosphere inside with rows of alcohol bottles gave it more of a Chinese izakaya vibe than a typical Chinese restaurant. They have a short lunch service, and they close at 10:30 pm, so it may be more of an izakaya than a casual Chinese restaurant. Lunch is not too busy as the owner handles everything by themselves. The lunch menu mainly consists of traditional set meals priced at 800 yen, so they may be more of a "set meal" kind of place. I tried their Crab Fried Rice for 900 yen, which is the most expensive fried rice dish I've had at a Chinese restaurant in Otaru. First, they served macaroni salad and pickles, which was a unique touch. The fried rice didn't have much crab flavor, and the crab pieces were barely visible. However, the addition of green peas was a nice touch. The taste was subtle and not too oily, and the soup served was a light Japanese-style clear soup. Overall, I was disappointed with the fried rice at this Chinese restaurant. It might be more suited for evening drinks rather than a lunch spot, so I probably won't be revisiting for lunch. In Otaru, there aren't many standout casual Chinese restaurants, with only Tianrenka and Katano coming to mind at the moment.

Second visit to Kosho-maru. This time, I was interested in trying their rice dishes, but I heard they have a hidden menu item called "yaki ramen," so I decided to try that. Yaki Ramen (1000 yen) is noodles that are cooked like yakisoba. It has some charred spots which give it a different texture compared to regular ramen. Personally, I prefer the noodles a bit firmer, but it was still delicious. The broth was spicy, enough for me. I was sweating while eating it. There is a container of extra spice on the table for those who like it even spicier. Overall, it was tasty and satisfying. I will definitely be back. Thank you for the meal!

Lunch for ¥800 with a choice of extra rice! Choose from Mapo Tofu, Shrimp Chili, Sweet and Sour Pork, and Stir-Fried Pork with Green Peppers.

Thank you for the meal.

Today, I decided to try ramen for the first time in a while at this place. There was a menu that had caught my eye for a while - the Shrimp Chili Ramen (900 yen). The menu mentioned it as Japan's first chili sauce noodles, which made me curious. When the ramen arrived, it was bright red from the chili oil. However, when I took a bite, it wasn't as spicy as I expected. The owner offered to make it spicier if I wanted, but I decided to keep it as it was since I wasn't looking for extreme spiciness. The soup had a sweet and spicy taste... I think? While I've gotten used to the spiciness of soup curry, I'm still not very tolerant of Chinese spiciness, so I started sweating a bit as I ate. Hmm, I'm sorry, but it wasn't exactly my preferred taste. However, the shrimp was deliciously firm and tasty. The only other ingredients besides the noodles were shrimp and green onions, so I felt like it could use a bit more variety. By the end of the meal, I was sweating profusely. I'd like to try other menu items next time. Thank you for the meal~.

Mapo tofu, addictive! I visited Sachi Narumaru only once for lunch when it first opened, and never went back because "the rice for lunch was too much." However, after three years, I decided to try it for dinner. Beer is a must, so I ordered some appetizers. "Crab in chili sauce," "homemade shumai," "spring rolls," and "mapo tofu." The "crab" came first, with plenty of mild chili sauce soaked in the crab shell. Delicious! The "shumai" was okay, but the "spring rolls" were excellent. The crispy skin and tasty cabbage inside were perfect. If Hana-Shu's "curry spring rolls" are the top-ranked unique spring rolls, then this place must have the best traditional spring rolls. And the "mapo tofu" was a great choice. The Sichuan pepper provided a numbing spiciness that was irresistible. It was a bit spicy and salty, perfect with rice for Japanese taste buds. This dish is a must-try, distinct from the typical "I made a mistake" mapo tofu. I highly recommend it to everyone. I got tired of beer, so I switched to shochu, but I wanted an oolong highball, so I asked for it to be served in a pitcher. The chef said, "This way is easier to pour, right?" He knows what he's doing.

Visited for the first time in about 3 years in February 2017. I remembered there was a restaurant in Otaru that served Chinese Chirashi after seeing a review by Mairebi-san in Obihiro the other day, so I decided to visit. The Chinese Chirashi (900 yen) comes with Wakame soup and pickled Chinese cabbage. The ingredients include bean sprouts, onions, shrimp, pork, ham, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and scrambled eggs. There is unnecessary pickled ginger on top! The taste is a mix of Japanese and Chinese flavors using oyster sauce. It was my first time trying it, but it's like a stir-fried meat and vegetable dish on top of rice. It looks very B-class and populist, but it's quite delicious. After eating, I chatted with the owner. In Otaru, the only other place where you can eat this is at "Katano" in the former Takashima Fish Market. Both the owner of "Katano" and the owner of this restaurant used to work at the International Hotel in Otaru. The owner of "Katano" was in charge of banquet dishes at the hotel, while the owner of this restaurant worked at the Chinese restaurant "Kien" on the 8th floor. By the way, I only went to the Western restaurant "Bordeaux" on the 8th floor, so I don't know about "Kien" (^^;) The Chinese Chirashi has been around in Otaru for 30 years, and the owner hasn't tried the one in Obihiro. I'm a bit curious about the origin of Otaru's Chinese Chirashi, so maybe I'll try it at "Katano" next time and hear their story! This restaurant is also popular for its mapo tofu, and I tried it once at the previous location before it moved. According to what I heard this time, the owner has worked at various Chinese restaurants, including "Sichuan Restaurant" in Asahikawa. At that time, the president of "Sichuan Restaurant" in Asahikawa was close to Chen Jianmin, so the mapo tofu here seems to be influenced by that. It's interesting to talk to the owners of long-standing restaurants and hear various interesting stories and common topics.

This time, I visited "Koseimaru" and had the following dishes: - Shrimp Fried Rice - Spicy Miso Ramen - Ankake Yakisoba Among the dishes, I really enjoyed the Shrimp Fried Rice. The seasoning and the shrimp were great. However, I found the Spicy Miso Ramen to be a bit inconsistent in terms of spiciness, which was not to my liking. Overall, the taste of the Shrimp Fried Rice was good. I heard from a friend that the food here can be either really delicious or just average. Service and atmosphere were typical of a Chinese restaurant, nothing special. In terms of value for money, the prices seemed slightly affordable to me. It may vary from person to person, but I personally felt it was a good deal. As for the drinks, they had a standard selection. As of the posting date (January 5th), I've heard some rumors that the Tantanmen is delicious, so I plan to visit again sometime this week.

"Sachinaru" is a casual restaurant that doesn't quite live up to its name, which sounds more like a fishing boat. It seems to have taken over the previous restaurant that was operating in this location. My family and I visited this place, with my partner wanting to try the liver and garlic chives stir-fry after enjoying a delicious liver dish in Otaru recently. I, on the other hand, was in the mood for sweet and sour pork. Although we originally wanted to go to the "Sapporo Kita 24-jo" location, the heavy snow made it feel too far from Otaru to Sapporo. The new "Sachinaru" location has a parking lot, so we decided to dine there. I ordered the sweet and sour pork (1000 yen), my partner ordered the liver and garlic chives stir-fry (1000 yen), and my daughter ordered the crab fried rice set (900 yen). Since the sweet and sour pork and liver and garlic chives stir-fry are single dishes, we also ordered extra rice. The sweet and sour pork had a light seasoning, not too heavy with miso or oil. The extra rice I ordered was a bit too much, and the portion could have been bigger for sharing among the family. The liver and garlic chives stir-fry was marked as spicy on the menu, but we ordered it with normal spiciness. It also had a light seasoning, and my partner agreed with that assessment. It didn't really have the kind of Chinese flavor that makes you crave rice. The value for money at 1000 yen was not great for us. Oh, I see. This is a Chinese izakaya! If it's meant to be a side dish for alcohol rather than rice, then it's okay. Well, whatever. Both my partner and I couldn't help but compare it to the Chinese restaurant in Sapporo Kita 24-jo, so sorry about that. In the end, the crab fried rice that my daughter ordered and we shared turned out to be the best option... After returning home and eating some daifuku mochi that we bought at the supermarket, our stomachs finally settled down. (Not just me, but my partner too...) Thank you for the meal."

I visited "Koseimaru" this month on the 4th, as they recently moved here after 18 years at their previous location. The new place has parking in front of the restaurant, which is convenient. The interior is clean and the atmosphere is different from before. The menu seems to be the same as before, but prices have gone up by 100 yen, probably due to rent. I ordered the Shrimp Chili Ramen (900 yen), which is said to be the first chili sauce noodle dish in Japan. The dish was served hot, with a base of chicken, pork, and various other ingredients, creating a sweet and spicy flavor that was quite enjoyable. The shrimp chili in the center of the bowl had a nice texture. The noodles were decent, but the quality seemed a bit low, and the compatibility with the soup was lacking. I also ordered the Garlic Fried Rice, which was made with domestically grown garlic, although the garlic flavor was not very strong. The fried rice was light and easy to eat, with minced meat, carrots, onions, and green onions. Overall, I thought the taste of both dishes was better than other Chinese restaurants in the city, but the seasoning here is on the lighter side. Perhaps it's the skill of the chef that makes the difference. Thank you for the meal!

I almost decided on my menu before coming to the restaurant. I was looking forward to the Ebi Chili Ramen and Dan Dan Noodles. I sat at the counter right in front of the TV. As I sat down... Ouch! Oops, something flew in! "Sorry about that," said the chef as he continued cooking. (To those sitting at the table, be careful.) The Ebi Chili Ramen and Dan Dan Noodles are ready. The homemade chili oil turned the broth bright red, but it wasn't as spicy as you might expect from the color. The shrimp in the Ebi Chili Ramen was plump and juicy. The chef especially recommended the Dan Dan Noodles, explaining it to me. If I had to choose, I'd say the Dan Dan Noodles are a must-try because they are really delicious. I usually don't drink the broth, but I did for the Dan Dan Noodles. Both dishes had a light broth without any thick sauce.