Today is Sunday, but I had to work in Enbetsu to Wakkanai. I'm a hard worker! Since I was already out, I decided to stop by Tulip Park and the Shibazakura in Takinoue on my way back. Tulip Park was crowded with cars waiting to enter the paid parking lot, but I knew a spot to park without waiting. I enjoyed the view of the tulips from behind the fence. After leaving Tulip Park, I headed to a familiar place. Since it's not oyster season, I ordered the scallop soft shell. I also bought boxed fish cake as a gift for my boss. I enjoyed the scallop soft shell in my car. Satisfied! Later, I visited the Shibazakura in Takinoue before heading home.

It's Yubetsu. If it's this time of year in Yubetsu, it has to be oysters! Even though they are all from Lake Saroma, there are several different regions like "Jouro" and "Hamasaroma". Among them, "Yubetsu" is the region that won the Oyster Grand Prix in 2016. You can't lump all Saroma Lake oysters together. And the oyster season is coming to an end. I rush to the Yubetsu sales office. The best time to eat might have passed, but still. "Ohotsuku Yutensenkan" It's been a while. Now, about the oysters. In the back tank, there are 2-year-old Yubetsu-produced "Ryuuguu oysters" at 648 yen per kilogram. I bought 2 kilograms of that. I also wanted to buy the one-year-old oysters "COYSTER" that the local fishermen fell in love with, but unfortunately, it was sold out. (Instead, I bought a large octopus leg at a bargain price - laughs) I immediately steamed the oysters on the gas stove at home. I tried steaming half of them as "steamed oysters" according to the recipe written in the facility. It's so delicious. Super tasty! It's firm and packed with rich flavor. There's also less of a fishy smell. I managed to get some Yubetsu oysters just before the end of the season. See you next season.

After having lunch in Wakkanai, I decided to buy some oysters at the "Wakkanai Fresh Hall." Since the season is coming to an end, I opted for steamed oysters. I bought 2 kilograms of the 2-year-old Ryugu oysters for 648 yen. Although the 3-kilogram pack was a better deal at 1,500 yen, I didn't think I could eat that many. After some hesitation, I also purchased some smoked oysters. When I got home and counted, there were 16 large oysters in the pack. I immediately steamed them in a frying pan on a portable stove. The oysters were plump and delicious. They were quite large and satisfying to eat. I'm glad I went with the 2-kilogram pack. The oysters were so flavorful that they went perfectly with Japanese sake. I saved half for the next day, so I had a two-day oyster feast and was completely satisfied.

When I told my usual uncle, "Let's eat oysters!" he replied, "Okay, I'll eat them." So, the decision was made to have an oyster festival. Therefore, I went shopping alone at "Wakasenkan" in Yubetsu. It's about an hour and a half from my house, and I left to arrive around the opening time of 10 o'clock. I checked the website before going and found out that they were offering a special deal of "fill a bucket for 2000 yen" yesterday and today. Normally, oysters are sold for over 800 yen per kilogram, so it seemed like it would be crowded. But when I arrived, the parking lot was full. However, there were other parking options, and no one seemed to mind if you parked on the road. The filling stations were not as crowded as I expected, and I quickly filled my bucket. I ended up with 7.8 kilograms of oysters. There was someone who filled 11.3 kilograms while I was there, which was quite a difference. The price was 256.4 yen per kilogram for me and 177 yen per kilogram for him. I had planned to send some to relatives in Sapporo, but the quality might not be as good during this event, so I decided to send the ones from the tank instead. At the checkout, they suggested that I go for the fill-a-bucket deal again, so I tried it a second time and ended up with 7.1 kilograms. In the end, I sent 4 kilograms to Sapporo and brought back over 10 kilograms of oysters to my house. We enjoyed some fresh oysters, oyster steamed in sake, and oyster fry. They were all delicious, and we paired them with red wine. The oysters from Yubetsu are truly exceptional, even though they were smaller and slightly less flavorful this year compared to previous years. The price this year was in the 600 yen range. I'll try them again in February to compare.

I really wanted to eat oysters, so I headed to Wakkanai, which is 1.5 hours from Abashiri. The oysters there are expensive, but they are even more expensive. There were quite a few customers, and it seems like everyone is here for the oysters. I bought 3kg of oysters, which should be enough to fill me up. I don't eat the shells. I found out later that the fishing season ended at the end of February, so this might be the last chance to get them. They are still selling them now, but it's been 10 days since the season ended. The price is still high at 810 yen, even though the season is over. Normally, I steam all the oysters in sake, but today I'll eat half of them raw. I usually don't like ponzu sauce, but for oysters, I like to eat them with grated daikon and chopped green onions with ponzu sauce. They are so delicious. Of course, I pair them with sake. I thought I would eat slowly, but they disappeared so quickly. Let's steam the rest of them. I took pictures of all the good ones, but not everything was good. However, when you bite into that juicy texture, it just melts in your mouth. I wonder when I'll be able to eat them again. Maybe I'll try the oysters from Lake Saroma next time.

Yome-san is off today, I am busy. Well, that's normal, right? Suddenly, Yome-san said, "Today, I'm leaving the house!" Are you a hunter? "I'm going to Wakkanai." You're good at driving, but maybe you should stop. I thought that. But going to Wakkanai means going to an amusement park, and they're closed in the winter. "No, I'm going for oysters." I stopped them, but they didn't have much convincing power. Anyway, they brought back oysters. "Wow!" they said as they came up the stairs. They came up? Yes, it's a second-floor apartment in a poor tenement. "I bought oysters and scallops!" I said the scallops were small, but what's their size standard? They don't care about scallops, they're too small and too expensive. When you factor in the expensive scallops, they lose points. Anyway, it's about the oysters! I always brag about Wakkanai oysters. I can't trust them with sake-steamed oysters, leave it to me. I'm not stingy with sake, I put plenty of it in. The oysters were quickly heated on the Iwatani stove. Then just wait quietly, they said. I don't listen to them, so I opened the lid. "Don't open it!" they said. I opened it in 4 minutes, one was open. Once one opens, you turn off the heat. They put on gloves and opened it. It was delicious, they said. Thicker than Akkeshi or Senhoji? I don't know, but I can say for sure that they can't beat the oysters from Mombetsu. It's delicious, they said. But they put on a good act, but this time of year in Wakkanai is amazing, but the chances might have decreased. It's still too early. The chances of getting these delicious oysters are about 50%, no, seriously 80%. It's all mixed up because I was eating while writing, so I'm posting it in real-time. I won't be able to go again this year. I'll go in January. The scallops were terrible, and the oyster prices were 100 yen higher than last year. If they go up any more, I'll stop supporting them because I won't be able to afford to go buy them with the rising gas prices.

You can get high-quality scallops at a great price. Perfect for BBQ.

After leaving the tulip park, I stopped by a seafood shop. Since it's not oyster season, there weren't many options available, just scallops and scallop products. They also had frozen hairy crabs. The prices were clearly displayed, with scallops priced at 432 yen for 1 kg (around 6 pieces). I asked the friendly young lady for 6 pieces, and she kindly weighed them one by one for me. At the cashier, I was told it cost 287 yen, but I realized it wasn't quite 1 kg, so I asked for 2 more pieces. In the end, I got 8 pieces for 389 yen. When I got home, I found the scallops to be smaller than expected, but they were easy to open and prepare. My husband even joked that they looked like baby scallops. Despite their size, the scallops were well-seasoned and tasted good. Overall, it was a pleasant experience thanks to the friendly staff at the shop. (to be continued)

Today, I am heading north, not to Kushiro, Asahikawa, or Obihiro, but rather to buy oysters. I thought about going to Mombetsu and Okoppe as well, so I made a note of it. I decided to stop by the Yuseikan first to buy oysters, but it wasn't open yet. I waited for about 10 minutes and finally, it opened on time. I ordered 4kg and 2kg of oysters, with the 2kg for takeout. The price was the same as before, 810 yen per kilogram. I think the quality is better this month compared to December. When I got home, I made steamed oysters, which turned out delicious. The taste was good, but the plumpness was not as good as last time. Overall, I will definitely come back again this season for more oysters.

Today, I went to Enbetsu to do some food blogging, but the main purpose of coming here was to buy oysters in Wakkanai. I left Enbetsu around 2:30 PM and arrived at "Yusenkaku" in about 30 minutes. I was worried if they had oysters, but when I entered the store, there was a sign on the tank saying "Scallops are not available." That's good, it means they have oysters, right? I bought 3kg for 702 yen per kg. Last year it was 700 yen, right? I don't know the significance of these 2 yen. I will take a bath now and then head back home, so it doesn't have to be a foam box, right? Today's oysters look beautiful, each one is big. When I got back home, I made a simple sake-steamed hot pot. I'm pouring a lot of sake today. I steamed them twice as usual, but it doesn't feel like I ate more than usual. Maybe because the shells are big, so the quantity is less than usual? The ratio of the remaining plump ones is about 60% of the total, and the shells are about 10%. This time the yield seems a little low. I was a bit disappointed because I thought this was the peak. But I am still convinced that they are definitely tastier than other oysters. I'm a stubborn old man!! I reviewed the photos from last time, they were really good. I shouldn't have compared them... I lowered my rating.

Today, I headed north with the main purpose of getting oysters from "Yusenkaku." I love oysters, but I only eat them from this place. They were offering scallops at the entrance, 18 pieces for 1,000 yen, so I couldn't resist and ended up buying them. There were actually over 20 pieces in the pack. I also bought squid legs. The scallops were small, but I made sashimi and butter-grilled scallops with them. The oysters were steamed in sake. I used almost a whole bottle of cheap sake for steaming. The texture was still about 60% there, but it will get better in December or January. The real deliciousness will come in... In 2016, I went to Yubetsu again to buy oysters. I love oysters, but I only eat them at home after buying them from Yusenkaku. Even Yusenkaku has its off days sometimes. Today, I bought 3kg of oysters, and my wife suggested we try the "pack as much as you can" challenge. I peeled more than usual, planning to make fried oysters. How did they turn out? They were so plump, no rejects this time. All of them were perfect. I can't eat oysters from anywhere else after having Yusenkaku's. In 2014, I went to Yubetsu to get some delicious oysters. When I buy them for myself, I don't mind the slightly higher price at Yusenkaku. I bought 3kg for 2,000 yen, and then went to the hot springs and sauna. Overheard a conversation about oyster prices during the snow festival. I realized I might have bought them at a high price, but as long as they're delicious, it's worth it. Back home, I steamed the oysters in sake. Today's sake was "Kenbishi" from Shimizu's stage. I tried them before they were overcooked. How were they? So plump and delicious. I feel so happy. Yusenkaku never disappoints. Today, I went to get oysters, but ended up having a delicious ramen lunch unexpectedly. Even though my main goal was to buy oysters, I had no expectations for lunch. The oysters from here are usually good, and today was no exception. This place is located near the fishing port in Yubetsu Town. It is a direct store of the Yubetsu Fisheries Cooperative. Today, the 2-year-old oysters were priced at 700 yen per kilogram (about 8 pieces per kilogram). They had scallops too, but I didn't even look at them and just said, "3 kilograms!"

I received oysters through a hometown package on 11/21/2016!! It's already that season, huh... This year is going to end quickly. So, I received oysters from Yusenguan again, so I'll steam them in sake. This time, they didn't come packed in a box, but in styrofoam, so I'll steam them in a pot. I enjoyed them piping hot!! Oysters are delicious, aren't they? Raw oysters are good too, but I feel like the best flavor comes out when steamed in sake. Especially, Ashura oysters are best steamed! There were so many, I ate as much as I wanted!! I was full just from eating oysters. A winter delicacy in Hokkaido. Oysters are definitely something you want to eat when the season comes around! It was delicious!! Thank you for the meal!! --- [Oysters, Oysters, Oysters!!] My wife and mother each received a "hometown package." My wife got salmon roe, but my mother got a large amount of Ashura oysters!! We decided to share them half and half! They were sent from Yusenguan. Raw oysters!! They looked delicious! The instructions said it was okay to eat them as they were, so we ate them without steaming them! Opening the oyster shells without steaming them was quite a challenge... However, it's because of this effort that oysters are delicious!! The meat was big!! It was incredibly tasty even without any seasoning! The milk of the sea... That's a great way to put it. My wife and I were engrossed in eating... and of course, we finished them all!! Actually, my wife has been saying since yesterday, "It's oyster season... I want to eat some." So, it was a perfect timing to receive them, and I was very happy! How many times will we be able to enjoy oysters this season... Winter is cold, and snow removal is tough, but there are delicious things that can only be enjoyed in winter, so I'm looking forward to it! It was delicious! Thank you for the meal!!

<January 2016> It's a re-review! A friend from my days in Okhotsk, who knows how much I love oysters, sent me some oysters! Yay! When I opened the box, I was greeted by large oysters. They looked so delicious! There were so many of them that I gave up on making an oyster tower like last time and just took a picture of the box (laughs). I immediately tried the raw oysters. After shucking the large oysters, the plump and juicy meat was revealed. I couldn't resist and took a bite. I forgot to take a picture because they looked so delicious! The rich flavor of the oysters spread in my mouth. So delicious! Next, I tried steamed oysters. I put some sake in a pot and steamed the oysters until the shells slightly opened, about 5 minutes. It was tempting to drool, but I held back (laughs). When I opened the shells, there were the plump oysters waiting for me. So delicious! And then my favorite, fried oysters! I first took a picture of the oysters in the shell, then I ate them. It was incredibly delicious! Oysters are delicious whether raw, steamed, or fried. They are packed with flavor and I couldn't stop eating them. It was such a happy moment to enjoy delicious oysters. Thank you for the treat! <March 2015> The other day, a reviewer posted a review of some incredibly delicious-looking oysters, and I couldn't resist going to try them out in Yubetsu! Yubetsu is a town located near Lake Saroma in the upper part of Okhotsk. In spring, many tourists visit the town to see the tulips. The Yubetsu fishing cooperative's direct sales shop is where I went. The shop is surprisingly spacious and filled with a variety of seafood products. They had frozen salmon, Okhotsk hairy crabs, octopus, dried seafood, scallop adductor muscles, processed seafood products, frozen fry that you can fry at home, fried octopus, fried kelp, and more. Near the register, there was a tank with scallops and oysters sold by weight. When I peeked inside, I saw huge oysters! I was so excited just by looking at them (laughs). Of course, I was there for the oysters! It was 700 yen per kilogram. I wondered how many oysters were in a kilogram, and it turned out to be around 7 oysters. I asked for 2 kilograms, and I got 16 oysters! And when I measured them with the shells on, the smallest was 10 cm, and the largest was 17 cm! So, one giant oyster was only 88 yen? I should have bought more! I decided to steam the oysters right away. I like to eat oysters semi-cooked with just a hint of lemon juice, enjoying the natural saltiness of the oysters. I heated them quickly in a pot with sake for 7-8 minutes. When the shells slightly opened, I quickly shucked them. The meat easily came out. They were plump and juicy! They were so delicious that I couldn't stop eating them (laughs). I planned to make steamed oysters, oyster fry, and oyster ajillo, but before I knew it, I only had 4 oysters left (laughs). I ended up making oyster fry with the remaining 4 oysters. The crispy exterior and the burst of oyster flavor in my mouth were amazing! Living in Hokkaido is great! This place also offers shipping to other regions, which is convenient for those living far away. I'm so grateful to the reviewer!

The prices had been gradually increasing, but this time they shot up all at once. I said, "Let's go to Wakkanai," expecting that response, but instead got a request to buy oysters. If I'm buying oysters, this place is the only choice for me. The quality wasn't great in previous years, so my opinion of it had dropped a bit, but at this time of year, it should be fine. However, when I saw that it was 1000 yen per kilogram, I was shocked. Even though it's the highest price ever, I still imagined the plump oysters, so I casually said, "3 kilograms." I mentioned that the price had gone up, and the response was, "Yes, it has. Fuel prices are soaring too, so it can't be helped." I tried to justify it in my mind. Since the oysters here are in tanks and contain seawater, there are actually fewer oysters compared to other stores, but they are delicious. I ordered them steamed in sake, expecting the usual high quality. I thought maybe I had hit the 20% of duds this time, but to my surprise, every single one was terrible. I wondered why they would sell such poor-quality oysters. Regardless of the price, how could they sell something like this? It was a total disappointment. I usually have some leftovers to make oyster fries, but this time, I ate them all and still didn't feel satisfied. Did I pay for the oyster shells? It was a disappointing experience with the oysters.

Yubetsu Fisheries Cooperative Association's direct store, "Okhotsk Yubesseikan," is located in the port town of Yubetsu. They sell a variety of seafood products with scallops being the main focus. The simmered flounder with bones for 300 yen is made using locally caught flounder. It has a high-quality canned texture and delicious taste. The "Yubetsu specialty soft shell" for 378 yen is smoked and has a crunchy texture with a wonderful clam flavor. I purchased them as snacks, and both were excellent.

I have been saying that Saroma oysters are the best, but recently I tried the Moikotan oysters and they were even more delicious. Despite feeling a strong connection to Saroma oysters, the ones I had in December were terrible. I was really disappointed and thought that even Yuseikan must be serving low-quality oysters now. I had decided not to buy them anymore. However, my wife doesn't have a strong preference, so when I mentioned going skiing in Monbetsu, she said to send some to our eldest daughter as well. So, I decided to send 5 kg and 2 kg to her and bought 2 kg for our own family. The seller said that buying 3 kg would be more cost-effective, but I thought that maybe sending 2 kg of the 3 kg option would have been better. However, the 3 kg option was packed in a paper bag, while the ones to be sent were in a water tank and would be sent the next day. Oh well, it can't be helped. The oysters this time were amazing, with an outstanding yield of about 70% in the past, but this time I had 8 oysters and they were all perfect, with a yield of 100%. They were all plump and had a great texture. I will never buy oysters in December again.

Yome-san said, "The price has dropped, huh?" I know it was 680 yen/kg, but Yome-san knows it was 850 yen/kg because she claims this place has the best oysters. Even though I pretended not to notice, she said she wanted to eat sake-steamed oysters, so we stopped by. But they were out of scallops, which should have been 750 yen/kg. They are expensive this year. "Give me 4 kg," I said. 3240 yen?? First, sake-steamed oysters. The worst thing... green moss... even though it shouldn't be there... It must be seaweed. When this color is present, it's definitely bad. Today, there was green stuff inside. Unbelievable off-flavor. They shouldn't serve this. It's still early for December, but they shouldn't be sending this to Sapporo. I don't like Akkeshi, but this kind of thing never happens there. Yome-san said, "If you had told me earlier, I would have prepared grated radish too." But you can't eat this with grated radish. Finally, I ate the oyster fry. Yome-san, who is not very perceptive, said, "It's delicious" as she ate.

2021/11/20 [Takeout] It's that time of year again. Every year around this time, we receive "that" at home. It arrived this year too - from Yukansenkan [6th time]. Of course, it's the Ashura oysters!! These fresh oysters can be eaten raw, but they are best enjoyed steamed with sake. So, it's my turn to make them properly steamed - oh, this year's oysters are quite large. And hardly any of them are not open. It's a good year (^_^♪ The taste is just irresistible!! They are so plump and full of flavor - oysters are best enjoyed steamed like this. There's a good amount, so my wife and I will eat as much as we want. The sake is flowing too!! I thought there were plenty, but they disappeared in no time while eating (^^;) That's how delicious the oysters were. I love all kinds of shellfish, but my favorite is probably oysters. Raw oysters are delicious too, but steamed with sake is the best - it feels like you're enjoying the deliciousness of the oysters as is. They have been delicious every year, but they seem to be getting tastier year by year. I'm already looking forward to next year (lol) It was delicious!! Thank you♪

This is a product I order once a year. It arrived at the perfect time so I can enjoy it over the weekend without any worries (laughs). The season for Yawarakaikan oysters has arrived! While Akkeshi oysters are famous, I am definitely a fan of Yubetsu oysters (laughs). I think Ashura oysters are the best. I'm so happy that I can eat them again this year. Raw oysters are delicious, but steaming them brings out even more flavor and makes them much tastier. This time, we steamed them with sake. It's best to fry them until they are half-cooked rather than steaming them too hard. I'm in charge of cooking this kind of dish. This time, the steaming was perfect. And then, we ate them. The oysters were so plump and delicious! The flavor is amazing, with a lot of sweetness and umami! This year's oysters are a big hit. There was a lot of them, so we enjoyed them while drinking sweet potato shochu. My wife was also very satisfied. Steamed oysters are the best after all. While oysters can be found outside of Hokkaido, Ashura oysters are the best. We enjoyed them very much this year too! Thank you for the delicious meal!