The photo is of zaru soba, but I also shared and enjoyed salt-flavored sake kasu ramen. It took quite a while to come out, but it was delicious! The soup had a unique flavor that was quite addictive, and the firm noodles were great. As I was leaving, I also tried some sake kasu candy from the souvenir shop on the first floor. It was a sake kasu feast and I left completely satisfied. Thank you for the meal!

2023/5★ Chicken and Noodle Set for 850 yen, drive ε=(ﾉ･∀･)ﾂ It's been a while since I had a holiday off, so I took a 2-hour drive from Sapporo to the agricultural town of "Shintotsukawa." The destination was the Whale Museum (゜)#))<< On the 2nd floor of the local produce antenna shop, there is a restaurant. After purchasing a meal ticket from the vending machine, head upstairs to the "Kokukujira" restaurant, where you'll be greeted by a simple and old-fashioned atmosphere with locals bustling around. The specialty dish I ordered was "Meharizushi" from the Yoshino region of Nara Prefecture, along with chicken noodles. The dish was huge, with a large rice ball wrapped in pickled greens, filled with finely chopped pickled greens mixed with rice. The perfectly seasoned rice was delicious, and the Nara-produced Sanwa noodles in a dried shiitake mushroom broth with chicken and fluffy egg topping were also very tasty. It's definitely worth a visit for the traditional flavors passed down through generations! It was delicious (*≧∀≦) Thank you for the meal (^ω^)

I finally had the chance to visit this restaurant that I had been curious about for a while. You buy a meal ticket on the first floor and then go up to the second floor. The entrance to the restaurant is plain and looks like a meeting room. I sat by the window, handed in my ticket for the "torimen set" for 750 yen, and waited for a bit. It arrived in less than 10 minutes. The appearance of the chirashi sushi caught my eye. The torimen was like udon noodles topped with ingredients from oyakodon. The broth was familiarly Kansai-style, with a strong shiitake mushroom flavor. It was a bit salty towards the end, but still within an acceptable range. The somen noodles were indeed top-quality, maintaining a firm texture until the last bite. The chirashi sushi was made by wrapping gomoku sushi in pickled mustard greens into a large cylindrical shape. The rice was not vinegared. Surprisingly, it had a light taste and I found myself finishing both dishes quickly. There are not many places where you can enjoy somen noodles, so I would like to come back again. Thank you for the meal.

While on the way to my destination, I decided to stop by a restaurant called "Restaurant Kujira" in Shin-Totsukawa along Route 274. The restaurant had a variety of menu items, including a "Mega Size Menu" with options like "Mega Size Pork Cutlet Curry," "Mega Size Hot Pot Ramen," and "Mega Size Cold Ramen," all priced at 1,000 yen each. I was intrigued by the "Chicken Noodle and Pickled Leaf Set @750," which included a unique pickled leaf wrapped rice ball called "mehari." Ultimately, I decided to challenge myself with the "Mega Size Pork Cutlet Curry @1000." The restaurant's second floor had a dinosaur skeleton display in the center, and the seating area overlooked this unique decor. The curry was served in a large stainless steel plate with a generous portion of rice and pork cutlets. The curry was flavorful but not too spicy, and the pork cutlets were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Despite the delicious meal, the portion size was quite large, making it a bit challenging to finish. Overall, it was a satisfying dining experience at Restaurant Kujira.

Nishitsutsukawa Town is known for its agricultural products, with a history of immigrants from Totsukawa Village during the Meiji period. This may explain the presence of Sasazushi, a dish similar to Kakinohazushi. I had heard about Meharizushi from an acquaintance in Wakayama, which got its name from its large size that makes you widen your eyes while eating it. It is a familiar food in Wakayama. It's quite rare to have it served with Torimen, a warm dish of egg-topped somen noodles in a soy-based broth, which is delicious. I was happy to enjoy it as a fan of nyumen. Meharizushi is wrapped in takana instead of nori seaweed, with the rice inside not being vinegared. It's like a rice ball with takana mixed with a little bit of bonito flakes. It's simple and tasty. Perhaps in the past, seaweed was not available in the mountains. It pairs well with the sweet and savory broth of Torimen. Both dishes are quite filling and the set costs 750 yen, making it a good deal.

At the Shin-Tsuya River, the Katsu Curry has been chosen as a popular menu item. Well, of course, if it's a restaurant in a local products center, it's usually either curry or ramen that people choose. But the katsu here is big and surprisingly delicious!! With this katsu, I feel like trying the katsu-don too. The curry sauce is quite ordinary though.

I visited for lunch. Surprisingly, there are fewer customers today, which I personally find nice. I ordered the "karaage-don." After a few minutes of waiting, it arrived - the karaage-don! There were only 5 pieces of karaage, which seemed a bit lacking. However, the flavor was quite strong. It was perfect as a rice accompaniment. The strong flavor made the rice go down smoothly. It was delicious karaage. I would like to come back again. Thank you for the meal٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

Went to Shin-Totsugawa to eat the third Dam Curry. The restaurant is located inside the Whale Products Hall. Even though it was past lunchtime, it was quite busy with locals and people on a drive. Bought a meal ticket from the vending machine on the first floor and then went up to the second floor. Was greeted by a whale skeleton exhibit. After handing in the meal ticket, waited for a short while before the Dam Curry arrived. It's basically Katsu Curry with a boiled egg that you can release into the curry. The Dam Curry at Kembuchi had a sausage that you could release, but the rice got stuck to the sausage and caused a collapse. Here, the curry was released smoothly. I was actually more interested in trying the Katsu Curry MEGA portion than the Dam Curry... I'll have to come back and try it again!

This is the second floor of the local products hall in the center of Shin-Totsugawa-cho. It's more like a cafeteria than a restaurant. There are plenty of parking spaces available. There is a food ticket machine at the stairs leading up to the first-floor restaurant. Purchase a ticket and then go up to the second floor. It was quite busy during lunchtime. When I entered, it was full. There are a decent number of table seats, but it was packed with local customers. I ordered the Katsu Curry for 700 yen, which was described as having this volume at this price. I was curious about the Mega-sized menu items like the Dam Curry and Katsu Curry, but it was crowded, so it took a bit of time. In the midst of this, I was asked to share a table with someone (*´Д｀). The Katsu Curry had a good amount of volume as described. The cutlet was thick and had some firmness to it. The curry itself was a medium-spiced, typical one. The price was cheap, the portion was generous, and the taste was decently good. Since there are few eateries around here, it seems to be popular. I saw someone eating the Mega-sized Katsu Curry, and it looked like a lot to finish.

I had pork cutlet curry for 700 yen at 11:30. Although Shin-Totsukawa Town is known for its rice, the rice wasn't tasty, it was dry. Maybe it wasn't freshly cooked? The curry was average. I stopped by because it's a popular place, but it was just average.

I visited for lunch. They also have a large portion menu here. I thought about challenging it, but I wasn't that hungry so I gave up (ﾟoﾟ;; This time, I ordered "katsu curry". The ticket machine is on the 1st floor, and the dining area is on the 2nd floor. I wish they wouldn't have a setup where you don't know if it's crowded until you go upstairs. The katsu curry here is delicious ♫ I think the curry is tasty. Next time, I want to come and try something other than katsu curry. Thank you for the meal٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

I visited for lunch. Last time I tried to eat here, it was closed for the day. This time, I visited on a different day. There is a ticket machine on the first floor and a dining area on the second floor, which is a unique setup. I ordered the "Mega-sized Katsu Curry." The picture on the ticket machine didn't make it look very big, so I thought it would be easy to finish. However, it turned out to be a large portion with 2 servings of rice and 2 pieces of katsu. The curry sauce was delicious ♫ The only downside was that the ratio of rice to curry wasn't quite right. I wished there was more curry sauce. Maybe I just didn't eat it properly (lol). They have a wide variety of menu options, so I would like to come back again. Thank you for the meal!٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶

I had some business in Shin-Totsukawa, Hokkaido and was wandering around during lunchtime. I casually entered a restaurant on the second floor of a local market. They recommended the mega-sized Katsu Curry. Let's give it a try! It's a bit too much. It's like a sea of curry, haha.

I ordered the Torimen set. It is a special product from Miwa region in Nara Prefecture, using Miwa Somen noodles, and Torimen is a New Totsukawa Town original product with chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and eggs. The set also includes Miharizushi, a local dish from Yoshino region in Nara, where rice balls are wrapped in pickled mustard leaves. Recently, there has been a trend towards using local ingredients in restaurants, even in Hokkaido where they mainly use Hokkaido-produced ingredients. However, when it comes to local cuisine, it may be better to use ingredients from the region itself. In the manga "Oishinbo," it was mentioned that cold Chinese noodles taste better when made with Chinese ingredients, so perhaps it is the same for other dishes as well.

I enjoyed the Tori Mentai and Mentai Hairy Sushi set.

The gentle deliciousness is also gentle on the wallet.