On August 19, 2021 (Thursday) at 18:45, I stayed overnight at the Dormy Inn Wakkanai Hotel, which has a natural hot spring called Kitatennoyu. Before heading to the hotel, I visited a somewhat hard-to-enter restaurant nearby. I was curious about the prices but decided to go in. The interior of the restaurant had a retro style with a Showa-era atmosphere, and it was run by two older ladies. Unfortunately, I couldn't take photos of the menu or prices, but everything served was homemade and freshly prepared. The dishes I tried included Ikameshi, which was made with chewy squid and packed with rice grains, and a sashimi platter with 9 different types of fresh fish. The homemade salted fish eggs of the hoya were surprisingly delicious, and the tsukune meatballs with cartilage were flavorful and chewy. The Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) cooked on a ceramic plate was tender and tasty. To end the meal, they served a complimentary miso soup, which was a nice touch. Overall, the meal was very delicious, and even though I may spend more compared to others due to my preference for both eating and drinking, the price of around 3000 yen was reasonable for enjoying authentic local cuisine.

For Bon festival travelers in Wakkanai, there were too few dining options, and many people barely managed to find this hidden gem. The service and atmosphere were quite good, making it a comfortable place to drink. We had bottled beer, draft beer, and a salted cod roe and sea pineapple dish for 650 yen. Grilled saury for 980 yen and mozuku seaweed for 800 yen. The total bill came to 3830 yen, which was a bit pricey, but considering what we ordered, it was reasonable. Thank you for the meal.

I enjoyed various things in Hokkaido, and of course the taste was great too. It was my first time trying grilled salmon, and it was delicious!

In Wakkanai, when it comes to dinner, seafood is a must. This restaurant offers unique seafood dishes. Perhaps because it's located across from a hotel, people from various regions come here. The appetizer is simmered butterbur. It's spicy and goes well with sake. The "Akahodachi sashimi" is made from a rare fish called Akahodachi, which is smooth and juicy. The taste is vibrant orange, but not significantly different. The sashimi platter consists of thick slices of fish with a strong fish flavor. The octopus and flounder were particularly good, with a soft texture. The "Kasube tempura" is a first for me, with a flavor similar to Zangi and crispy cartilage. The meat is not thick, so the edges taste more of the batter and oil. The "Hoya salted fish guts" was surprisingly easy to eat, with a texture like raw cod skin and no unpleasant smell. The "Udo with vinegar miso" has a citrus peel-like bitterness, but when combined with vinegar miso, it becomes mellow. The landlady later brought out salted peppers and butterbur miso pickles, so I had to order more sake. This restaurant caters to sake drinkers by serving unique dishes in an easy-to-eat manner. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed inside the restaurant.

The yuzukosho hot pot at Tachi was very delicious.

Delicious and mom-approved! Ginnosou miso soup with ginkgo nuts is a hidden specialty of Wakkanai!

I stayed in Wakkanai and used this restaurant. It is located right in front of the Dormy Inn and is conveniently close to the station. The elegant and lovely landlady runs the place. They are particular about using locally sourced fish, so they confirm what is available each day. It's a great place to enjoy Wakkanai's fish dishes. The mozuku vinegar, kasube tempura, gaya simmered dish, and sea urchin bowl are quite reasonable. You can also taste local sake from Hokkaido. The landlady's complimentary dish is delicious! The restaurant has a nice atmosphere where you can relax. It gets crowded from 6 to 8 pm in the summer. It seems they do not take reservations.

Hanaraku (Wakkanai, Hokkaido) Wakkanai is the northernmost city in Japan. When it comes to Wakkanai, it is famous for its high-quality seafood such as octopus, sea urchin, and sea cucumber. The locals say that the downtown area has become quite deserted. Even though I was already full after the first restaurant, I wanted to enjoy more of Wakkanai's seafood with some drinks, so I decided to try this restaurant right next to my hotel. It is a small place with mainly counter seating and a couple of tables, but they had a variety of seasonal Wakkanai specialties. - Sea Urchin (Purple Sea Urchin) It may have been a little early for Bafun sea urchin, but the Purple sea urchin was still delicious! If you were to try sea urchin of this quality in Tokyo, I wonder how much you would have to pay... - Sea Cucumber Sea cucumber is also a specialty of Wakkanai. It is exported to China quite a lot. The freshness was outstanding, and the texture was excellent. - Mozuku I didn't know that mozuku was a specialty of Wakkanai. To be honest, it was the most delicious mozuku I have ever tasted. The flavor is just rich. Although Okinawan mozuku is good, the richness of the northernmost mozuku is exceptional. Hanaraku Hokkaido Wakkanai-shi Chuou 2-13-4 Tatenou Bldg 1F Phone number not available

I went on a pub crawl in Wakkanai at night. I started with the first place near Wakkanai Station. There weren't many options around, and it was a bit lonely compared to the lively atmosphere it used to have. I found a restaurant not listed on Tabelog called "Megure," but it was closed. So, I went to "Karaku" a few doors down, which had a nice atmosphere. The interior had a traditional Japanese feel, with family crests carved into the chairs. The mama (female owner) was elegant and well-kept. We sat at the counter and ordered a beer and a sour for my wife. We had been walking a lot, so our throats were dry. We resisted the urge to drink it all at once and paced ourselves for the long night ahead. The restaurant had signs prohibiting photography, so I only have a picture of the exterior. We tried their recommended dishes, "Kasube's fried chicken" and "big tsubu sashimi." The Kasube was delicious, but I might prefer it simmered. The tsubu had a large shell, but the meat inside seemed small. Nonetheless, I enjoyed it as tsubu is one of my favorites. We paired these dishes with Japanese sake, including local Hokkaido sake and Kubota. We chose Fukui's "Kuzuryu," which was refreshing and delicious. The restaurant was quite busy, mostly with tourists, perhaps due to the nearby hotel.

I usually visit this restaurant with my friends and clients. Originally from Sapporo, I started coming here thanks to a friend who lived in Wakkanai. Although there are no private rooms, there are partitions. And most importantly, the food is delicious. Especially the sea urchin bowl, which was recommended by a customer who had just returned from Rishiri. They said the sea urchin bowl here was even better than the one they had in Rishiri, so they wanted to come back. The portion size for 2500 yen is cheap (it was 3000 yen in Rishiri). The owner is also lovely. You could probably seek life advice from her. It's a reliable restaurant. The fried Kasube fish is a specialty dish here for 980 yen. When I visited, almost all the customers ordered it, which is how I found out about it. I went there again! July 2013, staying at the Dormy Inn just to visit Hanaraku (haha). I couldn't get a seat, so I got their phone number to call when a table was available. This time, I overheard the customers talking about a man who comes every year from Yokohama (20 years in a row!), a solo traveler who hadn't been there in 3 years but was remembered by the staff, and a couple from Tokyo who have been coming for 10 years. The sea urchin bowl was as delicious as ever, leaving everyone in awe. Even a group of four young men who ordered the sea urchin bowl were amazed when they took their first bite. The owner, Hanaraku's mama, passed by and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?" (haha) The group of four men said, "It's so delicious that we could cry! We will definitely come back next year!" (haha)

About a 5-minute walk from the Wakkanai Station, across from the Dormy Inn Wakkanai, there is a sign for "Karakku" (花楽). The exterior of the entrance looks quite nice, giving off a vibe of delicious food. However, once inside, the interior is a bit messy and feels like a run-down snack bar. I couldn't help but think, "Oh no," but it was too late as the owner had already spotted me. I sat at a table in the back and ordered a beer. The place is small, with a counter of 6 seats and 3 tables. This restaurant takes pride in its sea urchin and 100% buckwheat soba, but unfortunately, they were not available when I visited. Despite my initial concerns, the menu had some delicious-looking items. I ordered a sashimi platter and waited for my food. To my surprise, the worries in my mind were unfounded. The food served was prepared with great care. The mozuku vinegar was not too sour and very tasty. The sashimi platter had 8 varieties, and each one was delicious. The scallops, squid, saury, mackerel, salmon, black rockfish, and more were all very tasty. The red scallop was a rare treat and incredibly delicious. The "soba shop's yakitori" was a whole piece of grilled Iwate red chicken. The salt seasoning was a bit strong, but it was still delicious. It paired perfectly with the beer. They offer Sapporo Classic beer, local sake called Mashike no Kunimare, and Hokkaido potato shochu called Kita no Homare, among others, to please travelers. While I couldn't try their famous sea urchin or soba, the food was still incredibly delicious. It's a shame I couldn't try them, but I hope to have another chance to visit this place again.