I may have had slightly high expectations. Even the appetizer that came out didn't disappoint. The daikon radish was delicious. The beef tendon was tender and without any unpleasant smell. The only downside was the potatoes. If you look closely at the photo, you'll understand. That's all.

I had been wanting to go to this oden restaurant for a long time, but the thought of it seemed a bit intimidating so I never went. Finally, I gathered the courage and went. The restaurant is small with a counter and a couple of raised seating areas. When I arrived around 6:30 pm, there was one group at the counter and a raised seating area was available, so I sat there. When you enter the restaurant, you take off your shoes. We were served three types of appetizers - daikon radish, tomato oden, and miso oden. The daikon was a bit tough, but the broth was gentle and comforting. The miso in the miso oden was just right, but I wished there was a bit more of it! The tomato oden had a western twist with black pepper sprinkled on top. I also tried the recommended dishes of eggplant and sea urchin chawanmushi. The eggplant was soft and flavorful, and the sea urchin chawanmushi was cold with a whole piece of sea urchin on top, sweet and delicious. I felt it was reasonably priced at around 800-900 yen. It's a shame that the recommended dishes might not be available next time I visit. The atmosphere created by the female owner was very welcoming, and even though it was my first time there, I felt comfortable. I will definitely go back.

I happened to come all the way to Otaru and felt like visiting another place, so I went for a stroll. I decided to enter this restaurant on a whim. Although it was close to closing time, the landlady kindly let me in. - Oden: The broth was light and perfect for soothing a tipsy stomach. The assorted ingredients in the pouch were delicious! - Tamago Kake Gohan (egg over rice): I finished off the day with tamago kake gohan. The rich and flavorful egg was irresistible, and I couldn't stop eating the rice! I didn't have the chance to try many dishes, but I think this restaurant offers a variety of Hokkaido specialties and a wide selection of oden. The landlady's gentle yet firm hospitality is also one of the charms of this place! Thank you for the meal!

Walking up Hana Gin Street, you'll see a green sign on the left before the elevated parking lot. It's Tokinozen, where you take off your shoes at the entrance. The interior has light wood accents and a bright atmosphere, with a kimono-clad female proprietor adding to the charm. There are counter seats and sunken kotatsu tables inside. We chose a kotatsu table for two, which can be turned into a private room by closing the sliding doors. They offer a variety of izakaya dishes, with oden being a specialty. They also have unique oden options like tomato and oysters. It seems like a great place for both small gatherings and large parties if the partitions are removed.

Welcome! In January 2014, if you go south in the one-way street in the Hanazono district of Otaru City, towards the viaduct, you will find a sushi restaurant called Shikama. Hidden behind it is a small Japanese-style restaurant. There were several stray cats in front of the restaurant, but they seemed friendly once they realized I was not a threat. Upon entering, I was greeted by a hostess in traditional Japanese attire and was asked to take off my shoes. I felt a bit nervous entering a small restaurant like this, but seeing the chef, who turned out to be a woman, put me at ease. The hostess mentioned she was a bit tipsy, but I was offered some oolong tea to start. The meal began with black beans, octopus with mustard miso, and sautéed maitake mushrooms. The black beans had a nice crunch and sweetness, the mustard miso had a gentle spiciness, and the maitake mushrooms had a balsamic-like acidity. As it is the season for hot pot, I had a salmon dumpling miso butter flavored hot pot. The miso and butter aroma was delightful, and the round dumplings were filled with plenty of salmon. The soup, colored red due to the kimchi flavor, seemed spicy at first but was actually mellowed by the sweetness of the butter. The hot pot was filled with watercress, bean sprouts, maitake mushrooms, corn, Chinese cabbage, and asparagus, which warmed me up nicely. I forgot to order udon or porridge to finish the meal, as I was quite full. It can be intimidating to drink in an unfamiliar place, but I felt confident that I had found a good restaurant with regular customers. I had a pleasant conversation with the hostess and the chef, and it was a delightful dining experience.