In Otaru, I had some time to spare so I searched the "Tabelog" site on July 14, 2023. There were 44 reviews, but I was skeptical because all of them seemed to be from events. I wondered if the restaurant actually existed. So, I decided to visit "Otaru Bonki" (I'm not sure how to pronounce that). I wasn't sure if a delivery-only store was acceptable or if takeout was okay. I didn't quite understand the criteria. I thought for sure there wouldn't be an actual store, but to my surprise, there was one! There were about 3 parking spaces in front of the store. Inside, all the items were samples, and there were only a few products in the hot corner. When I entered the store, no one was there. I called out, and a lady came down the stairs from the second floor. The menu included items like "Octopus Tempura, Otaru Shirayuki Gyoza, Garlic Manju, Four-Element Pork Shumai, Shrimp and Potato, Chicken Wings, Fried Chicken Half". Some items were sold out. I bought "Octopus Tempura x2 @320" and "Four-Element Pork Shumai x3 @390" to have for dinner. The "Octopus Tempura" was basically a "tempura with octopus", confusing name. It had a chewy texture with a subtle octopus flavor, pretty tasty as tempura. The "Four-Element Pork Shumai" was large, meaty, and quite delicious. However, at 130 yen per piece, it seemed like an event price. I felt like I had seen a similar product at a supermarket for around 298 yen + tax for 4 pieces. But this one definitely had better quality. I look forward to meeting at another event. Thank you for the meal.

This is a delicious restaurant in Otaru known for their Four-Element Pork Shumai. I had the opportunity to try their shumai at a Fukuoka fair. The shumai was large, filled with plenty of meat, and had a rich pork flavor.

Three years ago I purchased the "Monk Garlic Manju" which is described as "a Japanese-style manju made with monk garlic and pork, full of nutrients and addictive flavor." It was exactly as described, with a slightly firm texture similar to a garlic dumpling, and paired well with beer.

While strolling around Seibu in Okazaki, I stumbled upon a Hokkaido food fair. Despite its small scale compared to those in Nagoya, I was drawn in by the delicious aroma. The shop had about four different products, and the shopkeeper let me try them all. They were all tasty, but the Taraba crab shumai was especially delicious. It was made with a lot of crab meat, giving it a unique aroma compared to regular shumai. The shumai was also larger than usual, with a thick and satisfying texture. Each piece costs 160 yen, a bit on the pricey side, but the taste makes it worth it. I recommend it for a little indulgence.

F Village's "Totally Delicious" Gourmet Fair. Have something to eat instead of dinner. Try the Monk Garlic Buns - 3 for 500 yen. I like garlic, but don't have many opportunities to eat it, so I decided to give it a try. Hmm... I was expecting a strong smell and taste, but it's actually quite mild. It's not overpowering at all, so even people trying it for the first time should be fine.

I visited the Seibu Ikebukuro 7th floor event "Spring Hokkaido Delicious Food Fair" from March 28th to April 10th. I bought a set of two pieces for 900 yen, which was originally 1200 yen. The set included Takozangi, shumai, round shrimp dumplings, and round garlic dumplings, with two pieces of each. I went during the evening time sale and used Rakuten Pay for payment. The shumai was delicious, especially the Takozangi which had octopus inside. I would like to try more shumai varieties next time I visit.

I decided to try out a food stall at Aeon Mall Takanohara. I had seen this shop at a Hokkaido product exhibition at a department store before. I remembered seeing the words "Shigen Pork Shumai". When I visited in the late afternoon, everything was on sale. I think it was a discount of maybe 300 yen... no, perhaps 200 yen. I'm not very confident in my memory lately. The items for sale were Shumai, Takoyaki, Priest Garlic Manju, and Otaru Shirayuki Gyoza. I purchased "4 Takoyaki" and "6 Priest Garlic Manju" at the discounted price, totaling 1134 yen. I took them home to enjoy. The Takoyaki was quite large. It's called Takoyaki, but it's actually minced octopus tempura. When I tried it, the octopus flavor spread nicely in my mouth. There was a decent amount of octopus in it too. It had a satisfying texture, so one piece was quite filling. Next, I tried the Priest Garlic Manju. It had a lot of chives and paired perfectly with garlic, creating a chive-garlic festival in my mouth. These two ingredients make the ultimate combination in any dish. I couldn't finish them all, so I stored them in the fridge and enjoyed them the next day. These were perfect for enjoying with some drinks. I look forward to trying the Shigen Pork Shumai and Otaru Shirayuki Gyoza at another product exhibition. I'll need to prepare some drinks next time. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I tried the "Tako Zangi" here. It's not your typical chicken karaage, but more similar to fried fish cake balls. It's like fish cake balls with pieces of octopus mixed in. It was enjoyable, especially when eaten with ginger soy sauce for added flavor.

I bought it at a food event. I thought it was a chive bun, but it was explained to be a Japanese-style flavor combining garlic sprouts and pork. I like chive buns, but the combination of garlic sprouts and pork seemed really delicious and tempting. I thought it might be good for the hot summer season, so I bought it. There were frozen options, but the price difference wasn't that big, so I chose the pre-cooked ones. When I took it out of the bag at home, a gentle chive-like aroma filled the air. For dinner, I microwaved it and shared it with everyone. My husband really enjoyed the slightly unique flavor and the texture of the pork-like meat chunks and the taste of garlic sprouts. However, I personally felt that there was a bit too much filler, so it was not to my liking. Thank you for the meal. Otaru Itoi - 1296 yen (tax included)

I went to the Dai Hokkaido Exhibition being held at Ichinomiya Meitetsu Department Store. Last week, I walked about 50,000 steps and felt a bit tired. There were some really hot days, so I feel like I need a garlic boost this weekend. I was intrigued by the "Gyousha garlic manju" (10 pieces for 1,296 yen including tax) sold at one of the booths. This shop also sells "Otaru Bonke" dumplings and shumai. Gyousha garlic is a type of garlic that belongs to the lily family, and it grows in high places. In the past, it was said that practitioners of Shugendo (Japanese mountain asceticism incorporating Shinto and Buddhist concepts) used this garlic to boost their energy. I didn't know much about it and had never tried it before. I bought a pack of 10 and gave it a try. I ate it with dumpling sauce. It has a complex flavor, like a mix of garlic and chives, but the scent definitely makes me feel like I'll be more energetic (laughs). Although it's called a manju, it's more like a paste, and it became a nice side dish.

I visited the Hokkaido product exhibition at Chiba Sogo in early October 2021. There were so many choices that I couldn't decide, but I ended up buying "takozangi" from Otaru. I also let my wife choose and she ended up buying Shiretoko pork shumai, garlic manju, and Otaru Shirayuki gyoza. I'll review the takozangi. Takozangi is made by mixing octopus and fish paste, seasoning it, and frying it. It had a fluffy texture and a big piece of octopus inside. The pickled ginger did a great job. It's more of a snack for drinking rather than a side dish for rice. If I have the chance, I would buy it again.

I bought octopus zangi at the Hokkaido product exhibition at Keisei Department Store. It costs 972 yen for 5 pieces. Unlike typical zangi made with chicken, octopus zangi is made by putting octopus inside minced codfish and then deep-frying it, similar to satsuma-age. It has a taste of octopus and the minced fish is chewy, making it a good match with Japanese sake.

ISETAN Kyoto store was exhibiting at the Hokkaido Fair. They also participated in the ISETAN Hokkaido Fair from September 8th to 20th, 2021. - Garlic Manju (10 pieces) for 1200 yen The appearance was quite green, so I thought it would be packed with garlic, but there was actually more meat and the garlic was sparse. It was hearty and delicious. Considering it's 120 yen per piece, I felt the size was a bit small. It came with a sauce similar to gyoza sauce.

At the temporary corner in the department store basement in Ginza, there were four shops featuring Hokkaido specialties. I asked for zangi at a shop named after the Benzaiten Prince in Otaru, and got octopus zangi for 180 yen (excluding tax). They also had garlic manju for 120 yen and four pieces of pork dumplings for 150 yen, which I bought as a set for 1800 yen. They packed them in a free paper bag, and I took them home to enjoy for dinner. The octopus zangi was too big for one bite, but had a delicious flavor with the accent of pickled ginger. The garlic manju had the taste of garlic, and the pork dumplings were large yet tender.

※Photos only. Purchased at the event corner of Sapporo Ario.

It was being featured at a department store event.

At Matsuya GINZA, they have a dinner event. At our house, we have a wonderful self-service system. Help yourself to food, and if there isn't any, prepare it yourself. However, on this day, I had prepared enough for my daughter and myself, but my friend didn't have any, so I decided to buy some on the way home. They had pork belly and loin, and I chose the pork belly. I told the staff to be careful not to overheat it when microwaving, as it's best when the rice is just warm. They assured me they would be careful. After microwaving it, the pork belly's fat was crispy. The meat had a good chewy texture while still being tender. The rice was also plentiful. The flavor was not too strong, making it easy to eat. In the end, I ended up eating half of it while having a drink.