In August 2023, a well-loved coffee shop called "Colombia" in Otaru, which had been frequented by local residents for a long time, suddenly closed on August 31st due to the advanced age of the owner. Unaware of this, I visited the shop on that day and found out that there was a long line of customers. The shop moved from under the JR tracks and used to only open at night, but now they also serve lunch. I tried their summer limited edition dish, the Cold Seafood Mazesoba (1,000 yen), which contained shrimp, scallops, squid, and whelk. The squid and whelk were cooked. The thick noodles from Morizumi were chewy and delicious. The sauce was easy to eat with a hint of the taste of Bell's Gin Tare. Although the shrimp in the seafood was a bit watery, I wondered about the significance of using seafood in this dish. I finished it all. I also noticed the chef's fried rice and sea urchin butter rice on the evening menu, as well as the presence of "Tobiroku" sake. I am curious to visit again for dinner to try them out.

Visited for the first time in early June 2023, this was my 18th ramen shop visit. There was a ramen shop under the Otaru Garden overpass, but it was always closed during the day as it operated exclusively at night, so I had never been there before. It seems that the shops under the Otaru overpass were all closed at once due to aging, and one of them relocated to a place called "Sobadokoro Kobiyama." When I went to visit the relocated shop, I noticed that they had started daytime operations, so I decided to pay a visit. The interior of the shop seemed to have been a pub before, as it still had that atmosphere. I ordered the "Miso Ramen" for 800 yen. The kitchen was at the back of the counter, and the male owner, who seemed to be around the same age as me, was handling everything by himself. He seemed to be very meticulous in his work, cutting the chashu slices by hand each time and cutting the menma into thin strips. The toppings included bean sprouts, seaweed, and finely chopped green onions. The chashu was moist and tender, and the seasoned menma and marinated egg were also delicious. The soup was on the sweeter side, similar to Sapporo-style ramen, and it paired well with the high-hydration noodles from Morizumi Seimen. The fact that the "Today's Special Donburi" was a "Vinegared Mackerel Rice Bowl" made me wonder if the owner was originally a Japanese cuisine chef. When I asked if they could make fried rice for lunch, the owner said, "Of course," so I'm looking forward to trying it. The ramen was great, but I might come back for the fried rice as well.

Right now I was wondering what would happen to Mr. Uemon with the closure and demolition of the elevated shopping street in the garden, but he has been relocated to another location. I'm relieved that it's not a closure. The new location is called "Koen-dori," right? It has been relocated to the same row as Nishiya-san and Darucorpo-san. It is now in the space that used to be Beef & Winebar Lamp, which has been turned into a cat cafe. There is even a red lantern at the entrance, creating a cool atmosphere. Just like the previous store, there is a ticket machine next to the entrance. It's nice that they have Iemon tea in the ticket machine. Maybe because the names are similar? (laughs) I ordered the abura soba (700 yen) and the chashu rice (300 yen). The abura soba here has a sweet and salty sauce that is delicious. When mixed with the thick, chewy noodles, it is irresistibly delicious. It also comes with a bite-sized serving of rice to add at the end. I was satisfied. The chashu rice has diced chashu, green onions, and seaweed on top. It would be nice to have a sauce or something that goes well with the rice. I hope they continue to do well in their new location. I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the meal.

At night in Otaru, we went hopping from place to place. We filled our stomachs quickly with sushi, then strolled through the streets of Otaru. There are alleyways like drinking alleys and beautiful night views reflected on the water's edge, giving the town a nostalgic atmosphere. We also popped into a glassware shop. After returning to our accommodation for a shower and planning for the next day, we set out again late at night. We searched for a ramen shop that was open late and found one with miso, shoyu, salt, nightingale soba, oil soba, Taiwan maze soba, and even curry! We chose miso, with thick noodles that soak up the flavorful soup. The chef seemed experienced in serving late-night customers, and we hope this place continues to thrive.

The night crying soba was delicious.