In Muroran, as a souvenir, the Hokki clam curry is a must-try. The texture and flavor of the Hokki clam are delicious. The curry sauce is rich without being spicy. During lunchtime, you can get a free extra serving of rice. However, I felt a bit unsatisfied as the portion was small. The Hokki clam is tasty, but the overall eating experience felt lacking.

Traveling in Hokkaido. Stayed in Takikawa, and the next morning it's back to the train journey. Took the Nemuro Main Line from Takikawa Station, passing through Furano to Shin-toku Station. From here, headed to Minami-Chitose Station, and got off at Tomakomai Station. From here, it's another train ride, but it's around lunchtime. Let's have lunch around here. Tomakomai Station is a key station where the Chitose Line, Muroran Main Line, and Hidaka Main Line intersect. However, there aren't many shops inside the station. One shop that stands out is this one. Exit the ticket gate and go right away. From the location and appearance of the shop, it seems like a station soba shop. But, the name of the shop seems to be "Tomakomai Iburi Curry and Curry Rice Shop." Looking at the menu, they also have the Tomakomai specialty Hokki Curry, so I decided to try this place. There is a food ticket machine next to the entrance of the shop. They have curry, Hokki rice, and a menu for a drink. It's hot, so I feel like having a drink, but it's still before noon, so I'll just have a meal. I purchased a food ticket for the Tomakomai specialty Hokki Curry (1000 yen). With the food ticket in hand, I entered the shop. The shop is small. The interior also has a station soba shop-like structure. There are counter seats and table seats. On the left side, there is a kitchen, and I submitted the food ticket there. They said they will call me when it's ready, so I secured a seat first. I sat at a 2-seater table and waited. I was called in about 3-4 minutes. I received the food and ate at the table. Perhaps due to the current situation, the dishes were in plastic containers. The rice and curry were served separately, with Fukujinzuke on the side. There are Hokki on top of the curry. There are several curry menu options, so the curry is probably the same for all, with toppings added later. The curry is more European-style than Indian-style. It's spicy enough and has a decent richness. The Hokki has a chewy texture and a hint of seaweed aroma. The umami is not strong, but the seaweed aroma in the curry was not bad. It was nice to be able to eat it quickly and easily. The shop seems to offer light drinks as well, making it a convenient place. Next time, I'd like to try the Zangi and beer.

Hokkaido, the final day. Started the day with a drive to the Hidaka region. Saw many racehorses on the Sarabred Road in Niikappu. Got to see the famous Gold Ship, Cosmo Bulk, and Myneal Max. Realized I hadn't eaten lunch yet. Feeling a bit hungry, I decided to stop at the "Tomakomai Iburi Curry" next to the Seven Eleven in Tomakomai station. Bought a Sapporo draft beer and a Zangi (soy sauce) from the ticket machine. Started with the Sapporo draft beer, took a big gulp! It was delicious and refreshing. After a while, the Zangi was ready. It was quite big. The crispy coating and juicy meat went well with the beer. Ended up getting full with just that and didn't get to try the Iburi curry. What a shame.

[JR Tomakomai Station Takeout Curry Rice Shop Review] A new takeout curry rice shop opened in July 2020 at JR Tomakomai Station, operated by Marui Bento, known for selling station bento and catering bento. You can also buy just the curry roux for takeout, and they fry the fried items after you order. The system involves purchasing food tickets from a ticket machine. The shop is located outside the JR Tomakomai station ticket gates, next to the convenience store. Visit on December 20, 2020, after 10 am: This time, I'm on a train journey through the cold weather of Abashiri. I have some time before catching the local train departing at 10:23 am towards Muroran. I remembered this shop from last year and decided to grab a snack here. Although I am curious about the reasonably priced curry for 500 yen, I plan to visit a soup curry and Nepalese curry place later, so I'll resist this time. I ordered a Jumbo Zangi for 180 yen. They fry it after you order, so I thought it would be kept warm, but they surprised me by frying it fresh. I was given a number tag and waited in the warm eat-in space next to it for a few minutes. Wow, it's freshly fried and hot! I couldn't resist and took a big bite. It's so delicious, with a balanced flavor of garlic, salt, sake, and soy sauce. The inside is juicy, and the crispy surface is perfect. This is so good! I'll definitely buy 2-3 more next time.

This is the site of Cafe Eki. It is a takeout-only store, but there are 10 seats for dining in. "Niku no Aoyama" took over "Marui Bento" last week and opened. You can order the karaage curry from the ticket machine. Pick it up at the counter and enjoy the two big pieces of karaage... They are delicious and piping hot! The curry may be a bit sour though. Dispose of the containers in the trash bin inside the store. The free parking lot in front of the station is rarely empty, but you can park for free for 90 minutes at the parking lot in Furen Building.

I have a little time until JR, so I want to buy a bento box related to Tomakomai and take it home. It's the only shop inside JR station except for Seven. I look at the ticket machine. All the bento boxes are sold out - hokkigai, salmon, ikura, crab, scallop, everything. Even though it's a weekday. I sigh. I search for something that won't smell bad even on the JR train. It's all curry! Tomakomai spring water pork jumbo curry bun for 350 yen. If I wrap it tightly, it shouldn't smell. Hokkai curry is famous, but I wonder about the curry itself. They prepare it quickly. It's takeout only, but there is also seating space. Two counter seats and two table seats. I still have time, so I sit down and organize my things. I'll eat it properly at home later. It's big, but is it really jumbo? It's quite full inside. There are chunks of what seem to be pork. The curry is surprisingly spicy. Kids should be careful. It's like a croquette. It's crispy and not heavy like fried bread, so it's delicious. Unlike the review photos by Mr. MyRebi, there was plenty of filling inside. Maybe it depends on when you visit. It's a mystery, but taste-wise, it's in the good category. It might be a good souvenir. This place seems to be popular for bento boxes. You should go around lunchtime. Thank you for the meal.

Tomakomai Iburi Curry, which opened on the 2nd floor of Tomakomai Station on July 20, 2020, used to be a takeout-style restaurant serving set meals. The menu mainly consists of curry with toppings such as surf clam, fried chicken, and pork cutlet, as well as seafood bento boxes like surf clam rice, scallop rice, crab chirashi, ikura, and salmon sushi. Unfortunately, I had already eaten lunch before visiting, so I purchased the "Tomakomai Natural Spring Pork Jumbo Curry Bun @350" from the ticket vending machine. The curry bun, which was crispy and fragrant, had a good texture and a mild curry flavor with a medium level of spiciness. Overall, the taste was not bad, but it was not really "full of pork" or "jumbo," making me question the accuracy of the product name. Priced at 350 yen, this curry bun from a regular bakery is considered quite expensive and does not seem worth it. Thank you for the meal.

Visited MEGA Don Quijote in Tomakomai on July 4th and got dinner for today when I was there lol Tomakomai Station and MEGA Don Quijote are connected by a passage, so you can walk to the station. The store in the passage to the station is here. Tomakomai Iburi Curry It seems to be a place where you can eat curry, but it seemed that they were only doing takeout due to the influence of the coronavirus. But I was planning to do takeout anyway, so it didn't matter. I purchased a Hokkaido Shiosaibento. I decided to have it for dinner at home~ Well, this is too little for dinner for two, so there is another review coming up lol This bento features Hokkaido-style rice and salmon tempura as the main dishes. I had the Hokkaido-style rice. I have had Tomakomai's Hokkaido-style rice several times, but this one has a really good taste! And the salmon tempura was also quite good (^^♪ Station bento boxes are usually priced accordingly, but the taste is often not that great. But I would say this one was worth the price. I enjoyed it all (^^♪ I will review another place for Hokkaido-style rice as well. It's like a taste comparison. It was a delicious bento!! Thank you for the meal♪

In May 2021, I visited a takeout-only curry and station bento shop located inside JR Tomakomai Station. Previously known as "Marui Bento," the shop has been rebranded as "Cafe Eki" through a collaboration with Tomakomai's meat seller, "Niku no Aoyama." While the previous soba menu has been removed, Tomakomai's soul food, "Hokki Curry," is still available, along with new additions like karaage curry and katsu curry. I tried the "Niku no Roll Mille-Feuille Katsu Curry" this time. I purchased a meal ticket from the ticket machine in front of the shop, and for takeout, I received my order after a short wait. The curry came in a bento container with rice and curry sauce separated, topped with five roll-shaped cutlets that resembled fried oysters. The cutlets were slices of meat rolled up and fried to create a unique shape. The curry had a standard level of spiciness and flavor, although I personally wished for a bit more sauce. The portion of rice was generous, which made the balance a bit off. If I visit again, I would like to try the karaage curry.

Visit date: Around 1:00 p.m. on March 27, 2021. After having waffles and coffee, I decided to stop by this restaurant "Tomakomai Iburi Curry." I knew about this restaurant from the internet, and I passed by it earlier when I was heading to the cafe "Hojo Hayashi" without planning to use it at that time. However, I became curious later on and decided to visit. By the way, this place used to be a different restaurant, right? Upon researching, it seems to be the former location of "Cafe Eki." I have never had Hokkaido curry other than at "Otomate-ya," and I am curious about the curry served at a restaurant directly connected to the station... but I had already eaten, including dessert. I thought about ordering a curry bread, but it was made with meat instead of Hokkaido clams. Since Hokkaido clams are a specialty of Tomakomai, I almost mistakenly ordered thinking it was made with Hokkaido clams haha. Furthermore, curry is not available in a half-size portion, and it is only available as part of a set menu, so I decided to try the "Butcher's Jumbo Fried Chicken (¥180)." About 5 minutes after handing in my meal ticket, the fried chicken was served. I will eat it in the available space! The fried chicken was quite large. As the staff mentioned, it was piping hot. The crispy texture of the spicy batter was delicious. Additionally, it was juicy with plenty of fat inside. You can't taste this kind of fried chicken at a convenience store. Although I have achieved my goal of visiting three restaurants on this day, I am almost full, but I suddenly felt the urge to sacrifice dinner and visit another restaurant. This would be the fourth restaurant, and since I have already done some research on places that serve small-sized dishes, I will now drive to that location. I would like to try this curry again if I have the chance. Thank you for the meal.

I visited a shop that is only open on weekends due to the current coronavirus situation. I arrived at 18:55 on Saturday and purchased a ticket for the famous clam curry of Tomakomai (1000 yen) with cash. The curry bento arrived in about 3 minutes since it's a takeout-only shop. However, they mentioned that you can also eat at the rest area. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.