It's been a while since I visited Kushiro at night, I briefly had a drink on the north side of the station and then headed towards Suehiro area. I checked out a soba restaurant called "Sobadokoro Hoshino," which I had never been to before. When I arrived, I found out that the restaurant opens from 9 pm, which is why I had never been able to visit before. Inside the restaurant, a few regular customers were enjoying drinks at the counter, chatting with the owner about golf as the off-season approaches. I remembered a conversation at a sushi restaurant I had visited before, where the owner said they don't serve lunch because they can't go golfing. The staff greeted me with "Welcome" and led me to a seat at the corner of the counter. I quickly received a wet towel and a menu. Since it was a night restaurant, the prices were a bit high, especially for alcohol and side dishes. I ordered the "Mori Soba @ 700 yen." It was served in 7 minutes, with soba, a small cup of dipping sauce, and a plate of condiments. The soba had a firm texture with a slight green color from chlorella, and it had a smooth and refreshing taste. The dipping sauce was slightly sweet but had a strong bonito flavor, which was delicious. The atmosphere in the restaurant gradually became livelier as the customers were getting ready to move to the next place, but someone jokingly reminded me that since it's a soba restaurant, I should have soba last. I paid the bill, and the staff apologized for the noise, but it didn't bother me at all. I hope to try their hot soba next time. Thank you for the meal. *Smoking is allowed throughout the restaurant.

At the end of our izakaya drinking session, I tried the chilled inaniwa udon while my companion had the mori soba. The firm and cold soba noodles were refreshing and perfect for a tipsy throat. Since they were open late, it was the perfect way to end our night of drinking.

Visit date: June 4, 2020 For dinner on this day, my companion and I revisited Hoshino Soba. We arrived around 20:15 and there were no other customers before or after us. Upon entering, we were asked to sanitize our hands. We ordered: - Kashiwa soba with seeds: 950 yen - Tempura curry with shrimp: 1200 yen The dishes were served in about 8 minutes. I ordered the kashiwa soba with seeds again because I had enjoyed it before. The flavor of the kashiwa broth was really delicious. The soba noodles were thin and slightly green, paired with a slightly sweet sauce and a crunchy texture. It was delicious. The tempura curry with shrimp also had a rich kashiwa broth. The tempura shrimp was substantial and made a popping sound when it was served. The batter was crispy, not too thick or thin, and very tasty. It seems that the opening hours have changed, and they now open from 21:00. However, they kindly welcomed us in. It was a slightly cold night, but the warm soba and friendly service made us feel warm and cozy. I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the meal.

Visit date: April 11, 2019 On this day, my companion and I visited Sobadokoro Hoshino, a newly opened soba restaurant that we had seen in passing before in this area. We arrived around 9:00 PM and there were no previous customers. The restaurant was run by a female staff member. We took seats at the counter near the entrance. The restaurant was surprisingly spacious, with a counter in the front and a raised seating area in the back. After some conversation with the staff, we carefully considered the menu and ordered: - Kashiwa Soba (soba noodles with chicken) for 950 yen - Small Shrimp Tempura with Mekabu (a type of seaweed) for 950 yen By the time we finished ordering, two more male customers arrived, and the restaurant was now being run by three staff members. Other customers started to trickle in as well. The Kashiwa Soba had a generous amount of chicken, and the broth was delicious with a strong chicken flavor. The soba noodles had a slight green hue, although lighter compared to the Edo-style soba. The noodles were thin and lacked chewiness. The Small Shrimp Tempura with Mekabu was ordered by my companion. The tempura had three shrimp pieces and provided a satisfying crunch. The Mekabu paired well with the broth and was delicious, much to my companion's surprise. As our household tends to turn into "soba refugees" late at night, we were delighted to have discovered another good soba restaurant. The meal was delicious, thank you for the hospitality.

Visited for a closing meal. Ordered the kashiwa-mame-komi. The chicken had a firm texture and was delicious. Well-packed.

Delicious! The slightly stronger soba broth is delicious! Topped with egg and tempura on egg soba.