Japan > Hokkaido region > Eating in Kushiro

	Eating in Kushiro City Hokkaido ( Achi-Kochi Japan )

Kushiro City, Hokkaido Kushiro city is located in the east of Hokkaido. On the way to and/or from Kushiro Shitsugen, Shiretoko and/or Akan-Ko, tourists coud stay in the center of Kushiro City, where my favorite eating places are located. Kushiro port has been and is significant for commercial fishing since the early 20th century. So there are many places recommendable to eat seafoods, but also there are some more.

Washo Ichiba Market The most recommendable place to eat seafoods in Kushiro City is Washo Ichiba Market, which is the oldest market and is one of the top markets in Hokkaido. In the market, there are many shops including tens of fishmongers selling fresh and dried seafoods as above. Tourists, staying in hotels, might say that it is not easy to buy and eat a whole fish. However, in Washo Ichiba Market, tourists could eat various kinds of fresh seafoods easily as below.

1) Buying a bowl of rice First, in the Washo Ichiba Market, tourists could find some shops selling bowls of white rice or vinegared rice. Let's buy a bowl of rice, big or small as you like ( see above ).

2) Choosing the ingredients Second, it is time to find a shop selling your favorite seafoods as ingredients on top of your bowl of rice. The ingredients are sold in slices or in a small quantity as above. Let's choose your favorite ingredients. Shop staffs put them onto your bowl of rice. There could be fatty tuna, sea urchin, sweet shrimp, crab, scallop, squid, salmon roe, hokki, mussel, trout, free, button shrimp, horse mackerel, red snapper, greater amberjack and so on. Depending on the season, there is a variation in their seafoods.

3) Eat Katte-Don Upon payment, you receive your own Katte-Don with chopsticks and soy sauce as above. "Katte-Don" in Japanese means a bowl of rice with toppings chosen at your discretion. Let's move to one of the tables prepared in Washo Ichiba Market. It is time to eat your own Katte-Don. There are some shops selling beer and/or wine in the market. Katte-Don with beer or wine would be so nice. The market opens at 8:00 am and is closed at 6:00 pm ( 4:00 pm on Sunday in December ). So Katte-Don would be nice for your breakfast and/or lunch.

Robata-Yaki BBQ Aournd 6:00 pm, I entered the restaurant named "Robata" for dinner and found an elderly woman ( above ), who was the protagonist with customers sitting around her. She had looked after all the Robata-Yaki BBQ in the restaurant "Robata" for longer than half a century. Robata-Yaki is a Japanese style BBQ cooked on a grill in front of customers. It is said that Kushiro City is one of the origins of Robata-Yaki in Japan. Kushiro is famous especially for seafood Robata-Yaki. In Kushiro City, there are some restaurants where customers cook on a grill by themselves, while in the others staff do for customers skillfully.

Grilled Seafoods Needless to say, I ate various grilled seafoods and vegetables in the restaurant "Robata" while appreciating the elderly woman's skill. Shishitou ( Sweet Pepper ), Karei ( Flounder ), Shishamo ( Shishamo Smelt ), Sake ( Salmon ), Asparagus, Hokke ( Atka Mackerel ), Shiitake Mushroom and Hokki ( Sakhalin Surf Clam - above). Please note that some seafoods are limited by season. The restaurant "Robata" is open through 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm. Closed on Sunday except end of April - beginning of May and August - mid October.

Zangi Also Kushiro city is famous for Zangi ( above ), which looks like Karaage ( fried chicken ). However, it is said in the city that Zangi is to be distinguished from Karaage. They say that as for Zangi, not flour but katakuriko ( starch ) is used in the batter for the coating as well as Zangi has stronger ginger flavor. Whatsoever Zangi is one of local specialty dishes and is so nice especially with beer. They say that Zangi originated in the restaurant named "Torimatsu" where the above photo was taken. Torimatsu offers various kinds of chicken dishes. The restaurant is open through 5:00 pm - midnight, closed on Sunday. Credit Card NOT accepted.

Kushiro Ramen To call it a night, many people need Kushiro Ramen, one of local specialty noodles in Japan. Basically Kushiro Ramen is thin and wrinkled noodles in dried bonito based broth flavored with soy sauce ( above ), while there are some variations recently. The above photo was taken in Ramen restaurant named "Takahashi" which is located near the restaurant "robata" and the restaurant "Torimatsu". "Takahashi", establised in A.D. 1962, is open through 6:00 pm - 01:00 am, closed on Monday.