Restaurants in Dō Hoku (Northern Hokkaidō)
- Sort by:
- Popular
-
Aji-no-Ichiba
Rishiri-tō is a great place for fresh seafood of all kinds, but uni (sea urchin) is mouthwatering. People have been known to travel all the way from Tokyo simply to eat it here. The stall Aji-no-Ichiba serves seafood straight from the local fishing boats to your mouth, sometimes with no cooking in between. Look for a small, nondescript building next to a warehouse with an uni tank and Coca-Cola vending machine; exit to the right from the Oshidomari ferry terminal.
reviewed
-
Minshuku Shiretoko
Has great views of the water and the presiding Rishiri-zan beyond. The owner is a fisherman and prides himself on hand-catching the evening's meal. To get here just get off the bus at the Shiretoko stop.
reviewed
-
Tenkin
One of the oldest izakaya in town, Tenkin is a box-shaped hall with wood trim that is marked by large golden characters. The menu is broad, but the recurring themes are winter warmers such as nabe (stew cooked in a cast-iron pot) as well as all manner of seafood – check out the tanks near the entrance to see what's fresh.
reviewed
-
Takechan
This is a famous Wakkanai restaurant where you can sample tako-shabu (¥1575), an octopus variant of traditional shabu-shabu. Steady your chopsticks, and then slowly dip slices of tentacle into steaming broth. For the squeamish, there is safety in sōyakurōshi, a strip steak carved from Japan's northernmost free-range cows. Exit JR Wakkanai Station, walk straight through the first light and then turn right at the next corner. Walk for two more blocks and you'll see a white wooden building with black trim on your left-hand side.
reviewed
-
Saroma-ko To Barō-mura
Come here for the freshest seafood prepared with care by a chef who's not afraid to close the restaurant if the shellfish doesn't meet his finicky standards. Try the hotate-no-sashimi (scallop sashimi; ¥900) or the kaki-no-sakemushi (oysters steamed in sake; ¥1100). Prices vary depending on the quality and the season. The restaurant is easily found by looking for the string of traditional Japanese lanterns.
reviewed
-
Narazushi
One block southwest of Takechan you will find this sushi spot, which is easily identified by the giant shrimp stamped on the exterior curtain. From the picture menu, you can choose between a variety of house specialities, each featuring various combinations of coldwater fish, crustaceans and echinoderms (think: sea urchins) brought from Japan's northern seas.
reviewed
-
Kunen-kōbō Yamadori
Furano is famous for its curries, a potent winter warmer that heats from within. But rather than serving it simply over rice, Yamadori tops off the dish with a fresh omelette and a sliced sausage in a local concoction known as omu-karē (¥1000). You'll find this neat little treat in a cutesy-cool pink farm house with white trim, just around the northwest corner of the Natulux Hotel.
reviewed
-
Chīzu Rāmen-no-mise Karin
As you've no doubt figured out by now, Furano is also famous for its cheese. While you can be a traditionalist and eat it by the slice, we prefer ours shredded over a bowl of rāmen. This excessively high-calorie indulgence can be found in a fairly nondescript brown-and-white building (look for the red curtain) three blocks east and one block north of the public library. There is no English menu, but just say 'cheezu rāmen' and you're golden.
reviewed
