Gourmet

Rishiri Island has two main port towns, Oshidomari and Kutsugata. But, let's be real, they're small towns, so you won't find a ton of dining options. While strolling through Kutsugata at night, I stumbled upon Rishiri Pizza by GOLLEY'S and really liked its vibe. My wife and I agreed that hotel dinners can get boring, and since there were a few interesting-looking places around, we decided to check it out.

I've enjoyed Rishiri Island's sea urchin in various forms like uni-don (sea urchin rice bowl) and uni sashimi. But then I found a place where I could actually peel sea urchin myself and eat it right on the spot! So, I quickly booked the experience and headed out. The location was Kamui Coast.

We were staying at the same hotel for four nights, and they offered to change the dinner menu for three of those nights. But since there seemed to be quite a few delicious-looking restaurants around Kutsugata, I decided to change our hotel dinner to just two nights and explore the town for the rest.

While on Rishiri Island, we were talking about how we really wanted to try Rishiri Ramen, which uses the delicious umami of Rishiri kelp. One evening, while strolling from Hotel Rishiri, where we were staying, to Secoma for some shopping, we stumbled upon a place called Ramen Miraku. Since it was close to the hotel, we decided to give it a try.

A large LCD TV at Rishiri Airport's small baggage claim area showed information about a "festival." What caught my eye the most was the "Uni Uni Festival" happening on August 11th during my stay. I looked it up and found there'd be a sea urchin eating contest, and at the food stalls, you could feast on "grilled uni" and "mini uni rice bowls." Besides uni, there'd be a lineup of fresh seafood unique to Rishiri... This sounded absolutely amazing, didn't it...?

When you hit Rishiri Island, it's all about uni-don, right? So, I grabbed a rental car from the airport and drove straight to a portside spot serving sea urchin bowls. What I saw there... Honestly, I had to blink a few times at the price tag! A few others were also pondering the sign with similar hesitation.

On the way back from Atera Valley, I had a little time during my transfer at Nakatsugawa Station, so I was looking at Google Maps for a light lunch. I found a restaurant called Goheimochi Kiraku near the station (there aren't many other options close to the station...). I was drawn to it because it had very high ratings and offered a Goheimochi set meal, so I decided to check it out.

My stroll to Naegi Castle Ruins turned into a mini-hike, leaving me pretty exhausted. So after returning the rental car and before catching my train, I was looking for a place to chill out a bit, and that's when I stumbled upon holidaypark ROASTWORKS.

There was a huge supermarket right across from my accommodation during my business trip to Finland, so I popped in right away! I feel like overseas supermarkets offer a glimpse into a country's food and culture, and personally, I see them as a kind of entertainment spot.

It's already been three years since I moved to Hamamatsu. I've mostly been cooking at home, but since I don't always have time, I tend to go for simple, fuss-free cooking or grab some easy-to-eat fruits. And when I shop, I try to pick local produce whenever possible, and I've really started to feel like Hamamatsu has a ton of delicious ingredients.