Hokkaido Wanderlust #11: I waited for the popular ramen shop in Mori Town Ranke Town to open in the evening, but there was no sign of it opening, and they didn't answer the phone. I wanted to try ramen rice in the leading rice-producing area of Hokkaido. I headed about 100km south on Route 5 to Mori Town where a famous rice dish restaurant was closed, but I hoped this place would be open. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a hotel. Last order is 50 minutes before closing. I ordered Sapporo Classic beer, seafood explosion bowl, squid rice (takes time to prepare), and pork belly buttery grill using the touch panel. The seafood explosion bowl is a mix of tuna, salmon, octopus, pickled radish, natto, green onions, and egg, eaten with seaweed. The pork belly is a local brand pork around here, and the buttery grill goes well with beer. The freshly made squid rice was incredibly delicious. Let's have some sake! I ordered a set of three potent sakes for ¥1000, including Morimasamune from Mori Town, Nishin Goten from Asahikawa, and Kunimare from Mashike Town, all of which were wonderfully tasty. This place offers high-quality local sakes. The name is pronounced Gachapin.

A famous restaurant known for its cheap seafood bowls. Despite the appearance from the outside, the interior is very clean and spacious. Just because you are in line, it doesn't guarantee you will get a seafood bowl right away. Orders are placed through a touch panel, so the order of the line may not necessarily match the order of receiving your food. Be careful as you may get confused and lose your turn. Now, as for the seafood bowl, it's basically a complimentary dish. It's best not to have high expectations for the taste. There are plenty of other menu options available, so it's better to try those first before making a judgment.

I had lunch at a tea house called "Yachaiichi". I was thinking about why it's called that, and apparently it's because they call "ichi" as "pin". It's quite clever and has a sense of humor. The interior of the restaurant is very spacious, with jazz music playing in the background, creating a dimly lit and modern atmosphere. With seating for about 80 people, it seems like a place where customers can really focus on their meal. The seafood bowl is affordable! The Morimachi seafood bowl is a limited item priced at 1100 yen including tax. Amazing. It was sold out immediately. I ordered a bowl of tuna offcuts. Since the restaurant is close to the Fukko Bay, you can taste freshly caught fish, which is a delight. The tuna was delicious. The freshness is top-notch. I think this seafood restaurant is loved by the locals. Thank you for the meal.

Today I went to a shop called Gachapin, which is written as Gachapi. The atmosphere inside the shop is nice. It seems to also serve as an izakaya at night. I ordered a set of soba and seafood bowl. I often see sets with soba and meat dishes, but I went with the seafood bowl. Well, the taste is, um, just average I guess. The atmosphere is nice, so it might be good for the customer service.

Moricho offers a variety of dishes using local ingredients! Today, I ordered the sashimi set meal and the premium cod roe tempura rice bowl. The sashimi was fresh and came in a wide variety of types, which made it very enjoyable with the rice. The premium cod roe tempura in the rice bowl was delicious and filling! It's a substantial meal that would satisfy any man. I'm also interested in trying the Moririce next time! Check out more details here ☟ Enjoyed sashimi set meal and premium cod roe tempura rice bowl at Moricho's "Gachapin" in Moricho!

I lived in Morimachi for 3 years. I can't believe there is such a stylish restaurant in Morimachi! I imagine that maybe Mr. Musashi's son, who went to Europe for training, is running it. The presentation is very artistic. The taste is also good. It's a restaurant where I want to go and eat slowly at night. Thank you for the meal.

I would rate it 4.5 out of 5! There was an amazing seafood bowl in front of Morimachi Station!! At night, it turns into an izakaya with both counter and semi-private rooms, and there are many seats available. It's called... Gachapin!!! You can choose between white rice or vinegared rice, which is super nice. It was a 1 night, 2 day trip from Otaru to Hakodate. We chose this restaurant for lunch on the first day. It was actually one of the restaurants I had been curious about for a while. I may have exaggerated with the title (sorry if it's not okay with Tabelog), but the Morimachi seafood bowl (limited to 10 servings) we had this time was incredibly destructive. The toppings included tuna (bachi), octopus, yellowtail, mackerel, salmon, shrimp (with head), totaling 6 types as sashimi, but each had more than one piece except for the shrimp, making it luxurious. And the thickness of the toppings was incredible. Really incredible. They were all fresh and delicious, and they paired exceptionally well with the vinegared rice. Additionally, there was plenty of negitoro, salmon roe, flying fish roe, and fresh sea urchin!! (probably saltwater sea urchin). It also came with a tamagoyaki. There were 11 types in total, but the volume was just amazing. Not just the bowl, but also a salad with crisp French dressing on top. It's nice when the salad is delicious, right? The delicious miso soup had no instant taste to it. The pickles tasted like something a country grandma would make, and they were delicious. Now, about the price. It's 980 yen... tax included. Unbelievable. Usually, these "out of the ordinary" bowls tend to be too bold or lack freshness. The vinegared rice might be disappointing... But that wasn't the case with this restaurant. Even at 1,280 yen, it would still be considered cheap. Maybe even at 1,580 yen... Would I order it? It might sound exaggerated, but that's how I felt, so I'll write it that way. Besides the bowl, the salad, miso soup, and pickles were really delightful, making me even happier. I want to have lunch here whenever I go to Hakodate in the future. That's how good it was. As of March 2021, Tabelog has rated it at 3.41, but my self-rating of 4.5 might be a bit on the high side. A rating of 3.5-3.6 seems appropriate. Anyway, if you love seafood and vinegared rice bowls, please try this place when you visit Hakodate. You don't get to eat fresh octopus every day. Surprisingly, despite the amount of sashimi, the amount of rice was on the smaller side, so if you're someone who wants a hearty meal, you might want to consider ordering an extra serving of rice, even if it costs extra. Sorry for the long post. The restaurant is located in front of Morimachi Station, and there is a large parking lot behind the restaurant. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was nice, and since there were only two of us, we were guided to a semi-private room (table seating). Semi-private rooms are nice, aren't they? Normally, it's an izakaya, so there are quite a few seats, including sunken kotatsu seating, and they had solid COVID-19 measures in place. It seems like there are many regular customers. (As soon as we entered, the staff asked, "The usual?" → "Yes, the usual," and I actually heard this exchange for the first time.) I would definitely come back. I want to go again to experience the happiness of getting change from a 1,000 yen bill.

If you ever go to Morimachi, you must try the seafood bowl! I thought I wouldn't have a chance to go to Morimachi on a weekday for lunch, but suddenly I decided to go to Hakodate and included it in my plans. I imagined it would be a casual izakaya from the name, but it was a beautiful, spacious, and impressive izakaya. I wonder why it's named Gachapin?! There is a weekday lunch special limited to 10 servings: the "Morimachi Seafood Bowl" for 980 yen including tax! You can choose between vinegared rice or white rice. I'm definitely a vinegared rice person. The seafood bowl comes with miso soup, salad, and pickles. The ingredients in the seafood bowl are tuna, yellowtail, salmon, octopus, cured mackerel, scallops, sweet shrimp, negitoro, flying fish roe, and salmon roe. As a special guest, there is a single sea urchin from the sea! All of them are fresh, with quite thick slices of fish! Delicious! The sea urchin perched on top of the negitoro is very small but packed with the deliciousness of sea urchin, super tasty. And all of this for only 980 yen including tax, such a great deal! I didn't notice it, but they also have self-service coffee. If you ever have the chance to go to Morimachi, I will definitely visit again! Thank you, "Gasshaichi"!

Yachaiichi is a popular restaurant located in front of Mori Station on the JR Hakodate Main Line. The town of Mori, situated by the beautiful Hōnai Bay (officially known as Utō Bay), is famous for its "ikameshi" which has gained nationwide recognition at bento competitions. Many of my relatives are involved in scallop farming in the area, along with other seafood such as button shrimp and cod. Now, let's talk about the "Mori Rice." Served in a pottery-like dish that looks like it was baked in an oven, the butter rice is inspired by Mount Komagatake. It is accompanied by separate servings of tomato sauce and demi-glace sauce, with generous portions of scallops, shrimp, and beef. The sauces are served piping hot, which makes eating slowly and feeling full easier. While the restaurant is known for its seafood dishes, this unique rice dish is definitely worth trying.

I was planning to buy squid rice in Morimachi for my meal, but I suddenly needed to use the restroom and ended up at Gashakuichi. I felt very sorry for visiting the restaurant for this reason. I ordered the seafood bowl for 980 yen, limited to 20 servings per day. You can choose between white rice and vinegar rice, and I chose vinegar rice. Due to my stomach condition, I refrained from ordering the large size. The amount and taste of the seafood bowl that arrived were amazing! I accidentally ordered extra rice, which was 220 yen. It was a great deal - the seafood bowl for 980 yen and rice for 220 yen. When you're not feeling well, your judgment can be affected in various ways. I want to take care of my health and continue enjoying delicious food. I highly recommend this place. The photo was so beautiful that I chose Mount Komagatake.

Gacha Pin in Mori, Hokkaido - Food Log ★3.40 Limited to 10 servings, Mori Town Seafood Bowl for 980 yen (excluding tax) Mori Rice for 1000 yen (excluding tax) Mori Rice is an original dish unique to each restaurant in Mori Town. This restaurant's Mori Rice is a butter rice dish shaped like Mount Komagatake. It is served with a demi-tomato sauce that represents the mountains surrounding Mount Komagatake, and a seafood tomato sauce that represents the sea. It also includes simmered Hikoma pork and large scallops. I also tried a bit of my companion's Mori Rice, and it was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the seafood tomato sauce that represents the sea. I ordered the Mori Town Seafood Bowl. I just made it in time for the limited 10 servings around 12:15 on a weekday. It was a very luxurious and hearty seafood bowl. The fish was thick and fatty, and I was surprised that it was only 980 yen. I left feeling full and completely satisfied.

I visited the shop "Luxurious Gourmet Restaurant Gachapin" near JR Hakodate Main Line Mori Station. The interior of the shop is spacious. There are hardly any staff members welcoming customers, clearly indicating a shortage of manpower. The menu is extensive, featuring local gourmet dish "Mori Rice" among others. I ordered the Layered Cutlet Set Meal (1,000 yen) this time. It was stated on the menu that they use local SPF pork from Mori Town. The "Hikoma pork" is high-quality pork raised with the abundant water flow and affection of Mori Town, with a very fine and tender texture and no unpleasant smell, ensuring a healthy and safe meat quality. The layered cutlet was crispy and had a soft texture. Finally, I enjoyed a cup of coffee near the entrance before settling the bill.

August 25, 2019 - First visit, it's time for the final meal!! After enjoying various dishes at Hakodate, it's time for some meat for the last meal. For lunch, we went to a place called Gashaiichi. The name sounds a bit silly, so I didn't have high expectations. The restaurant was quite empty and lacked energy. After waiting for about 10 minutes, the steak arrived. It was a pretty standard steak. Not bad, but nothing special. It was well-cooked, but I felt like I could have made something better at home. However, the beer was delicious, and that made the meal enjoyable. After eating so much seafood, having some meat was a nice change. Overall, it was decent. It was a group dining place, so that might have affected the atmosphere. Despite that, the meal was tasty! Thank you for the meal!

I tried the evening menu at this restaurant! It's different from the daytime menu, with more izakaya-style dishes. The highlights were the skewered deep-fried Yagumo beef and the butter-grilled Hikoma pork, both using local specialties. The restaurant was always busy, showing its popularity. The flavors were overall refined, focusing on bringing out the natural flavors of the ingredients. The Yagumo beef skewers had a delicious beefy taste. My child enjoyed the soba noodles they ordered, which had thin noodles and a slightly sweet broth. They kept saying how delicious it was and finished it all. I'd like to visit during the daytime next time! Thank you for the meal!

I visited Morimachi on a business trip in March 2019 and first had lunch at a place called "Gachapin." It seems they had made a reservation for me as I was guided to a sunken kotatsu seating area. It will turn into an izakaya at night, so it seems like a good place for a party in this area. I had the pork loin cutlet set meal, and the crispy coating of the cutlet was delicious. The meat was very tender and the fat was sweet. The cutlet was large and satisfying to eat. The cabbage was fresh and crunchy. I'm not used to eating tonkatsu, so the last piece felt a bit heavy. I asked for less rice, but it was still too much for me, so I left half of it. I discovered the deliciousness of Hikoma pork! There are two affiliated stores in Sapporo, so I would like to visit them. Thank you for the meal!

I visited for lunch and was seated in a semi-private room. I ordered the double pork chop set meal for ¥1620 and a forest rice for ¥1080. The forest rice arrived first in a pottery-like container with Mount Komagatake in the middle, surrounded by demi-glace sauce resembling mountains and tomato sauce resembling the sea. It was a visually appealing dish. After about 5 minutes, the pork chop set meal arrived with two pieces of pork stacked on top of each other, making it quite filling. The side dishes included potatoes, eggplant, bell pepper, and pumpkin, all topped with a slightly tangy sauce. The meat was made from Hikoma pork, a local brand from Morimachi, and was tender with a nice layer of fat. The only downside was the slightly high price, but it's worth it for an occasional treat. The location is a bit hidden from the main road, giving it a cozy, secluded feel. However, it would be nice if they confirmed smoking preferences when seating guests, as the strong smell from the only smoking table nearby was quite unpleasant. Overall, it was a delicious meal.

Limited to 10 servings, Seafood Bowl for 980 yen. If you were to eat this at Hakodate Morning Market, it would probably cost over 2000 yen. It was delicious.

Located right near Mori Station, this place must have been quite bustling before the pandemic, but even now it's still quite crowded and doing its best. The menu featuring local specialties like Mount Komagatake and Funka Bay scallops is unique and delicious. Definitely worth a try!

It takes quite a long time for the ordered items to be brought to the table. The place is somewhat crowded, so it's understandable that the food takes a while to come out, but the drinks also take a long time to arrive, which is frustrating. I wonder if the staff is not sufficient for the size of the restaurant? They have a good variety of local sake, and if the service time could be improved a bit, it would be a top choice for me. I apologize for not providing feedback on the taste of the dishes!