The lunch menu only had pork bowl. Perhaps because of that, it was set at a cheaper price of 900 yen compared to the reviews. The pork bowl was in a small bowl size, and it came with miso soup. I wanted to take a photo because it was different from the reviews, but I was intimidated by the atmosphere created by the chef. As for the taste, the meat was decent and the sauce had a flavor that I liked.

This is the ninth installment of the series where I explore even more local eateries. Today, I visited Higashimokoto, along Route 334. The restaurant was empty when I arrived, and I sat at the counter. The menu displayed on the wall showed that the ramen was priced at 900 yen. The ramen arrived in 10 minutes, and I found the noodles to be homemade, resembling udon. The soup was light, with unremarkable toppings. The chashu had a good texture but tasted strongly of alcohol. Overall, I felt that the price of 900 yen was too high for what was offered. I won't be returning to this expensive restaurant.

Located in the relatively central part of Higashimokoto, this restaurant has a traditional Japanese style and a neat appearance, leaving a good impression. Despite hearing that it was a bit pricey from other reviews, I decided to give it a try since I had come all the way to Higashimokoto and wanted to try everything. The restaurant is run by a friendly old man with white hair, who chats enthusiastically while smoking a cigarette behind the counter. Some people may not like this, but I found the conversation engaging. As for the food, it is close to top-notch quality. The pork bowl (regular size with a decent portion) costs 1400 yen. The Ichibo steak bowl is priced at 3900 yen, which may seem high, but considering the chef used to work at a famous hotel and the delicious taste of the meat, it is worth it. The meat is sourced from a renowned shop in Bihoro, using black pork from Makubetsu. The soy and kajika fish head soup that comes with the meal is also delicious. I believe it is worth stopping by when passing by the area. However, it is unfortunate that they are closed on Sundays, a day when many tourists visit!

I discovered a super high-class pork bowl restaurant! ~ Goshokuji Inakaya Restaurant in Hokkaido, a well-established tourist spot in late spring, the Shibazakura Park in Higashimokoto. The pink Shibazakura spread as far as the eye can see, like a large Persian carpet, is beautiful. I wonder if it will entertain us with such a landscape next year as well. As I was driving along Route 334, which runs through the town of Higashimokoto, it was just lunchtime. Invited by the signboard of "pork bowl," I visited Inakaya. "Welcome." The owner greeted me. I sat at the counter seat and looked at the menu, and I was a little surprised! The prices for the pork bowl were... Small pork bowl - ¥1200. Regular pork bowl - ¥1600. Large pork bowl - ¥2000. Oh, quite a good price. They use black pork from Makubetsu-cho, Tokachi, Hokkaido, and they have absolute confidence in the taste. However, with my allowance, it's a bit tough. But since I came all the way here... So, I asked the owner, "Is the small size quite small?" Then, he said, "No, it's not like that." So, I decided to go for the "small size"＾＾; And the pork bowl that was served is here. You can't tell the size from the photo, but it's a half-size volume like the common set of soba and pork bowl or ramen and pork bowl. Hmm, it seems like it might not be enough for my stomach after all. This comes with dried young yellowtail soup and pickles for ¥1200. Hmm, I should have just paid an extra ¥400 and gone for the regular size＾＾; The owner smoking a cigarette across the counter, puffing it deliciously. "Where are you from?" "I'm confident in my meat," the friendly owner said, laughing, "Aha ha ha~". In addition to the pork bowl, there are also curry and pork chops made with the same black pork from Makubetsu. "We recently made a website, so take a look at it," said the smiling owner. The website for Inakaya can be found here: http://butadon-inakaya.com/ Goshokuji Inakaya Restaurant Hokkaido, Abashiri-gun, Oozora-cho, Higashimokoto 318-5 152-63-5575 Business hours: 11:00-15:00, 17:00-20:00 Irregular holidays

The map was off but seems to have been corrected. I didn't know how to fix it myself, so I had to ask someone else, sorry about that. Thank you! I knew the prices were high, so I was prepared for that. The pork bowl is 1200-2000 yen, the pork cutlet is 2000 yen, the curry is 1400 yen, and the sirloin steak (beef) is 4000 yen. The prices are like prime real estate in Tokyo (laughs). There seems to be a reason for it, as they source their meat from a famous store called Niku no Tamura in Bihoro and use carefully selected black pork from Makubetsu-cho. The pork bowl (regular) for 1600 yen is not overcooked, has a sweet sauce, and the meat is tender with a nice sweetness from the meat and fat. The pork cutlet for 2000 yen, while the meat itself is said to be very good, it's more like average. The sauce, however, is delicious, said to be special, and has a rich texture and flavor that can make you think you're tasting vegetables or fruit. Both dishes come with a miso soup with tofu that also has a strong flavor. It seems like a lot of money is spent on these dishes, and I don't understand why they are priced so high in such a rural area that is not even a super famous tourist spot. But if you think of it as eating at a high-end restaurant, the pork bowl is definitely worth it. Well, a certain famous restaurant in Obihiro is also quite expensive. Maybe the value for money here is better. It seems like a waste to feed this to children, so it might be more suitable for a couple's trip?

The menu now only has pork bowl.