I arrived in Matsumae after a long time and had a dinner party at "Koharu" located very close to Matsumae Castle. This restaurant offers a variety of local dishes, so I had high expectations. Today, I tried the ¥5000 course with all-you-can-drink option. When I arrived at the second floor, the dishes were already prepared. There were Genghis Khan hot pot, squid sashimi, and seaweed soup, all looking delicious. I started with the squid sashimi, which I personally love for its transparent appearance. Many say that squid tastes better when it turns slightly white, but the crunchy texture of fresh squid sashimi is a must-try. Next was the Genghis Khan hot pot sizzling on a ceramic plate. The local Genghis Khan sauce was new to me, but it was delicious. After trying various dishes, I ended with the seaweed soup, which is one of my favorites. Matsumae-grown seaweed is a rare and precious ingredient known as the "phantom seaweed" due to its low harvest volume. It has a strong aroma, and some may not like it, but it's undeniably delicious compared to other seaweeds. It was a parade of local cuisine. Thank you for the feast.

I entered a seemingly empty restaurant in bustling Matsumae during the cherry blossom festival. I ordered seafood yakisoba for 800 yen. It was average at best, with decent-sized shrimp and a seafood mix topping the yakisoba noodles. There was no sizzling sound from a frying pan, so I suspect they boiled the noodles and then poured warm sauce over them. I also ordered squid sashimi for 700 yen, but it was disappointing with partially thawed frozen squid that had a rubbery texture. It was like eating supermarket squid.

I enjoyed a casual izakaya in Matsumae. I had a platter of sashimi, cheese spring rolls, deep-fried pork cartilage, gyoza, grilled beef tongue, horse sashimi, tuna cutlet, assorted pickles, morokyu (cucumber with miso), and salted cabbage.

2016/5 Revisited the well-known "Matsumae Town Cherry Blossom Festival". Besides enjoying the cherry blossoms, we couldn't help but stop by the restaurant "Koharu" to enjoy mountain vegetables. We tried the unique mountain vegetable of Hokkaido called "Sundoke," also known as "Shidoke" or "Sudoke." The owner referred to it as "Sundoke." We ended up ordering seconds. We were served "Hormone Miso Stew" and "Matsumae Tuna" sashimi as appetizers. The dishes we ordered were "Matsumae Tuna" sashimi and simmered "Matsumae Spear Squid." Both were delicious. The Matsumae Tuna was light and refreshing, while the Matsumae Spear Squid was sweet due to the roe. Then came a wave of service from the owner: "Kojaku" mountain vegetable, "Ainu Negi" soy sauce, tempura of "Udo," boiled "natural trefoil with Matsumae seaweed," "Matsumae Tuna Cutlet," sea urchin, miso soup with "Matsumae Nori Dandan" and seaweed. The "Matsumae Nori Dandan" made with elusive Matsumae seaweed had a subtle sea aroma that paired perfectly with the rice. We were pleasantly surprised with the complimentary "Matsumae Tuna Cutlet" from a tourist's reservation. Two beers and 8 glasses of cold sake later, we were shocked by the surprisingly affordable bill for two people. I had to ask the owner, "Are you sure this is correct?" This is why we will want to come back next spring. Looking forward to enjoying the delicious mountain vegetables, seafood, and seaweed dishes in Matsumae next spring. 2015/9 Revisited the restaurant after last year's Cherry Blossom Festival visit. Last year, during our spring visit, we were served plenty of local mountain vegetables like "Kojaku" and "Ainu Negi." They also served local fish (Ezo Mebaru and Gaya) Karaage, which we enjoyed so much that we came back for a second visit. This year happened to be the last day of the "Matsumae Tuna Festival." For appetizers, we were served "Sohachi Karei" Karaage and Kinpira Lotus Root, both with a homely taste. The "Matsumae Tuna Sashimi" included lean meat and fatty tuna. The tuna was small-sized, so it was relatively light. The "Awabi Odorikui" featured locally caught small Ezo abalone. It may seem cruel as they were alive, but abalone tastes better when cooked. We were treated to "Nikujaga," "Tuna Collar," and "Tuna Cutlet" as complimentary dishes. The perfectly cooked "Tuna Cutlet" was exceptional. Matsumae was our second visit, and during cherry blossom season, it gets extremely crowded. However, the spring flavors are irresistible. We still want to revisit during cherry blossom season to savor the flavors of Matsumae. Matsumae, the only castle town in Hokkaido, is a town of historical charm, and we hope this izakaya continues to thrive in this historic town.