"In July 2023, revisiting" At the dining facility located at "Michi no Eki Utanai-ko" by Lake Utanai in Tomakomai City. I have introduced it once before, but due to the renewal of the Michi no Eki from last year to this year, it has somehow transformed into a curry specialty shop. Although curry was also served before, it was more of a soba restaurant, but now it has shifted to focus solely on curry menu. During the renewal, a soba restaurant called "Ippu" opened in the external shop, so perhaps it was a consideration for that? Interestingly, only the noodle dish "Chuka Soba" remains on the menu. There are 9 curry menu items, and what's interesting is that the normal "curry" is not on the menu, only toppings. Starting from the cheapest "Fish Fry Curry" at 700 yen, to the most expensive "Chicken Spice Curry" and "Hamburger Curry" at 1000 yen, this time I tried the 900 yen "Sausage Curry". First impression, the plate is big! The curry is served on a large round plate. The sausages are quite long, with 4 of them and a decent volume, along with a fair amount of rice. However, since it is served on a flat plate, it's a bit difficult to eat as a curry. There seems to be something sprinkled on top of the rice, but even after trying just that part, I honestly couldn't figure out what it was. Considering that the "Fish Fry Curry" is 700 yen, the normal curry might be worth around 500 yen, so adding 400 yen for 4 sausages seems reasonable. The price is similar to Cocoichi's "Sausage Curry," but the volume of sausages here is better, so in terms of cost performance, it doesn't seem bad. Honestly, as the main facility of the restaurant inside the building, it may seem a bit weak, but it's not bad for the price. ============================== ◇ Sausage Curry 900 yen

Today's lunch ramen! "Shoyu ramen with mini chicken tempura rice bowl set @ Lapo Lapora Shokudo, Michi no Eki Utonai Lake." Simple soy sauce broth with chicken chashu, menma, chopped green onions, seaweed, and firm medium-thin noodles. Surprisingly delicious! The tempura on the rice bowl was crispy and the rice was cooked perfectly. This place at the Michi no Eki is doing a great job. Enjoyed it very much! Also, saw a friendly swan by Utonai Lake right behind the restaurant.

At the vending machine, I purchased a food ticket and ordered the famous Hokkai seafood curry. The curry is poured over rice shaped like Hokkaido, with a curry sea surrounding it, creating the Hokkai seafood curry. It is filled with Hokkai clams, scallops, squid, shrimp, and more. It's recommended for those who want to enjoy the taste of Hokkaido and reminisce about the northern land. This was a food review from a stop during a Hokkaido location shoot.

Miso curry ramen. Is miso tanmen just miso soup with curry powder dissolved in it? The pork belly is too overpowering. I prefer traditional chashu. Oh, maybe it's pork belly because it's tanmen. Well, can't be helped. I've heard that the soba noodles are pretty good, so I'll try those next time.

In July 2020, I visited a restaurant at a roadside station by Lake Utonai in Tomakomai City. The menu is not extensive, offering basic items like soba, ramen, and curry. The soba, in particular, seemed to be made with care, using Hokkaido buckwheat flour in a 2:8 ratio. I tried the "duck soba" priced at 950 yen, and to be honest, I didn't have high expectations. Normally, for an additional 200 yen on top of the 750 yen for "soba", you might expect just a small amount of duck broth with a token amount of duck meat, maybe even just duck skin. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a substantial amount of duck meat in the broth, which exceeded my expectations. The soba itself was also good, although the 750 yen for the plain soba may seem a bit high, it's within the acceptable range considering it's a tourist spot. This makes me curious about another local specialty, the "duck ramen". Although not many places offer it, I would like to try it next time. The ordering system is through food tickets, where you order at the same time as purchasing the ticket, and the kitchen prepares the order while you wait for a seat, with your number being called when the food is ready. This restaurant, "Raporapo-ra Shokudo", is operated by "Northern Horse Park", and you can find the menu on the official website of "Northern Horse Park" in a PDF file.

There is a quality that doesn't seem like it belongs at a roadside station. The restaurant here offers hand-made soba noodles, which were started under the close supervision of the president of Northern Horse Park. It's definitely worth a try. The soba noodles are made with a 20:80 ratio of Hokkaido flour and have a smooth texture with a firm chewiness. The noodles are well-drained and have a high level of completion. The flavor is not too strong, but still satisfactory. However, the broth somehow feels cheap. The bonito and kelp broth is mild and slightly sweet, serving as a subtle accompaniment to the soba noodles, but it lacks balance with the well-made noodles. Considering the slightly higher price, it would be more interesting if there was a stronger flavor profile.

I couldn't find any new soba, so I'll go for curry! The curry and rice are delicious. It's just a bit sweet - I wanted it spicier. It's a roadside station, so I guess it can't be helped? The observation deck that was built this spring... the view is nice, but it doesn't look like Hokkaido's shape... Hoki Seafood Curry for 1000 yen. Thank you for the meal!

I think it's nice to be able to have a meal while looking at Lake Utonai and wild birds! The rice shaped like Hokkaido is also good! However, there was not enough curry roux for the rice, and the taste was not authentic, more like the curry you often make at home. In other words, it was just delicious (laughs). Oh, the depth of the spoon makes it hard to eat (laughs).

In Utanai Lake Road Station in Tomakomai City, there is a restaurant called "Laporapora Shokudo". By the way, "Laporapora" is an Ainu word. When translated into Japanese, it means "flapping". Utanai Lake is a natural lake (marsh) where many migratory birds come, designated as a national bird and animal protection area and registered under the Ramsar Convention. The seafood curry was delicious with Hokkai shellfish, scallops, shrimp, clams, and squid. The rice is shaped like Hokkaido, similar to the shape of Utanai Lake. The curry is a specialty of Tomakomai, with Hokkai shellfish as a standard ingredient. If you visit Utanai Lake Road Station, be sure to try it!

This is a restaurant at a roadside station near Lake Utonai. Tomakomai is known for its northern surf clams, so they highly recommend the surf clam dishes. Their signature dish is the Hokkaido-shaped surf clam seafood curry. It's a fun way to experience the Hokkaido atmosphere. It's on the sweeter side, so I think even children would enjoy it. Thank you for the meal!

I drove from Asahikawa to Tomakomai and took a restroom break at the Utonai Lake roadside station. While exploring, I found many interesting things, but I didn't have time as I was on a work trip. I visited the restaurant "Rapo Rapora" inside the facility, which had dishes using local ingredients like surf clam, and they also sold Chinese steamed buns by "Imuraya." I had the "Genghis Khan Yakisoba Pan" for 300 yen and took it back home as I had already eaten lunch elsewhere. The pan had yakisoba with a Genghis Khan flavor sandwiched inside, which was quite unique. It was mildly flavored, making it easy to eat, and it had meat in it, probably lamb, but it was hard to tell in a small amount. The pan itself was soft and fluffy. While tourists might enjoy it, as a local, it didn't really stand out to me. I would like to stop by again next time and take my time to explore more. Thank you for the meal.

In October of Heisei 30, I visited a new soba restaurant. The Northern Horse Park, which is in charge of this dining facility, is known for their hand-made soba, and this time I tried their "mori soba." The soba had a perfect firmness with just the right amount of elasticity and chewiness, giving it a smooth and satisfying texture. The noodles were cold and had a beautiful angular shape, bringing out the unique flavor of the new soba. The broth was made with a thick bonito stock, providing a rich and slightly sweet taste. Overall, I found this soba to be of high quality compared to other soba restaurants at roadside stations.

At the roadside station overlooking Lake Utonai, you can purchase meal tickets at the ticket machine, which also places your order at the same time. For first-time visitors, it may be confusing, so they may go back to the machine with their ticket before ordering. The "Chilled Maiko Udon" for 580 yen comes with plenty of Maiko tempura on top, clear dashi broth, and generously topped with green onions. The grated daikon radish also complements the dish well. If there are other items on the menu, I would definitely want to try this excellent dish again.

Maitake tempura udon with tempura on top is my favorite and it was delicious in Tomakomai City, Utounai Lake. What language is "Rapo Rapora"? Nevertheless, I have come to realize that I love maitake tempura. In dishes like this, the surface is crispy while the bottom is moist from being soaked in the broth. Enjoying the balance of both textures and savoring it by dipping it in the broth is the real pleasure.

I had tempura mushrooms placed on top of udon noodles, and I thought it was very delicious. However, taste is subjective, and not everyone will feel the same way. The noodles were not the chewy type typically found in Hokkaido, but rather had a nostalgic texture. I couldn't help but wonder if the noodles would be a good match for a different dish like nabe yaki udon. I have never tried nabe yaki udon with Sanuki udon noodles, so I can't say for sure.

11:03 Ordered and seated. "Order placed at the kitchen. Calling number 001." Not sure if it's the first of the day or the best, but it feels like the start of something with the number "001." 11:08 Served. Arrived at my table in just 5 minutes. The speed is impressive. The generous portion of mushroom tempura udon alone is worth the 580 yen. Thinly sliced green onions, a favorite of mine, add a crunchy texture. The soft and chewy noodles, reminiscent of the old days, also complement the mushroom tempura.

Snack break. Visited with family. Some thoughts: - Located inside the Michi-no-Eki at Lake Utonai. - Uses a ticket system for ordering. - Ordered an anman (steamed bun with sweet red bean filling). - It's the classic Imuraya anman. - The filling inside was hot. - Be careful not to burn yourself. - It had a nostalgic taste and was very delicious.

Yeah, it's really Genghis Khan yakisoba! Quite filling.