Amazing performance! Especially the premium raw lamb is a must-try!! Why did we eat near Lake Shikotsu? We arrived at a hotel near Lake Shikotsu in the early afternoon. There are various shops by the lakeside, but none seemed appealing at first glance. However, since we were traveling by car and couldn't drink alcohol, we decided to look around and find somewhere to eat. In the end, my wife was drawn to the word "horumon" (offal), and we ended up at Showa Bussan. The premium raw lamb at Showa Bussan was amazing! We had horumon for 500 yen, premium raw lamb for 1,200 yen, and two draft beers for 500 yen each. We also added more premium raw lamb and two medium-sized Hime masu (a type of fish). We had more beer as well! I think the total bill was less than 5,000 yen for both of us. The premium raw lamb was just fantastic! It had no gamey taste and was incredibly tender. We asked the staff why, and although we may have understood the reason, we left the restaurant happily tipsy on a hot day. This raw lamb was unexpectedly impressive. It should not have scored over 3.5 in this type of restaurant, but it was a statistical outlier! Everything else we tried was delicious too, and the staff were all smiling, making it a very pleasant experience!

"Showa Bussan" On this day, I drove along Lake Shikotsu Line for the first time in a while to head to Noboribetsu Onsen. When I was younger, I used to tackle the mountain passes vigorously almost every week, but as I've gotten older, I find it more enjoyable to leisurely drive while admiring the autumn leaves. Lake Shikotsu is famous for its "Chip," which refers to the Himemasu (princess salmon) that inhabit the lake. This freshwater fish in the salmon family has pink flesh that tastes delicious whether eaten raw or grilled. While strolling along the lakeside, I stumbled upon a shop grilling Chip in front of their store! Although I had decided to have seafood at a restaurant in Tomakomai's fishing port for lunch, I couldn't resist buying one Chip as a snack... The grilled Himemasu is priced at 800 yen for large, 700 yen for medium, and 600 yen for small, so I chose the largest one and enjoyed it on a bench outside. The flesh, grilled slowly over charcoal, was moist and tender on the inside, with a crispy texture on the outside. Although it's not a very fatty fish, it had no fishy smell at all, and the saltiness was just right, making it delicious. I felt like having a beer, but I had to resist since I was the driver until we reached Noboribetsu. It was a bit chilly, but it was nice to be able to relax while gazing at the lakeside. I think I'll visit again during warmer weather next time. Thank you for the delicious meal!

There is a shop on the left-hand side just down the main road from the tourist parking lot at Lake Shikotsu. It seems to be a popular ramen shop, as there is usually a long line, but this time I tried the pottery shop next to it. The main product they were grilling is the local specialty "Hime Masu" from Lake Shikotsu. The masu trout is small in size, but the flesh is firm. When I took a bite from the back, it had a solid texture like salmon, yet the flesh was tender.

The pork bowl was excellent! It was very delicious after canoeing in the rain.

It was a ramen with a gentle flavor using fish sauce.

I visited a ramen restaurant in the Lake Shikotsu Onsen shopping street in February 2018. Although it opened in July 2015 according to Tabelog, I only noticed its existence in January this year. The location is on the north side of the shopping street, where the roads of Tsuruga Resort and Nakago intersect. The main menu consists of "Old-fashioned Shoyu Ramen" made with char fish sauce, "Special Sapporo Miso Ramen", and "Pork Bowl", with occasional side dishes such as grilled items. Unfortunately, my visit on a weekday at around 4 pm did not turn out well. The noodles were too soft, possibly overcooked, and the soup lacked richness, tasting more watery than flavorful. The price of 850 yen did not seem worth it even considering the touristy location. The chaotic atmosphere inside the restaurant, along with the questionable behavior of the kitchen staff towards the female server, added to the disappointing experience. While other reviews may be more positive, I had to give this review based on my own visit. I may consider revisiting at a different time in the future.

A ramen shop located near the parking lot of Lake Shikotsu. The name "Showa Bussan" is unpretentious and likable. Despite the name, it is a ramen shop. The interior is filled with furnishings that evoke the Showa era. On the back wall, there is a poster of Takakura Ken from "Abashiri Prison." By the way, this Ken-san is incredibly cool. Since it's in Hokkaido, I ordered the miso and green onion ramen, but my child ordered the old-fashioned soy sauce ramen (850 yen), which was also quite delicious. I didn't have high expectations, but it pleasantly surprised me. They use fish sauce in the broth, which results in a rich and addictive flavor.

I was intrigued by the sign for the fish sauce ramen at Chip (Hime Masu) and decided to visit. The interior of the restaurant has a retro atmosphere with stuffed bears and a fireplace, and there are tables, counters, and raised seating areas. The menu offers Sapporo miso ramen, pork bowl, and old-fashioned soy sauce ramen. I ordered the Old-fashioned Shoyu Ramen for 850 yen with toppings of chashu, bean sprouts, seaweed, spinach, naruto, green onions, and wheat gluten. The soup is a light chicken broth base with a triple soup made with dried fish and vegetables, seasoned with Chip's fish sauce, giving it a slightly oily and hot taste. There is no animal smell, and the taste is light with a hint of vegetable umami. The noodles are medium-thick and slightly curly, cooked soft. The chashu is a juicy belly roll with a diameter of 6cm x 3mm. This ramen is recommended for when you want to eat something light. Thank you for the meal.

The owner of Yamashita Shoten, a shop in Chitose City, opened a new shop in Lake Shikotsu Onsen town last year. The menu includes old-fashioned shoyu ramen for 850 yen and pork bowl for 1,050 yen. The ramen is different from what Yamashita Shoten used to serve, and it is popular among the many tourists in the area. The shop has a limited menu of miso ramen, shoyu ramen, and pork bowl. I tried the old-fashioned shoyu ramen made with fish sauce, which was light and delicious. My companion had miso ramen with corn and butter, which was also tasty. We also tried the pork bowl, made with Hokkaido pork and served with pork miso soup. The shop has a retro atmosphere with a wood stove and old-fashioned background music. The owners, a couple, have a friendly dog that greets customers. Overall, it was a great dining experience.

I had the old-fashioned shoyu ramen with chip (Himemasu) fish sauce at "Showa Shokuhin" in the extra area of Lake Shikotsu Onsen in Chitose City (850 yen). The ramen came with green onions, chashu, spinach, naruto, fu, and seaweed, with bean sprouts and onions as the vegetables. There was no menma included. Showa Shokuhin seems to be run by the same person who used to operate "Yamashita Shoten" in Aoba, Chitose City, serving Hakata Tonkotsu ramen. When I entered the restaurant, I was greeted by a dog (a Papillon?). The interior had 3 counter seats, 2 tables for 4 people, and 6 and 4-person sunken kotatsu seats. I'm not sure if smoking was allowed inside the restaurant. The walls were decorated with various old record jackets, including Chage and Aska's "Atsui Omoi." The menu includes the Chip fish sauce old-fashioned shoyu ramen for 850 yen, Sapporo special miso ramen (with corn and butter) for 950 yen, and Hokkaido pork bowl for 1,050 yen. The noodles in the old-fashioned shoyu ramen were medium-thin, high-water content noodles, likely from Sagamiya Seimen. The ramen, made with Chip fish sauce, was a light and gentle ramen without any chemical seasonings, with a subtle umami flavor that gradually emerged as you ate. Personally, I felt that it could use a bit more saltiness. It's completely different from the ramen at Yamashita Shoten. Overall, I give it a perfect score as I believe it's best to promote the restaurant.