On the final day of my trip to Hokkaido, I enjoyed the hot springs until the last minute of check-out and then visited this restaurant on an empty stomach. When I told the staff that I was there for the hairy crab, they guided me to a tank and showed me a 560g Hekkai Bay hairy crab. The staff kindly offered a discount from 5,500 yen to 5,000 yen. After about 20 minutes in the pot, a beautiful hairy crab appeared. The body and legs were both cut open, making it easy to extract the meat. I had only eaten hairy crabs that were delivered refrigerated or frozen, but according to the staff, freshly boiled crabs may taste less salty. When I tried it, it was true that it initially tasted less salty, but the true flavor of the crab came through directly, and I personally preferred it freshly boiled! The meat was firm and the crab miso was plentiful! It was a blissful 30 minutes spent silently enjoying the crab!

After eating the local Hanasaki crab, we felt like we had to try the Hairy crab as well, so we visited the restaurant again. We went straight to the backyard tanks and searched for the biggest Hairy crab of the day. We found an exceptionally large one weighing 860g! Unfortunately, there were no super oversized, over 1,000g "metabo" Hairy crabs available at that time. The staff immediately boiled the crab, and after waiting for about 20 minutes, we devoured the freshly boiled Hairy crab on the spot! We ate it together and ended up super full!!

This is a seafood shop that I visited when I went to the Takeura and Torasunohama areas of Shiraoi. I had heard from a friend that besides selling crabs, they also offer lunch. However, when I visited in December 2021, due to the impact of COVID-19, they had stopped serving lunch. They mentioned that they would consider resuming lunch service once the situation improved, which was a relief. Although I couldn't have the lunch I was looking forward to, I bought vacuum-packed turban shells and salted squid as souvenirs for my friend. On the way back home, I also bought some snacks nearby and gave them to someone who always takes care of me. The salted squid for my family was a classic flavor and went perfectly with rice.

In mid-January, during a three-day weekend, I decided to go for a day trip to Noboribetsu Onsen and searched for a place to have lunch before that. I found a place that seemed to offer a good value set meal. When I arrived a little before 12 o'clock, there was already one customer. The restaurant was filled with a slight smoke from grilling fish. It seemed like a lunch set started by a crab specialty store, with tables and counters set up in one corner of the shop. There were no partitions, so we ordered near the entrance and waited for our food. As it got colder, the lady in charge subtly moved an electric stove closer to us and served us hot green tea. It took about 10 minutes for our food to be served, and we enjoyed the freshly grilled hot dishes (prices include tax). The set meal A set for 800 yen included grilled fish, rice, miso soup, and a small side dish. The fish of the day was a large mackerel that looked like hokke due to its size! The skin was crispy and the flesh was tender. The rice was also delicious, and the homemade seaweed tsukudani was tasty and went well with the rice. The miso soup had tofu and wakame. The tofu felt a bit out of place, but the wakame was fresh and delicious. The Hokki curry for 500 yen had tender and chewy hokki pieces, and the curry sauce was rich and flavorful, making it a great value for money. If I had to be nitpicky, I would have liked some grated daikon as a side dish. The portion of rice seemed light for men, so getting a large serving would be a good idea. After the meal, we were served strong instant coffee for free, which was much appreciated. The attentive service, like serving hot green tea before the meal and moving the stove closer to us, created a warm and welcoming atmosphere, similar to visiting a relative's house in the countryside. The dishes looked delicious and were reasonably priced, so I would like to try them next time as well. Thank you for the meal!

Shiraoi Town Torasouhama Area is known for its high-quality natural hot springs and delicious local specialties such as tarako and fresh seafood from Maehama. Despite this, there are few restaurants in Shiraoi Town that offer seafood dishes. However, a crab specialty restaurant has recently started serving lunch, which brings back fond memories of enjoying hairy crab at a hot spring inn many years ago. The restaurant also offers dishes like fatty salmon and true cod, which are fish that I used to catch while fishing in the Pacific Ocean. The blog mentioned that by downloading a coupon from the website and presenting it, you can enjoy a lunch set that is normally priced at 800 yen for only 500 yen until the end of December. I tried the A set meal with grilled octopus for 500 yen using the coupon, and it was delicious. The octopus was perfectly grilled with just the right amount of fat, and the miso soup with clams was also tasty. The side dishes were decent, although I personally don't like cucumbers and there were double servings of them. The rice was also good. The value for money at 500 yen was impressive, and the friendly and warm service added to the pleasant dining experience. Overall, this restaurant is worth visiting again to reassess its quality after a few more visits.

Check out the details of the restaurant and lunch specials on the Facebook page "Shiraoi Navi" on November 4th. Get a coupon from the above Facebook page! Don't miss out! The first coupon customer ordered the grilled fish set with less rice. The sashimi on a 30-centimeter plate was delicious! Additionally, there was a side dish and coffee included, all for only 500 yen! You can also get a free extra serving of rice. Highly recommended restaurant that is worth a visit! Grilled fish set 500 yen (with coupon). Thank you for the delicious meal!

For details about the shop and lunch, please check out the 11/4 edition of Facebook "ShiraOi Navi". Hokki curry for 500 yen?! It's even more surprising for Tomakomai people! I ordered it with less rice. They skillfully prepare the live Hokki taken from the tank and put it in the curry pot! When the timer goes off, it's ready. The Hokki is just the right firmness or tenderness... delicious! They started lunch service in August, the staff is friendly, and if you use the coupon on FB mentioned at the beginning, you can enjoy the 800 yen set meal for 500 yen until the end of the year, so it will surely be crowded! Since I came all the way here, I also had some boiled horsehair crab. Hokki Curry 500 yen, Horsehair Crab 400g 3500 yen. Thank you for the delicious meal!

On September 17, 2018, I bought a hair crab for around 2500 yen. I only found two boiled hair crabs when I stopped by, but I purchased one. I heard that if you call ahead, they will prepare the freshly boiled crabs in the desired quantity for you on the same day. I took it home and ate it, and the crab miso was delicious as always!

I went to Torasuna Beach for work and while I was there, I found a crab store called "Kani-Oh" where I bought some cheap hairy crabs. I always thought crabs were only available in winter and from the eastern part of Hokkaido, so I was surprised to learn that hairy crabs are caught in Shiraoi around June or July. The price was surprisingly affordable, starting from around 1000 yen to 1500 yen. I didn't have high expectations due to the price, but when I cracked open the shell, I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of delicious crab miso inside. The meat was also firm and tasty. The crab stores in Torasuna Beach have a hidden gem vibe if you look around, making it a fun experience. Thank you for the delicious meal!

I often saw my followers going to #KaniOu and was curious. They have a system where you can choose your favorite live crab and have it boiled for you. The staff, including the mother, are very kind. It was incredibly delicious! Highly recommended! I bought some sea urchin that tasted like soup and made a sea urchin and crab bowl. #HairyCrab is the best. #HokkaidoGourmet #Shiraoi #ShiraoiGourmet #Locals don't eat sea urchin and crab every day.