September itinerary in Japan Day 9 (Hokkaido Day 4 Meal edition)
(Monday, October 4)
Table of contents
Lunch
As I planned in the itinerary in advance, I had “Soup Curry” at “CURRY YA! CONG” (a 6-minute walk from Toyohirabashi Station). “Soup Curry” is Hokkaido’s “Local dishes loved by the nation” announced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. “CURRY YA! CONG” is one of the 100 famous restaurants in Tabelog and the number one restaurant in Japan in the “Soup Curry” category of Tabelog.
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/kouryu/kyodo_ryouri/attach/pdf/190131-6.pdf
“CURRY YA! CONG” is open at 11:30. I arrived at the store at 11:29, but there were already two customers in the store. I was able to enter the store without lining up, but two customers came right after me, and five customers were full. There are only 6 seats in the restaurant and they do not allow shared seats, so when I went there was only 5 customers. The manager of “CURRY YA! CONG” cooked, served, and cleaned up by himself.
The only dish is “soup curry”. I asked for “Chicken, pork vegetables” as ingredients, and the spiciness was 15 (above normal spicy level). The spiciness can be ordered quite finely. “Chicken, pork vegetables” uses Hokkaido meat and vegetables. Chicken is from Shiretoko and pork is from Rusutsu. The vegetables were potatos, carrots, enoki mushrooms, shimeji mushrooms, eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, green beans, and zucchini. The price of “Chicken, pork vegetable soup curry” was 2,500 yen with lassi. Blueberry lassi is served on Mondays (plain lassi except Mondays).
The manager makes it by hand from the beginning, so my “soup curry” came out at 12:10 and 40 minutes after I entered the restaurant. Certainly, all the vegetables and meat are delicious. I could feel the sweetness of the vegetables and meat as they are, and I didn’t get tired of eating them. The additive-free soup, which is finished with only salt and spices, has a very gentle taste.
I think the “soup curry” of “CURRY YA! CONG” was the most delicious “soup curry” I had ever eaten. However, considering the amount of 2,500 yen, it is the same level as the French or Italian weekday lunch course, so it may be natural that it is delicious. It was 12:30 and an hour had passed since I entered the restaurant after eating “soup curry” and drinking lassi. If you like “soup curry” very much and have time to spare, this is a restaurant that I can recommend.
There was a line of about 10 people outside the store. Perhaps those who wait outside have been waiting for an hour. It will end as soon as the soup runs out. Those who want to go to “CURRY YA! CONG” are recommended to go before the store opens.
https://edokagura.com/en/local-cuisine/543/
Craft beer
On the way back from Hokkaido Jingu, I drank craft beer at “Tap Room BEER KOTAN” near Tanukikoji.
They use the Ainu language KOTAN as well as our service name (planned) NINJA KOTAN, which gives us a sense of familiarity. Since KOTAN means “village” in the Ainu language, BEER KOTAN is a beer village and NINJA KOTAN is a ninja village.
The beer offered at “Tap Room BEER KOTAN” uses hops produced in Kamifurano Town. Kamifurano is the town next to Biei, which I visited the day before. Kamifurano is the only town in Hokkaido that grows hops for commercial purposes.
It seems that the brewery in Kamifurano Town produces more than 70 types of beer annually. I drank various beers such as pale ale and IPA. All were delicious beers. When I come to Sapporo, I would like to come to “Tap Room BEER KOTAN” again.
Dinner
I had “Ishikari Nabe” at “Ponpokotei” in the basement of Tanukikoji. I wanted to eat “Ishikari Nabe” from “100 local dishes” selected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, so I was introduced at the hotel where I stayed. After all, there are not many restaurants that offer Ishikari Nabe for one person. “Ponpokotei” was a valuable restaurant that offered Ishikari Nabe for one person.
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/nousin/kouryu/kyodo_ryouri/attach/pdf/190131-1.pdf
The inside of the restaurant was a mysterious space like a cafe for young people. According to the waitress, it used to be a pure Japanese style restaurant, but it was completely renovated.
Unlike the image of the interior of the store, “Ishikari Nabe” was very delicious. It was a nice surprise. As you can see in the picture, the salmon and vegetables were big, and the soup was amazingly delicious. I think it was the highest level of “Ishikari Nabe” I have ever eaten. If you don’t mind the brightness of the interior of the restaurant, we recommend them as Ishikari Nabe restaurant.
After eating “Ishikari Nabe” at “Ponpokotei”, I headed to New Chitose Airport. It was a very satisfying trip to Tohoku and Hokkaido. I was able to eat “100 local dishes” and “Local dishes loved by the nation” in all the areas I visited, and I was able to eat almost all seasonal seafood.
Note: The departure / arrival times, fees, admission fees, etc. of transportation listed in the text are as of the time of writing the BLOG. They may change in the future, so please check for yourself when you go on a trip.