Places to Eat in the Abashiri Area
There is an enjoyable variety of places to eat in the Okhotsk region, from Japanese food to Western food, from fast food to slow food, from cafés to more formal restaurants, as well as land food and sea food. But in most areas, because we are in the countryside, your choice of cuisine might not be available where you happen to get hungry, and you'll be happy if you find anything at all. Convenience stores manage to suffice in a pinch. I hope the information below and on the other pages will help you find something more quickly, and make it enjoyable for you as well.
Important caveat: Places to eat in the region tend to come and go, open hours change, so it is not always possible to provide up-to-date information.
We start with Abashiri here; use the links above for other areas.
Abashiri area
Downtown, both south and north of the Abashiri River
- Abashiri Michi-no-Eki ("Roadside Station") 2nd floor
Wide variety of standard Japanese food
Op: 11:00~16:30 daily Cl: 31 Dec ~ 1 Jan only
Price: ¥480~¥1,500
Web: A bit about this Michi-no-Eki
Other: Non-smoking; no credit cards; kids okay
Access: 1.7 km on main road from Abashiri train station heading east, left side, facing harbor; good parking. Map
Comments: If you are in Abashiri and not looking for dinner, this is a great place for birders. The restaurant is on the 2nd floor, and the seats along the window have a good view over the mouth of the Abashiri River, and beyond to Cape Notoro. You will want your binoculars with you. The food is simple but good. I usually order a set meal of deep-fried Hokke fish (#32 on the ticket machine) or fried chicken (#26) for ¥550, good value [information not up to date in 2020]. Set meals include a large bowl of rice and miso soup. Noodles and seafood dishes are also on the menu. (You can enlarge the menu by clicking on it.) Order and pay for your food at the machine, sit where you like, wait for your number to be called, pick up your food, then return your dishes when you're finished. *If you are taking an Abashiri Nature Cruise (Spring ~ Autumn) or Drift Ice Cruise (late January ~ mid-March, when the drift ice is around), your boat will leave from the dock behind the Michi-no-Eki.
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Bistarai Bistarai (ビスターレビスターレ)
Nepalese & Indian curries; Good food
Op: 11:00~21:00 daily
Cl: Year-end/New-year holidays
Ad: Kita 6-jo Nishi 1-chome 2-2, Abashiri
Price: Lunch around ¥850~1,500; Dinner ¥1,200+
Web: n/a
Other: Non-smoking; no credit cards; kids okay
Access: Located north of Abashiri River, next to (east of) Kosei Hospital. From downtown Abashiri, cross Abashiri Bridge (at Mister Donuts) and turn left at the light by a Mitsubishi car dealer. (If you go straight, you are headed toward Cape Notoro.) From Abashiri station, cross Shimbashi Bridge in front of the station and follow the road for about 1 km till you pass the huge Kosei Hospital on the right. You will then see the restaurant as it looks in the photo. Parking for 4 cars. Map
Comments: Arjun, from Nepal, started this restaurant in 2005, just before I started to live in Abashiri. It was one of the first restaurants I went to, since I noticed it from the bus window as I rode to the Abashiri bus terminal from the airport. His wife waitressed. Arjun is a happy, hard-working person. Now there are Bistarai restaurants in Bihoro, Kitami, Kushiro, Obihiro, Asahikawa, and Sapporo, too. It's a good place to get a proper feed when you are hungry, such as after a birdwatching session at Cape Notoro.
Yobito, town at the entrance to the Yobito Birdwatching Trail
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On (温)
Homemade soba noodles and tempura
Op: 11:30 ~ approx. 18:00 ex Mon.
Cl: Monday, unless a national holiday, then closed Tue.
Ad: Yobito 190-1, Abashiri
Price: ¥600~¥1,300
Web: In Japanese, has photos, menu, etc.
Other: Non-smoking; no credit cards; kids okay
Access: About 7 km from downtown Abashiri on route 683, turn left when you see the sign to Tokyo University of Agriculture (TUA), or on route 490 from the Komaba area of Abashiri, take the first right after the entrance to TUA. You will see a tall wooden sign at the entrance to On at a curve in the road. From Yobito, head toward Memanbetsu on 39, turn left at the light and follow the signs to TUA. Map
Comments: Another place where you can watch birds while you eat. One of the best soba restaurants in the area. The soba noodles are made on site. The tempura are separately ordered side dishes, superb quality, especially the prawns (ebi). "On" is behind the Okhotsk Campus of TUA, a 10-minute walk down the hill along a trail to a dirt road when there is no snow. The TUA Fine Trail around the campus is also nearby, accessed via the dirt road behind the restaurant. You will find mainly tits, nuthatches, and woodpeckers in these woods, but of course you never know. "On" is popular during the lunch hour, so after 1:30 pm would be a good time to go.
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Freppu (Tea Salon ふれっぷ)
Café with lunch menu and excellent coffee
Op: 11:30 ~ around 16:00, Tuesday ~ Saturday
Cl: Sunday, Monday
Ad: Yobito 805-8, Abashiri
Price: Reasonable; Lunch ¥600 + coffee extra ¥200
Web: n/a
Other: Non-smoking; no credit cards; kids okay
Access: One block west of Yobito station, in yellow building. Map
Comments: Oasis for people with interests in local birds, flora, etc. About 700 m from the entrance to the Yobito Birdwatching Trail.
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Kitamura Udon (うどん喜多夢楽)
[Currently closed, reopening schedule unclear]
Creative variety of udon noodles, rice dishes, tempura
Op: 11:00~14:00 ex Monday; also 17:00~20:00 on Sat, Sun, holidays
Cl: Closed during winter; otherwise, closed Monday unless a national holiday
Ad: Yobito 159-40, Abashiri
Price: Y480~¥1,180
Web: In Japanese; the second menu from the left has photos of the various dishes.
Other: Non-smoking; no credit cards; kids okay
Access: At the top of a street in a residential neighborhood of Yobito. From Abashiri, take the first right after the first traffic light as you enter Yobito after passing Abashiri Lake, and go straight up to the top. Kitamura is there on the right. Map
Comments: About 500 m from the entrance to the Yobito Birdwatching Trail. The most interesting items on the menu are sets that include udon and rice dishes, sometimes with tempura. You can ask for an increase in udon volume from 240g to 300g for no extra charge, or to 400g for ¥100 extra. We usually sit at the counter along the window.
It's nice to look outdoors. Free WiFi with outlets to plug in to as well!
Komaba, Abashiri's shopping area, and gateway to Komaba Kinohiroba Forest Reserve
(Simplified PDF map, opening in a separate window)
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Hotto Motto Bento (ほっともっと弁当)
Take-out bento restaurant
Op: 8:00~23:00 daily
Cl: None (except possibly New Year's Day)
Ad: Komaba-kita 6-1-17, Abashiri
Price: up to ¥1,000
Web: Menu with photos and prices
Access: Across the street from Basic supermarket and 7-Eleven convenience store, on the corner. Map
Comments: When the weather is good, you can get lunch here, take it to Komaba Kinohiroba Forest Reserve, and enjoy it at a picnic table there while you watch nuthatches and other birds. Very few people around. The main entrance to the forest is two blocks behind the big blue and white Aoyama clothes store. Parking for about 5 cars at the entrance, as well as at Hotto Motto. The food here is simple but good. I usually get the Makunouchi bento which has a variety of goodies in it for about ¥680; menus change regularly. Hotto Motto is a nationwide chain.
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Hazeya Coffee (はぜや珈琲)
Café serving coffee and cake
Op: 10:00~18:00 ex Sunday Cl: Sunday
Ad: Komaba-kita 3-9-7, Abashiri
Price: ±¥500
Web: In Japanese
Access: A bit hard to find. Coming up from downtown Abashiri, pass First discount liquor store, and take the second left. Map
Comments: A great place for coffee, drip and espresso, from all around the world. Bean sales as well. Roasted on site. Behind Hazeya is an entrance to the west end of Komaba Kinohiroba Forest Reserve, which is in total a few kms in length.
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Mosburger (モスバーガー)
Fast-food hamburger restaurant with pleasant, relaxing atmosphere
Op: 7:00 am ~ 1:00 am
Cl: None (except possibly New Year's Day)
Price: Less than ¥1,000
Other: Separate room for smokers; no info on credit cards; kids okay
Access: Just past McDonald's on the right heading east, adjacent to Sapporo Drugstore parking lot. Turn right just past the parking lot onto the road that will quickly take you to the entrance to the parking lot, and park near Mosburger. Map
Comments: We like to go here, smoke not an issue, and the food is fine. Their breakfast was a bit disappointing for us, but for that you can go to McDonald's where the only thing I can eat there is their breakfast set (Egg McMuffin + apple pie for extra ¥100). The main entrance to Komaba Kinohiroba Forest Reserve is a short walk from here, about 200 m behind the big blue and white Aoyama clothes store on the other side of the road across from Basic supermarket (turn right just before Aoyama).
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Tsuki (鮨ダイニング「月」)
Spacious sushi restaurant open for lunch and dinner
Op: 11:00~21:45 (last order) daily
Cl: None
Ad: Komaba-kita 5-83-27, Abashiri
Price: Lunch ¥1,000~¥2000; Dinner ¥2,000+ (fr Tabelog)
Web: In Japanese
Other: Separate smoking/non-smoking sections; major credit cards okay; kids okay
Access: Faces main road, next to Palo game center, on left after you pass Best Denki. Parking in front of restaurant, or park near Best Denki and walk over. Map
Comments: I've only been here once, because when we want to eat sushi, we usually buy it at Basic supermarket and have it at home, but Tsuki is a good, affordable place to go if you want to dine out. Various types of seating available. Calling ahead for a reservation is recommended if your group is four or more. A sister sushi restaurant downtown is Kiyomasa, behind the Central Hotel, also recommended (try to get there early and sit at the counter, as the rooms upstairs are a bit small, and talking with the sushi chef is part of the fun of going to these places). Another sister sushi restaurant is Big Sun, a "sushi train" in Shiomi, along route 490 on the left in the direction of TUA.
Other places in Komaba we like to go to: Fat Boy (American-style hamburgers, steaks, all-you-can-eat salad bar) behind Best Denki electrical appliances; Nakau (fast-food-style udon, beef bowls, etc.; a nationwide chain), in front of Best Denki next to the "au" mobile phone shop; Sampachi Ramen (Chinese noodles), yellow building near Nakau, don't forget to take a free ice cream from the freezer in front of you when you check out!
*Walking from the Best Denki / Co-op supermarket area to Kinohiroba Forest Reserve is also possible, as there is another entrance via the residential neighborhood behind Shimamura and Hard Off. Walk through the ally between those two stores, out the employees' parking lot in the back, then turn left when you see your way clear to the forest. The entrance is near a small playground for kids. (See PDF map of Komaba mentioned above.)
*Another park within walking distance from this area is Komaba Park. Cross the main road (to the Lawson side) and walk west past Lawson less than 200 m up the hill until you get to the entrance to the park where you see trees and a stream below. The park is about 600 m long. There once were three spot-billed chicks and a mother here. There are also crows and foxes, a harsh environment for young birds. There have even been cases of children bullying birds here, and if you happen to see this sort of behavior, please do not be shy about telling them to stop, in any language you speak.
