Oshokuji to Goenkai no Mise Kumagera — Restaurant in Furano

Kumagera offers an intriguing dining experience in Furano, but it left me with mixed feelings. I came specifically for their Beef Bowl, which is generously topped with close-to-raw slices of tender beef. While the meat’s texture was pleasant, it lacked depth in flavour, leaving me somewhat underwhelmed.

We also sampled other dishes, including their Beef Curry Rice and Butadon. Unfortunately, neither of these stood out—the flavours were relatively average and didn’t leave a lasting impression. One of the more unique aspects of Kumagera is their offering of exotic meats, such as bear. I was curious but ultimately passed due to the steep price. It would have been an interesting addition to the meal, but I didn’t feel it justified the cost at the time. Though the food didn’t fully live up to my expectations, it’s worth a visit for its atmosphere.

One quirky detail worth noting is the abundance of blueberry plants around the restaurant entrance. I couldn’t resist picking one to try, but while it was an interesting distraction, the berry itself was just alright, with seeds that felt quite large...

Food is overall excellent. The meat is fresh and juicy. Generous for the price point.

We ordered the Waygu steak and the Waygu sukiyaki. Both are of excellent quality.

The instructions were clear, simple to follow and in various languages.

The curry rice with pork cutlet is also very tasty. The pork cutlet is tender and juicy. The omelette curry rice is also perfectly done.

When we first stepped in without reservation, we were afraid of language barrier. And when we were first greeted in Japanese, we thought we were doomed. 🤪

Looking at our stunned face, her next sentence was in American accented English. Phew!

The restaurant is very foreigner friendly and well organized. We went to the table easily following their instructions.

And the ordering was swift n the food was served rather quickly despite the crowd.

The vibe is very traditional Japanese and welcoming.

However, I suspect that we were grouped together with the foreigners in a room with several tables. Can be noisy dependent on which nationality we are with at that time.

That really depends on our...

Details for foreigners:

Arrived: 11:15am and the queue already formed to the next house.

Start: 11:30am. The server will ask for the number and direct you in. I managed to get the second floor and there are actually plenty of seats. We were told it’s busy and also designated to the left of the Long table. You are expected to share tables. Don’t worry, it’s actually quite spacious.

Ordering: Press the Bell! A lot of people ordered the omelette curry rice and our group ordered Raw Wagyu beef rice, buttered potato, sea herring role and corn. Towards the end of the menu, there are pictures. Menu comes with English words.

Btw, don’t spend on drinks as water is available. The server will inform you where the cups are.

Food: 3/5 wagyu. It’s tender but very little. There are a lot of rice. 2/5 potato. 5/5 corn. This is a must have. 3/5 role. Very salty, unless you having beer, skipped.

Exit: once you are done, proceed first floor for payment in Cash!

Overall: I think the curry omelette rice is the main star. Will be back...