Shobobanya — Restaurant in Otaru

Great sushi at reasonable prices. English menu available. Ordered the drift ice sushi set for 2860 yen. Once ordered, three sushi chefs stated making our set immediately. Ten different sushi in the set. The favourites were the fatty tuna and the scallop. The uni was sweet and the prawn was creamy. The salmon and salmon roe were good specimens. The bottom left sushi next to the salmon was a little hard and bitey. Might be abalone. Not a fan of the yellow hard sushi and not sure what it is. Didn't mind the rest. The complimentary prawn soup was very tasty and not thirsty after at all. Would definitely come back and order more from the menu.

Update 0325 Service and quality was still good but started to find it less value for money than other places we've been. Tried the mantis shrimp sashimi for 1400 yen and got six slices. Had it before once in Vietnam but it was cooked and it was quite powdery in texture so didn't enjoy it much. The sashimi was only slightly better with a more cream like texture but had a roe taste as well.

Had the seafood 3 colour bowl for 3000+ yen. The uni was the best being creamy and a subtle flavour. Abalone was typically crunchy and salmon roe was sweet and salty and a little overpowering. Didn't feel like the three items complimented each other and kept eating them separately but was difficult to do so towards the end. Soup was a salmon based one this time and had bones. English menu available and very friendly service towards foreigners. Chefs are very mindful...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a traditional sushi restaurant in Otaru. Despite being a 20-minute walk from Otaru JR Station, I managed to find my way with the help of Google Maps navigation. Arriving at the restaurant for dinner around 7 or 8 PM, I discovered that most of the shops in Otaru had already closed for the evening. However, this particular sushi restaurant was still open and welcoming.

Although the staff didn't speak English, they were incredibly accommodating and friendly. Through simple gestures and body language, we were able to communicate effectively. They even provided us with an English menu, making it easier for us to place our orders. We decided on a seafood donburi with abalone, sea urchin, and salmon roe, as well as a sushi set with 12 pieces of sushi.

The sea urchin in the seafood donburi was exceptionally fresh, while the abalone had a delightful texture and was perfectly tender.

The rice in the sushi was of excellent quality, and the chef's skill was evident in every bite. The sushi had already been lightly seasoned with wasabi, providing a balanced and flavorful experience. Among the various sushi pieces, my favorites were the scallop sushi and the tuna belly sushi. The scallop was incredibly fresh and had a delicate sweetness, while the tuna belly melted in my mouth. To complement the meal, we also ordered a glass of Sapporo beer.

Overall, the dining experience at this traditional sushi restaurant in Otaru was...

I'm still reeling from our incredible dining experience! The restaurant's ambiance was fantastic, and the food was not only delicious but also visually stunning. Every detail, from the presentation to the quality and taste, was impeccable. We had an amazing time, and I wish my friends could've been there to share it with us. The sake was...