Uminoya — Restaurant in Otaru

The food was perfect, the katsu was breaded to perfection, the shrimp was perfect and I would recommend getting the fried veg. The breading was somehow a notch up from any I have had from Tokoyo to Sapporo.

But this place had something more, there is soul here, there's love. There's the intangible feeling of being invited into someone's home and feeling a part of thier world. The owners are wonderful and take pride in thier work and place.

Maybe it's the love they put in their food or the thousands of memories displayed on thier wall, but it feels like home even if my real home is thousands of miles away. I was privileged to have the opportunity to be thier. All I wish is that I could take them with me...

We saw the good reviews on Google and thought we'd try it. Great decision! It's a lovely little place, decorated with all sorts of toys and memorabilia in every single space, so there is so much to look at while you wait for your food. We both ordered the katsudon, and it came with raw cabbage and miso soup. It was the best meal I've had so far in Japan. The meat was tender, and it all tasted so fresh. We were given ice cold water to drink, and empty glasses were quickly refilled. After we'd paid, we were offered a sweet treat from a selection in a basket by the counter. The couple that ran it were so nice and kind, I would love to return next time I...

Fantastic restaurant. The food is tasty and generous (tontakstu, chicken karage), service is super nice, and the atmosphere is super cool as it looks like a memorabilia shop with a ton of figurines, posters, magnets, vinyls, souvenirs, games, fun accessories, you name it. Our children had a lot of fun (and us!) playing with some of the games. And the owner recommended we order only one dish for the kids instead of two - I appreciate it when they proactively suggest to not order more than what your kids will eat. It's a bit off the touristic area, and precisely,...