FOOD Okhotsk, the hub of Japanese Culinary Kitami's unique location attracts both harvests from the ground and fresh catch from the sea. Hokkaido is well known for producing high grade potato, asparagus, beef, and daily products. As a matter of a fact, Kitami is Japan's largest onion producer and the city provides a various derivative of onion, including soup, pie, and seasoning powder. The Sea of Okhotsk is a source of fresh salmon, shrimp, trout, scallop, and oyster. No matter how they are cooked, raw, boiled, fried – that's an exquisite, Kitami experience. An example of how the catch from the sea is served.
Okhotsk Beer
Fried Noodle from Robata-Uohana, a local restaurant
Salt Flavored Kitami Fried Noodle Sizzling. Dripping saliva. That's the likely reaction when encountering Salt Flavored Kitami Fried Noodle. Made from noodles with Hokkaido flour, Okhotsk scallop, and Kitami onion, these specified ingredients are cooked and served on a grill
plate. Once served, sizzling plate comes with a scent of the Sea of Okhotsk – it is salt flavored. Each restaurant in Kitami offers own recipe, allowing noodle lovers to conduct noodle hopping.
Restaurant at Okhostk Beer Factory
Established in 1994, Okhatsk Beer is a Hokkaido's very first microbrewer. The factory is equipped with a German-decor restaurant, where beer fanatics can enjoy fresh taps with the best of Kitami's culinary. Four signature taps, ale, weizen, stout, and pilsner, are also served with "all-you-can-drink" style. (JPY2,000 for 90 minutes) Conveniently located – 15 minutes walk from Kitami Station.
Yamashitacho 2-2-2 Kitami-shi Hokkaido +81 (0)157 23 6300 1130-2200 (LO 2140) Closed on December 31 and January 1
Barbecue
Hokkai Shima Ebi Shrimp
Though there is no proper statistics available, Kitami is somewhat famously known that it has the greatest number of barbeque restaurant per population in Hokkaido. The selection of meat is vast and this is Hokkaido style –from Ezo dear, lamb, beef, pork, to seafood. During winter, the city holds Outdoor Yakiniku (barbeque) Festival. Amid the coldest, sub-zero period of the season, the festival attracts 1,500 visitors.
Hokkai Shima Ebi Shrimp is a rare specie and one of the "must" experiences when visiting Kitami during summer. The shrimp is grown in a limited period, from June to July in Saromako Lake. The best way to eat is to boil the shrimp within 3 hours of the catch. Shrimp butter has a very thick flavor and the body is juicier than ever. Available in many restaurants in Kitami during the summer. Coldest Outdoor Yakiniku Barbeque Festival
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