[Yamagen in Esashi] Buckwheat Noodles with Herring Is Good Salty-Sweet

Yamagen

Sobakura Yamagen (そば蔵やまげん) is a popular buckwheat noodle restraunt founded in 1999 in Esashi town located in the northwestern direction of Hakodate city, and is near North Pacific Bank Esashi Branch (北洋銀行 江差支店), and is relatively near Kamome Island (かもめ島). The restraunt got the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition and 2017 Special Edition. They use 100 years over renovated storehouse as the restraunt, and it has a warmth of woods, and has an atomosphere such as a Japanese-style barbecue cooked in front of customers. Counter seats and table seats are provided, so I guess that even family customers enjoy meals. But a line may be expected in busy time. Unfortunately, they have been closed down since March, 2020. This article before closing is as follows.

Kamome Island

Kamome Island (かもめ島) is a land-tied island in the Esashi town located in the northwestern direction of Hakodate city, and its elevation is about 20 m, and its circumference is about 2.6 km. The island was named after its shape resembled a gull from the top * The Kamome means "A gull" in English. But the island used to be called "Benten Island (弁天島)" in Edo period, and used to be used as a port of Kitamae-bune (北前船 * cargo ships sailed the Japan Sea during the Edo period), and ruins of moored Kitamae-bune (北前船係留跡) in old days has been left now. A battleship "Kaiyomaru (開陽丸)" of the Tokugawa Shogunate sank off the Esashi is restored, and is displayed near the Kamome Island. Admission fee is JPY 500. Ebisu Bathing Beach (えびす浜海水浴場), Pullato Esashi (ぷらっと江差) and Esashi Port Marina (江差港マリーナ) are built near the island. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Buckwheat Noodles of Hokkaido

Hokkaido occupies about 40% of buckwheat production of Japan, and is the largest buckwheat production in the Japan, and Nagano prefecture, Ibaraki prefecture, Fukushima prefecture and so on follow the Hokkaido. The climate is cool in a summer, and a large temperature gap is great for good buckwheat, and the buckwheat production of the Hokkaido is increasing. Horokanai (幌加内), Fukagawa (深川) and Otoineppu (音威子府) are the 3 largest production places. Especially, the Horokanai is the best buckwheat production and the largest planted area in the Japan, and is well-known as a buckwheat town, and uses buckwheat fields as tourist attractions well. In Fukushima town, Sengen Soba Buckwheat Flowers Viewing Party (千軒そばの花鑑賞会) is held in buckwheat fields, and a fantastic conbination of the buckwheat fields and Matsumae Kagura (松前神楽) can be enjoyed. Read More

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Buckwheat Noodles

Speaking of the Esashi, Buckwheat Noodles with Herring (ニシンそば) is famous. My friend recommended that I should eat it, so I visited here to escape the busy time about at 13:30. A group of customers enjoyed their meals. I sat at a table seat, and ordered the Buckwheat Noodles with Herring. The price was JPY 930.

About 10 minutes later, the Buckwheat Noodles with Herring was served. I ate it immediately. I had never eaten the Buckwheat Noodles with Herring, and I had known that the herring was sweet for the first time. But the sweetness went well with buckwheat noodles soup, and it was mild by a Japanese radish and a dried laver. This was tasty. The herring was soaked in deliciousness for 3 days. The soup stock was tasty, too. The buckwheat noodles used buckwheat flour produced in Uguigawa, Esashi Town (江差町鰔川). They grinded buckwheat on a millstone and made noodles theirselves. They worked hard to make it tasty.

Buckwheat Noodles with Herring and Atmosphere of Restaurant Can Be Watched on Youtube.

Movie of Buckwheat Noodles with Herring

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Esashi. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Tabiniwa Kuki(旅庭 群来)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel New Esashi(ホテルニューエサシ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Shigejiro Banya(繁次郎番屋)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Terakoya(ホテル 寺子屋)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Meya Ryokan(目谷旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minato Ryokan(港旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Rental Room Sogo(レンタルルーム 十河)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Tsuji Ryokan(辻旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hatago Hashimotoya(旅籠 橋本屋)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Fujiya Ryokan(ふじや旅館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kamome Island Campsite(かもめ島キャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten