The drive from New Chitose airport took us about two hours that stretched 126 kilometers but we were so glad to have arrived Teppan Okonomiyaki Masaya, ranked #3 out of 158 restaurants in Furano, as we were utterly famished!
There was just one group of family in front of us and even though it was already past the peak lunchtime, we were allocated to the counter seats.
Notes of different currencies, including a few from the little red dot, adorned the wall of the open kitchen! Okay, just a thought; what if one of the notes falls into a pot of cooked meat? Would the entire pot be thrown away since paper money could have a lot of bacteria....
Anyway, some people adore the counter seats as they could soak in the action and shoot like a million pictures of the cooking process. Extra bonus if the chef is a handsome man / beautiful woman.
Not so much for Alex and i though as temperature at the counter seats tends to be higher due to the close proximity of the griddle. Furthermore, you would be at the mercy of the hot, splattering oil!
The Main chef must have noticed our discomfort and very kindly offered us another table by the corner when it was vacated. We were grateful as air-conditioning didn't appear to be working and window seats, with a bit of breeze, would always be welcome.
Washroom was on level two and i took the above picture when i climbed down the stairs after my pee session; the eatery wasn't big and my estimation would be about 30 patrons at its maximum capacity.
Omu Curry Set
Tagged as the popularity #1 on the menu, i knew this would be a must-order even though i am aiming for the okonomiyaki. It came with a serving of (pretty normal) salad and a bottle of thick and absolutely refreshing Hokkaido milk!
Honestly, i was expecting the rice to be beautifully wrapped in a canopy of gooey egg but it wasn't the case. Rice was only lightly fried and it's a must to mix in the savoury curry sauce for that delightful burst of flavour.
It was not bad although Alex was obviously happy with what he had (i actually ordered it for him since this would give me the opportunity to grab a few bites) and heaped tons of compliments on it.
Ebi-Buta Dama Okonomiyaki
Served freshly pan-fried, i was so amazed with this prawn and pork okonomiyaki as there were bits of fresh, crunchy cabbage in the midst of the internally mushy pancake that was also blessed a light exterior crisp.
There were a lot of pork and prawns with the former being delightfully juicy and you know what this reminded me of? A flattened piece of ingredient-rich takoyaki that's so satisfying to have! I thought the taste might be cloying after a while but it sure didn't as i was, in fact, pondering on whether i should have a second helping!
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Location
11-15 Hinodemachi, 日の出町,
Furano-shi, Hokkaidō 076-0025,
Japan
Map
As above.
Operating Hours
11.30 am to 2.30 pm
5.00 pm to 9.30 pm
Closed on Thursdays
Website
Menu
As above.
Pricing
Omu Curry Set - 1080 yen
Ebi-Buta Dama Okonomiyaki - 750 yen
(inclusive of tax)
Additional Information
The staff members speak pretty decent English so you don't have to fumble with your lousy Japanese. English menu was also available even though i am more likely to refer to the pictures and point what i want to the order taker.
Those seated at the counter might have to prepare themselves for a fiery encounter!
