A chef raised on the Shiretoko Peninsula talks about Abashiri's food culture (enjoying the bounty of the mountains and sea)

“Otsu! Den,” owned by owner Ishiguro, is one of Abashiri’s most famous restaurants where you cannot enter without a reservation. They purchase fresh fish for the number of reservations for the day, and always provide dishes using seasonal fish from the Sea of Okhotsk. To learn about fish, they sometimes board fishing boats themselves and borrow land from farmers to grow vegetables for their own restaurant, so they are very thorough in selecting ingredients. The restaurant is bustling with reservations every night, so we have put together a special program during the daytime. Owner Ishiguro, who was born in Rausu Town at the base of the Shiretoko Peninsula, grew up in a unique regional food culture. You will learn from the owner how to fillet fish and how to identify delicious fish. After the experience, you will enjoy seafood dishes from the Sea of Okhotsk prepared by the owner.