Otaru's soul food! 3 top restaurants for Otaru's Ankake Yakisoba

: Post

: Last updated: September 11, 2018

Table of contents

1. Otaru and Ankake Yakisoba

2. Three of the best AKY (stir-fried noodles with thick sauce) restaurants in Otaru.

小樽あんかけ焼きそば When it comes to food in Otaru, sushi is the first thing that comes to mind. There's also kamaboko (fish cake), delicious sweets, and plum wine.

Otaru is a city that never lacks in gourmet topics, but if you ask the locals what their soul food is, a lot of people would probably answer "ankake yakisoba" (stir-fried noodles with a thick sauce).

Ankake yakisoba? What? Many people might be wondering. However, in Otaru, there are quite a few restaurants where ankake yakisoba automatically appears when you order noodles or yakisoba.

This time, we'll introduce three carefully selected restaurants serving Otaru-style stir-fried noodles with thick sauce. It may be considered a B-grade gourmet dish, but that's precisely why it's so diverse, with various restaurants offering a wide range of flavors.

This time, let's move beyond sushi. How about immersing yourself completely in the bottomless pit of thick, starchy sauces?

1. Otaru and Ankake Yakisoba

Many people in Hokkaido, not just those from Otaru, associate yakisoba with a thick, starchy sauce rather than regular sauce, and it's such a popular dish that it's commonly found on the menus of izakayas (Japanese pubs).

In particular, Otaru, despite being located in central Hokkaido, is on the Sea of Japan side, making it a city with heavy snowfall in winter and cold northerly winds.

Naturally, I craved something to warm me up. And what warmed me up from the bone was stir-fried noodles with a thick sauce.

Ankake yakisoba has become a local comfort food, and the city of Otaru is actively promoting it.

2. Three of the best AKY (stir-fried noodles with thick sauce) restaurants in Otaru.

2-1 Keien

Keien is located in the arcade between Otaru Station and the canal. It has the appearance of a traditional Chinese restaurant. Most customers order stir-fried noodles with a thick sauce.
小樽あんかけ焼きそば

A generous amount of sauce and noodles with a nice crispy crust. In Otaru's stir-fried noodles with sauce, this crispy crust is the key.

When this is combined with the sweet bean paste, the savory aroma and the delicious flavor of the bean paste spread throughout your mouth, allowing you to feel a small sense of happiness. It's great in winter, of course, but it also goes well with beer in the summer.

The sauce is slightly firm, so the noodles don't get soggy and retain their chewiness until the very last bite. The seasoning is an oyster-based soy sauce flavor, the most popular flavor in the city.

The ingredients are typical: shrimp, pork, squid, and vegetables. However, what has made it so widely loved by the people of Otaru since the 30s is its generous portion size and delicious taste. It's considered the most delicious, with a home-style flavor that never gets old. It's recommended for first-timers, regulars, and even those trying AKY (short for Ankake Yakisoba) in Otaru for the first time.

小樽あんかけ焼きそば

Basic Information: Chinese Restaurant Keien
TEL 0134-23-8155
Address: 2-16-14 Inaho, Otaru City, Hokkaido
Business hours: 11:00～20:30
Closed every Thursday

2-2 Torori-an

Just as there's an ideal noodle thickness and curliness for Hakata ramen and Sapporo ramen, there's also an ideal for Otaru's stir-fried noodles with thick sauce.

This is a directly managed store of Abe Noodle Factory, which has been operating a noodle factory specializing in stir-fried noodles with thick sauce in Otaru for many years. Their dedication to noodles is on a different level.

小樽あんかけ焼きそば

The sauce, specially designed to enhance the flavor of the noodles, has a mild saltiness, making it light and refreshing. This relatively rare salty flavor is quite popular in the city.

This dish also features a well-grilled surface topped with a slightly firm sauce. The flavor is gentle, relying more on the umami of the ingredients and the soup than on saltiness.

Despite the generous portion size, I easily finished it all. The taste is addictive. It's no wonder they have so many repeat customers.

Even though it's located in Otaru, somewhat east of the city center and a little distance from Chikko Station, the parking lot is always full. It's definitely worth the slightly longer trip to eat there, even if it means going a bit further than the residential area.

小樽あんかけ焼きそば

Basic Information Torori-an
TEL：0134-54-8287
Address: 5-7-23 Sakura, Otaru City, Hokkaido
Business hours
11:00 ~ 15:00
17:00 ~ 19:30
This restaurant is open for lunch.

2-3 Gokohanten

*Gokou Hanten closed in June 2016 but reopened in a new location in December 2016!

The last restaurant we'll cover is Wuxiang Restaurant, a famous establishment that even makes it into the dictionary of stir-fried noodles with thick sauce.

小樽あんかけ焼きそば Photo by Flickr:Ankake Yakisoba @ Gokou Hanten / regvn

Having satisfied the appetites of Otaru University of Commerce students for many years, the portions are incredibly generous. The amount of food overflows from the plate, and the quantity of ingredients is also immense.

However, the grilling is a little mild. The umami and richness spread slowly in your mouth, and the ramen absorbs the soup perfectly before smoothly flowing down your throat.

The slightly oily texture actually enhances the flavor. Fried rice and dumplings are also popular.

In Otaru, a city known for its rapid rise and fall, this restaurant has managed to maintain its reputation for decades, and its skills should not be underestimated. Everything on the menu is simply delicious.

It's not listed in the guidebook published by the Otaru Ankake Yakisoba Fan Club. Yet, there's always a line. You can see that it's a restaurant that doesn't pander to tourists, but is truly loved by the locals.

Basic information Gokohanten
TEL 0134-32-7825
Address: 1-6-6 Hanazono, Otaru City, Hokkaido
Opening hours 11: 30 to 17: 00
Closed on Mondays

Final thoughts

I hope I've managed to convey even a little bit of the charm of Otaru's AKY (Ankake Yakisoba).

Sushi isn't something you eat every day. It's something that port workers eat to replenish their energy for the next day. In a sense, it's a taste that has been shaped by Otaru's history, and that's what AYK, nurtured by the citizens of Otaru, is all about.

Therefore, the seasoning is a little on the spicy side, and there is no vinegar. Mustard and pickled ginger are piled high. It has a very B-grade feel, but it's the kind of food that people will travel all the way from Sapporo just to eat. You should definitely try it for lunch when you're sightseeing in Otaru.

Besides these, there's also Ryuhou, known for its generous portions; Kashu, which carries on the taste of Baigetsu, the founder of AKY; and Daimaru Ramen, with its 55-year history. There are many other famous restaurants that I couldn't include here.