A Foodie's Guide To Furano

Almost every town and prefecture in Japan is known for something in particular. Kutchan, the town at the foot of the Niseko United resorts, is the land of potatoes. Sapporo, their famous Miso Ramen. Otaru, fresh seafood and sashimi. 

Furano, on the other hand, is primarily known as the home of endless lavender fields and flower farms. And while they are a sight that has to be witnessed in real life, there’s something else that Furano should really be known for – food. 

Fresh farm-to-table cafes, renowned Japanese favourites like ramen and soup curry, endless options of fresh produce, Furano may well be one of Japan’s best cities for dining out, even if it is a bit of a sleeper hit. 

So we wanted to give you the lowdown on all the best spots we think you should check out when you're visiting the emerging central Hokkaido hotspot.

Note: If you really want to explore the best F&B destinations around Furano, you’ll need wheels. Over summer, we recommend an E-Bike, and winter, a car. Although, as we are writing this blog during the warmer summer months, let’s just act like you’re all taking the E-Bike option. So with that in mind, here’s the 'Foodie Ride Guide to Furano'.

Cafe Goryo

If the words rustic, artisan or homemade come to mind when you think of your favourite eating spots, Cafe Goryo is the spot for you. 

Located in the middle of picturesque farmland, right near the Cheese Factory, Cafe Goryo specialises in farm-to-table vegetarian cuisine that leans into both Nepalese and Indian influence. Think, homemade breads and sweets, keema curries loaded with fresh homegrown veggies, self-made curry powders, and a delicious cup of joe – again, with home roasted beans. 

Recommend: The Goryo Sandwich (either mushrooms or fresh veggies) on freshly baked ciabatta. 

Furano Cheese Factory

If we're leaning into this being a 'ride guide', it only makes sense to go straight from Cafe Goryo to the Furano Cheese Factory, as they are right around the corner from each other. 

If you’re unsure what the Cheese Factory is famous for... it’s cheese. Butttttt, more specifically, their cheese pizzas. 

Freshly baked pizzas, made in store, with Furano’s famous cheese – honestly, what’s not to love. Plus, there’s also epic options to do a factory tour, and if you want to earn your churn, ice cream, cheese and butter making courses.

Recommend: Cheese and Onion Pizza, or the Furano 5-Cheese Pizza

Boo’s Burgers

Sometimes, you just need a burger. 

And before you start shaming yourself for choosing a Western comfort option, keep in mind that Japan somehow has a way of making every other country's national dish even better. need an example of this? Boo’s Burger. 

It’s so good that it’ll even have the Americans And Australians will be re-ranking their 'Best Burgers' list. AND not only is it an epic menu loaded with some really interesting selections (Apple and Sour burger), literally everything is homemade – everything.

From the buns, to the sauces, to the bacon, homemade. And the results are evident, with Boo’s quite possibly standing up as Hokkaido’s best burger spot – and yes, we have also eaten at Lake Toya’s Hydune.

Recommend: If you’re feeling a classic, the double cheeseburger (add avocado), if you want something more adventurous, the Apple & Sour.

Shirona

When a restaurant’s menu only has a few specialty items on it, you know it’s going to be good. So when going to Shirona, the revered gyoza hotspot, you know that you’re in for a treat. 

A small yet trendy spot, with its interior completely covered by the illustrations and signatures of its many international visitors, Shirona is known as the ultimate spot for gyoza, especially their wagyu gyoza,  a showstopper causing Shirona’s line to constantly be out the door. 

Buttttttt, hot take here, their fried chicken is equally as good. So if you’re looking for a light dining option where you don’t feel heavy when getting back on the bike afterwards, some homemade karaage and gyoza is a pretty epic option.   

Recommend: Kuro gyoza set with a side of fried chicken

Shinatora

Can there really be a Furano food guide that doesn’t include ramen? We don’t think so. 

But we also know that ramen can get old pretty quickly, with most restaurants only serving up the same two styles of broth: salt and miso. 

That’s what makes Shinatora so special. A tiny hole-in-the-wall ramen joint that specialises in Black Shio Ramen (Black Garlic Ramen), served up with a distinct deep black broth, Shinatora has made its name as a ramen spot that places taste above tradition. And, if you’ve got a picky eater in the group who may not love a garlic based broth, they also serve up epic options such as a homemade chilli tomato ramen (also a must-try).

Recommend: Do we ever need to say, clearly, the Black Shio ramen

Kaiten Sushi Topical

If we’re including ramen, sushi has to make the list as well, and in terms of sushi in Furano, there’s nowhere better than Kaiten Sushi Topical. Not only is it incredibly cheap, it’s all the freshest ingredients, made to order right in front of you.

Recommend: Snow Crab Sashimi

Kaneko Coffee KamiFurano

Did we save one of the best options for last? Yes, yes we did. 

Seriously, if you’ve visited Furano before and haven’t been to Kaneko Coffee, you need to revisit Furano... it is THE spot.

A secluded farmland property (with farm animals on-site), that also offers home brewed coffee and the best roast pork you will find in all of Hokkaido, possibly even Japan, Kaneko is an essential stop when visiting central Hokkaido. 

Out of all the options, it’ll likely be the longest bike ride from our Rhythm Furano store, but trust us on this one – make the trek. Seriously, the lavender fields can move over, Kaneko's roast pork should be what Furano is known for moving forward.

Rather Make It At Home?

We get it, you can’t eat out for every meal. 

So for those of you wanting to find the best produce to use back at the apartment, Furano Marche will have everything you need. Offering up a bakeries, and a farmer’s market, loaded with all the best locally grown fresh produce and items from local vendors.

How about a nightcap?

As most of these venues also cross over as epic dinner options, we know that there might also be a few of you chasing an after dinner nightcap. 

If that’s the case, we have to say: put the bikes back first. In Japan, drinking and riding is treated the same as drinking while driving a car, so let’s play it safe here.

But, if you've done that, we recommend walking into town and hitting up Teriyujo Music Bar. 

If you’re unsure what Teriyujo is, it’s the Japanese word for ‘Busstop’, which is why the venue's humble owner Kei wanted to name his bar that, “as, much like a bus stop, anyone can stop in.”

A cosy spot that serves up all the best selections of house music, alongside a well stocked selection of gin and wine, Teriyujo is an epic spot for a cosy evening bev.