Menmu Nabechan on Rishiri Island: Kelp-Cured Flounder with a Shochu Made from Rishiri Kelp

By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published
Menmu Nabechan on Rishiri Island: Kelp-Cured Flounder with a Shochu Made from Rishiri Kelp

Quick answers

  • Sashimi platter with kelp-cured flounder 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000 yen; Rishiri kelp shochu and whisky 700 yen each (June 2026)
  • Got a counter seat without a booking at 18:00 on a Thursday in June, though it was fairly busy
  • Lunch 11:00 to 13:00, dinner 17:00 to 22:00; Rishiri Plus lists Sundays closed, its Instagram says irregular days
  • A little over five minutes on foot from Hotel Rishiri in Kutsugata

Flounder cured in kelp, with a glass of shochu made from Rishiri kelp: that was my second dinner on Rishiri Island, at Menmu Nabechan, a restaurant in Kutsugata, the town on the island's west side. It serves ramen and set meals at lunch and turns into an izakaya (a Japanese pub) in the evening. I went on a Thursday night in late June 2026; here is what I ate, what it cost, how busy it was and when it is open.

Menmu Nabechan hours and closing days

Menmu Nabechan is open for lunch from 11:00 to 13:00 and for dinner from 17:00 to 22:00 (the island's tourism site Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026). Rishiri Plus lists Sunday as the closing day, but the restaurant's own Instagram (nabe_chan61) says it closes on irregular days and posts any extra closures there, so check it before you go, whatever the day. The phone number is 090-6217-4011.

At lunch the menu is mostly ramen, zangi (Hokkaido-style fried chicken) and set meals; in the evening it becomes an izakaya with daily dishes and seafood (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026). I only went in the evening.

What I ate at Menmu Nabechan

I ordered the sashimi platter. It came with kelp-cured flounder (hirame no kobujime), amberjack, octopus and sweet shrimp, with tachikama, a soft fish cake made from cod milt, in the middle. There are three sizes at different prices, and I had the cheapest one.

The 2,000-yen sashimi platter at Menmu Nabechan, with kelp-cured flounder on a sheet of kelp in front, sweet shrimp and white tachikama behind

With it I had a rice ball wrapped in island nori (shima-nori onigiri) and scallops sautéed in butter.

A large rice ball wrapped in dark island nori, with the sashimi platter behind it at Menmu Nabechan

To drink, I tried the shochu (a Japanese distilled spirit) and the whisky made with Rishiri kelp. I had the shochu with water, and it had a faint smell of kelp. The whisky had only come out on June 10, two weeks before, and I had it with soda.

Rishiri kelp shochu with water in a beer mug, with a thin dark strip standing in it, on the counter at Menmu Nabechan
Rishiri kelp whisky with soda in a small patterned glass at Menmu Nabechan

Kelp liquor, kelp-cured flounder and a rice ball in island nori: if you want one dinner that tastes of Rishiri, this is the place I'd send you.

How much dinner costs at Menmu Nabechan

These are the prices on the day I went (June 2026).

MenuPrice
Sashimi platter2,000 / 3,000 / 4,000 yen
Rishiri kelp shochu700 yen
Rishiri kelp whisky700 yen

Do you need a reservation at Menmu Nabechan?

I was there from 18:00 to 19:30 on a Thursday, June 25. It was fairly busy, but a counter seat was free, so I sat down straight away without a booking.

That night there happened to be a local festival, and the owner was out helping with it, so there were fewer staff and the drinks and food were slow to come. When my butter scallops went to another table by mistake, they brought me herring roe as an apology for the wait. It tasted a little like sea urchin, with a faint smell of the sea. Even on a busy festival night the staff were kind and the food was good.

Butter-sautéed scallops on a scallop shell, right, and the herring roe I was given as an apology, left, at Menmu Nabechan

Still, on the same trip another izakaya on the island was fully booked when I tried it around 18:00, even in June. If you can't risk missing dinner, ask your hotel to call ahead for you.

How to get to Menmu Nabechan

Menmu Nabechan is at 70 Honcho, Kutsugata, Rishiri Town. I was staying at Hotel Rishiri in Kutsugata and walked there in a little over five minutes, leaving the car at the hotel. If you stay in Kutsugata, you can walk to dinner and have a drink without worrying about driving.

Menmu Nabechan in the evening, a two-story gray building with banners and a lit entrance on the ground floor
Hotel Rishiri on Rishiri Island: An Onsen Hotel Where You Can Walk Out to DinnerTwo nights at Hotel Rishiri in Kutsugata: the onsen source bath, tororo kombu miso soup at breakfast, prices, parking, the free shuttle and winter closure.

FAQ about Menmu Nabechan

Q1. Do I need a reservation at Menmu Nabechan?

I didn't need one at 18:00 on a weekday in June; it was fairly busy, but a counter seat was free. If you're worried about a busy night, call ahead (090-6217-4011).

Q2. Is Menmu Nabechan open for lunch?

Yes, from 11:00 to 13:00, mostly ramen, zangi fried chicken and set meals (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026). I only went for dinner.

Q3. What should I order at Menmu Nabechan?

For a taste of the island, the sashimi platter with kelp-cured flounder (from 2,000 yen in June 2026) and a glass of Rishiri kelp shochu or whisky (700 yen each).

More on Rishiri Island

Menmu Nabechan was my dinner on the second night, after a full loop of the island. Here is the whole two-night drive with times and costs.

Rishiri Island Itinerary: 2 or 3 Days Around Mt. Rishiri by Rental CarA Sapporo local's Rishiri Island itinerary by rental car, with real times: flights from Sapporo, picking up the car at the airport, Himenuma Pond, Cape Peshi, sea urchin season and prices, where to stay, costs, and a shorter 1-night version.