In Naganuma Town, the restaurant "Shidashi Enkai Shokuji no Mise Iwaki" (hereafter referred to as Iwaki) is bustling with customers the moment it opens, filling up almost immediately. What draws them in are the "Four Great Donburi," each one more impactful than the last. So, what kind of rice bowls are they?

Iwaki opened in 1979. One day, after becoming a beloved local eatery, the owner had a sudden idea. "Wouldn't it be more impressive to use much larger shrimp for the shrimp tempura bowl, so large that they hide the bowl itself?"
And so, the "O-ebi-don" (Giant Shrimp Bowl), topped with five huge shrimp, was born. However, after a customer commented, "Aren't you losing money on this?" (in Japanese, "kore, akaji nan janai?"), they decided to rename it "Akaji-don" (The "In the Red" Bowl).
Not only is it visually stunning, but it's also voluminous and reasonably priced! As a bowl that truly seems to be sold at a loss, it instantly became the restaurant's signature dish. This was the beginning of Iwaki's "Four Great Donburi." Now, let's take a look at each of these four bowls.
First is the "Akaji-don" (1,595 JPY, tax included). The tightly packed giant shrimp are sure to whet your appetite. It remains the undisputed number one most popular dish. For shrimp tempura lovers, this is an irresistible treat!
Limited to 15 servings a day is the "Kuroji-don" (1,705 JPY, tax included). Despite its name, which means "in the black" or profitable, it's just as much of a loss-leader as the Akaji-don. In fact, it's an incredible deal, topped with five pieces of large snow crab claw and leg tempura.
Born from the idea, "We have red and black, so let's make a white one too!" is the "Shiroji-don" (1,350 JPY, tax included). It's topped with two large slices of teriyaki pork shoulder and drizzled with wasabi mayonnaise. It's a beautifully colorful dish.
And the last to be created was the "Kiiro-don" (1,300 JPY, tax included). This is pronounced "kiiro-don," meaning "yellow bowl." It features a large pork cutlet (tonkatsu) covered in demi-glace sauce and topped with a fried egg. And by now, you might have noticed the clever detail: the name of each bowl matches the color of the bowl and tray!
During our visit, our group shared all the bowls, and every single one was undeniably delicious. The batter was crispy, the sauces were flavorful, and we left with full stomachs and full hearts. It's no wonder that the restaurant, which has a considerable number of seats on its first and second floors, is almost always full during business hours.

The Four Great Donburi are worth waiting in line for. When you visit Naganuma Town, be sure to give them a try.

＜Shidashi Enkai Shokuji no Mise Iwaki＞
Location: 1-6-30 Chuo-minami, Naganuma-cho, Hokkaido
Phone: 0123-88-0122