Kita no Ajigokoro Takechan
3 minutes walk from Wakkanai Station. An izakaya with seafood from both the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk — unique to Wakkanai. Specialty dishes include tako shabu-shabu using local octopus and hokke fry. So popular that during peak season (May-Oct) you must queue without a reservation. TripAdvisor 4.0, Wakkanai #1. Tabelog 3.52/263 reviews.
Reviewers say 'this is the must-go in Wakkanai — tako shabu is unavailable anywhere else' and 'you can't reserve May-Oct so queueing is inevitable, but still worth it.' Hokke fry praised for its crispy texture. Jalan rating 4.1/55 reviews.