An Unforgettable Culinary Experience in Asahikawa – Highly Recommended! ​We recently visited Sumiya during a special family trip to Hokkaido, and it was truly the highlight of our journey. As travelers from Canada, we were eager to experience an authentic, local establishment, and Sumiya exceeded every expectation. ​The quality of the food was exceptional—a masterclass in local flavor and preparation. Beyond the cuisine, what truly set this experience apart was the staff. Despite our limited Japanese and reliance on translation tools, the team went above and beyond to ensure we felt welcomed and understood. Their patience, warmth, and genuine commitment to providing us with a memorable evening were truly impressive. ​It is rare to find a place that combines such high-level culinary artistry with such heartfelt, accommodating service. Thank you to the entire team at Sumiya for making our night in Asahikawa so special. We cannot recommend this gem highly enough to anyone visiting the region. Thank you for making the end of our trip so special. All the love to this restaurant!

Terrific hole in the wall for authentic horumon, as long as you can find this hidden gem. Very affordable, although it's definitely a spot favored by locals, so don't expect a lot of help as a tourist with no Japanese. Also, don't forget to order rice, which comes separate.

The atmosphere was actually decent — people were chatting and laughing, tables were close, it felt lively… but honestly, that’s the ONLY thing this place didn’t completely ruin. The food? Absolute garbage. We arrived at 19:00 for dinner and HALF the popular items were already sold out — are you kidding me?! What kind of restaurant runs out of food before 7 pm?! And the stuff that was left? Just aggressively oversalted trash. Everything tasted like someone dumped an entire salt shaker on it and called it “seasoning”. No flavor, no effort, just pure salt assault. Worst of all, the service was straight-up insulting. You wait forever to even get your order taken, then wait even longer for the food — if it ever comes. The staff couldn’t care less if you’re starving, ignored, or pissed off. They just move around like zombies who hate their job and hate you even more. Do NOT come here if you’re actually hungry. Do NOT come here if you value your money. Do NOT come here unless you enjoy being disappointed, over-salted, and treated like you don’t exist. What a disgusting waste of time and money. Never again.

My favorite restaurant in asahikawa. Everything was so nice. Place is very warm during the winter, so cozy. Must try the soy pudding and the sausage!

+3

Went in 7.20pm without reservation. Waiter asked us to come back 8pm, that we did but half of the menu were not available. We seated indoor but there weren’t any working ventilators. Very smokey, first time I had my tears dropped and blocked nose due to these indoor smoke in a restaurant. Can’t believe this happened in Japan. Maybe outdoor is a better choice.