中野クレイジー
As of January 9, 2022, the opening and closing hours have been changed to one hour earlier. After watching a pro-wrestling match, we went out for dinner. Since my friend isn't a big fan of meat, I picked out several fish-focused restaurants, but considering that Oita is known for its delicious fish, I was unsure. However, I also included a restaurant that serves excellent horumon dishes, as my friend enjoyed motsunabe during the New Year's holiday. We decided to go to "Nikomi," a restaurant specializing in simmered dishes. My friend mentioned that they tend to get stomachaches from raw or grilled meat, but they are fine with simmered dishes, hamburgers, and horumon dishes. So, there was no reason not to go for simmered dishes!
We called ahead to check for availability and then headed to the restaurant. Although it was a place my friend had introduced me to and I had not visited due to the decrease in visits to Fukuoka during the pandemic, there were some changes. The operating hours were shifted one hour earlier from the previous 6:00 pm to 3:00 am schedule. They also introduced ordering via QR code. While you can still verbally place your order, there is a 10% service charge for that, so using the QR code is more cost-effective if someone in your group has a compatible smartphone. Due to it being a Sunday on a holiday weekend or due to the pandemic, the seating was limited to two hours. This was new to me, as I had visited several times before. The menu seemed unchanged at first glance, but I was relieved to see their symbolic dish, the premium horumon yaki, on the menu.
We ordered our drinks and made a quiet toast. The QR code offered various options for mixing drinks, such as soda or on the rocks, making it easy to choose. However, there was no option to specify dilution in the comments section, which could be challenging for those who prefer weaker drinks. The peach sake with tonic was like peach soda, very juicy and tasty. We started with the "Yamaimo Tansaku" as a warm-up, which was consistently delicious. The "Oppai Yakimeshi" was a flavorful grilled rice dish with brown meat scattered throughout. It had a slight spiciness and was refreshing, making it very appetizing. Although we ordered it as the last dish, it arrived almost first, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. The "Premium Horumon Yaki" was the highlight of the meal, with tender and flavorful horumon grilled to perfection. It was served with either salt or ponzu sauce, both of which were delicious. Even without rice, it was a satisfying dish, but it would have been even better with rice. The "Motsu Nikomi" had a gentle miso or sweet soy sauce flavor, with tofu complementing the dish well. It had a taste similar to a porridge, which was comforting on a cold night. The dish went well with the horumon, and the generous amount of green onions added a nice touch.
Overall, it was a delightful dining experience, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for delicious horumon dishes in the area.