I didn't expect to drink in a place like this in Kitami with just the two of us. We came to the Bonchi Festival today, where Yome-san participated in an event as "Rokurokubi" at a sideshow booth. I see it every day, so I didn't feel the need to watch it again. Are you feeling disgusted by it? Well, it's convenient, but... why? I said I would walk for a day for my diet, but I haven't walked that much. After the event ended, we checked into a hotel in Kitami and immediately started drinking. We drank at three places in the city center and then walked to the fireworks display venue. I'm starting to feel tired even though I haven't walked much today. However, I'm not entering because I'm tired, but because I'm greedy, I find a restaurant and say, "Let's go in." "Umaisho-ya" - I knew there was an izakaya here, but I never imagined I would end up drinking here. It's quite far from the city. It has a chain restaurant feel, but I don't really know. There's also a restaurant next door, but when I looked at the menu, it seemed to be affiliated with this one. They seem to be inviting us in a suggestive way, but I'm not sure if they're actually letting us in. When Yome-san said, "It'll be about 30 minutes," we were shown to a sunken kotatsu room. Even though it's a place like this, it's crowded. Is it crowded because of the fireworks display, or was it already this popular? I don't really understand. The counter and the sunken kotatsu are full. Since we were shown to a sunken kotatsu right after entering, I couldn't grasp the whole picture, but we ordered beer. The atmosphere feels more like a counter restaurant than a sunken kotatsu one. Families seem to be using the sunken kotatsu. We toasted with beer. The beer is delicious. There's jellyfish, cucumber, and what else? Cucumber is obvious, and I don't like jellyfish, so I will never eat it even if I'm killed. We ordered a sashimi platter, and Yome-san chose it. I don't order things I don't understand. It says "omakase" (chef's choice). I had a bad feeling about the sashimi platter, and it turned out to be a disappointment. Sweet shrimp, salmon, and yellowtail? Hamachi, I think. I think it's Hokkaido yellowtail. I ate it just to confirm, but it's definitely enough with one slice. It lacks the richness of fat. I don't like sweet shrimp, so I didn't eat it. The salmon has a thick flesh. It tastes like salmon, and I can eat it as sashimi, but I didn't. You didn't eat salmon as sushi topping before, right? There was no such thing as salmon as sushi topping back then. Why did you start eating such things? It's the number one or two popular thing. Is it not embarrassing as a Japanese? I said to the waitress, "You're pleasant." But I didn't say it while looking her in the eyes, so I said, "Thank you" first and then she looked a little anxious. That's the only thing I felt impressed by. I said, "You're pleasant." But I didn't say it while looking her in the eyes, so I said, "Thank you" first and then she looked a little anxious. That's the only thing I felt impressed by. The worst was the second beer. Hey, did you bring this out in advance? Take away this flat beer!! Did you really bring this to me to drink? The waitress who was in charge was very pleasant, and I was very impressed by her. That's it, I was impressed by that. Keep up the good work. I said, "You're pleasant." But I didn't say it while looking her in the eyes, so I said, "Thank you" first and then she looked a little anxious.

Today was my first time visiting, but the food was delicious and even though we went with a large group without notice, they were very accommodating and we had a great time. I would like to go again.

The motsu hot pot was delicious. The motsu was chewy and there was a lot of it. It was quite authentic!

Everything I ate was delicious.

◆April 2014◆ I visited this place for dinner while I was in Kitami for some business. It's an izakaya, but they offer a great lunch deal on weekdays which caught my attention. The interior has a counter and private rooms with sunken kotatsu tables. The staff is lively and energetic. [Menu] The menu is typical izakaya fare, with a variety of fish, skewers, and small dishes. Their recommended dishes are Hakata beef offal hot pot, charcoal-grilled local chicken thighs, and topped sushi. I was pleased that they offer the offal hot pot for single servings. I ordered raw shrimp (8 pieces), oysters with ponzu sauce, a selection of 5 skewers, and topped sushi. I also ordered oolong tea, and they served simmered butterbur as a complimentary appetizer. The topped sushi was impressive, with a thick roll of cucumber sushi topped generously with salmon roe, minced tuna with green onions, and crab. It was quite filling and had a big impact. The skewers included pork shoulder, pork belly, chicken skin, green onion, and pork skewers. The pork skewers had wasabi on them, giving a refreshing taste. They were delicious, especially with the sauce they were marinated in. [Other] When I was leaving, I found that my shoes, which I had left in the shoe locker, were neatly placed outside. I was impressed as no one had seen where I had placed them, so I wondered how they knew they were mine.

This izakaya, which opened just last year, is located next to Tsuruha Drug in Harumitsu-cho, away from the city. They only serve lunch on weekdays, so it was hard to go there... (they are open on holidays) Finally, I was able to go during the Obon holiday. The lunch menu on that day looked like this ☆ - Topped Sushi Set Meal - Sushi - Soba Set Meal - Larasara Set Meal - Sashimi Set Meal - Fried Chicken with Japanese Sauce Set Meal - Ginger Pork Set Meal - Nasi Goreng Set Meal - Buri Kama Set Meal All priced at 1,050 yen. Since it's a "summer lunch," the menu might change soon... All of them look appealing and I want to try, but this time I made a decision without hesitation! [Topped Sushi Set Meal] Fell in love at first sight with the "mountain" of sushi~! It comes with salad, cold tofu, small dishes, simmered dish, and miso soup. Kappa maki with Negitoro, flying fish roe, crab, and shredded egg on top! But at first glance, it wasn't as much as I imagined... However, after finishing it, I was super full!! For 1,050 yen, it might be a good deal☆ I used a coupon and got a choice of dessert. [Almond Tofu] It's said to have a special milk topping! It's a smooth and creamy almond tofu♪ The evening izakaya menu seemed to offer a variety from classics to unique dishes, so I'm looking forward to going at night next time.

I made a reservation and arrived right on time, but I was made to wait. My name was checked multiple times. The kitchen staff worked efficiently, the menu was extensive, and the food was good, but it felt a bit pricey. The appetizer cost 350 yen, and the simmered konjac was a bit mediocre.

Although it's not located in the heart of the city, this restaurant is quite crowded, possibly due to the convenient parking. I thought it wouldn't be too busy on a Sunday night, but almost every table was taken except for at the counter. The menu offers a variety of dishes typical of izakayas. I regretted not buying motsunabe at a Kyushu Okinawa product fair, so I eagerly ordered it when I saw it on the menu. Among other dishes we ordered, the motsunabe and skewers were particularly delicious. The kitchen staff worked efficiently, although some of the servers seemed inexperienced and had a bit of a tough time. The area next to the counter where dishes were handed out was a bit disappointing as you could hear the conversations. We ordered motsunabe, bonjiri, nankotsu, chicken sasami with wasabi, chicken tataki, avocado and seafood salad, and a sushi platter similar to a "nokke-mori". The total for two people, including drinks, was around 9000 yen.

There are many stylish dishes! The prices feel a bit high for the portion size.