Today's last stop was at "BAR Kurokuma" where Nyabu~ welcomed me. I can't remember your name, what was it again? I got a bit drunk and forgot (lol). This is my third visit here, but I don't remember the first one at all, so it's like my second visit in reality (lol). I ordered smoked cheese, sausages, cashew nuts, and deer jerky. The smoked cashew nuts were incredibly delicious! For drinks, I had a highball as usual. Thank you for the delicious meal! I'll be back again soon! This time in Otaru, I originally planned to drink a lot, but I suddenly got a job for early the next morning, so I couldn't drink much (lol). Well, maybe it's good that I didn't cause any trouble for everyone (lol). To all the people who hung out with me, please invite me again next time! 😉

Visited on July 27, 2019, the first day of a 2-day weekend. After attending the Otaru Chio Festival and Otaru Garasu Market, I went to BAR Kurokuma for the first time in a while. I sat in the same seat as last time and started with a toast with Otaru beer and ginger ale. For snacks, I had a platter of 7 assorted items: smoked cheese, smoked cashew nuts, kun-tama (smoked dried squid), smoked dry sausage, Wagyu jerky, pork knuckle, and chicken skin. All of them were great, but personally, I particularly enjoyed the soft and chewy texture of the chicken skin. The resident cat, the president, was missing this time, which was a concern. Now, a 3-month-old kitten named Mozuku was running around the store, providing lots of comfort. It was a place I always wanted to stop by when visiting Otaru by JR.

After leaving the polar bear, we headed to the black bear at my request... Oh, really!? (laughs) It was exactly a year since our last visit, but I was happy that they remembered us well. This time, we enjoyed some smoked assortments while sipping on a relaxing highball. The smoked dishes here are the pride of the young master, with a distinct and fragrant aroma that is different from store-bought products. I personally enjoy ham and nut-based dishes, and although it's hard to describe, the rich aroma is delightful! The cheese and half-boiled eggs were also delicious. As for the highball, I requested a whiskey with a strong flavor, and they prepared it accordingly. Just as we were about to leave, they asked us to taste-test their experimental Neapolitan dish... and our night in Otaru got a little longer. The Neapolitan was well done, and I decided to add a spicy sauce they offered. I may have chosen the spiciest one, and it became quite challenging, but it's all part of the memories (laughs). Thank you for the meal!

"Katte ni Premium Friday in Otaru ended at 'HATAKE NO NAKA' and right around the corner is 'BAR Kurokuma'. I don't remember much (^_^)/ There was one group of customers before us around 9:30 PM on Friday. It had a retro cafe vibe with a manga bookshelf rather than a typical bar. We sat at a table for four with three people. I had a Otaru beer for 500 yen and cheers! I could tell I was getting tipsy just by how the beer was poured (^_^;) We stayed for about 45 minutes. The total bill for three people was 2600 yen (；ﾟДﾟ) Pretty reasonable. Looking at the menu, it's clear that they have a focus on whiskey. Next time, I want to come back when I have better memory and try their food! Since Kurokuma was born from Shirokuma, I'm sure the food will be delicious. Took the 22:31 JR train back to Sapporo from Otaru. It was a fun, self-proclaimed drinking night in Otaru. That's all for now (^_^)b Thank you, Hichan."

Visited a restaurant in Sakaimachi on 18/2/11 after enjoying food and shopping with my wife. We arrived around 6 pm and the place was warm and stylish with almost all seats taken. We sat on a sofa seat and looked at the menu. The adorable resident cat, the "President," started patrolling. First, we toasted with Kirin Heartland and café au lait! We ordered a platter of 3 types of smoked items and a half pizza as snacks. The platter included a choice of cheese, cashew nuts, and smoked eggs, all with rich flavors that paired well with beer. The smoked egg was particularly delicious. The half pizza was crispy and easy to eat, also pairing well with beer. We then had two glasses of Otaru beer before leaving. This place is a bar run by the son of the famous Shirokuma Shokudo in Otaru, and we were impressed by the smoked items and the adorable President cat. We look forward to visiting again in the future!

In December 2017, I visited three bars in Ichinomiya, Aichi. The first stop was at "Hashioto" bar, followed by "Saihana" in Roman Yokocho, and finally "Bar Kurokuma". I came here to see the owner, who is a cat (laughs). This place is always affordable, with no cover charge or late-night surcharge. They have a great selection of whiskies, including rare ones like "Ichiro's Malt". We toasted with highballs and ordered a platter of smoked foods and some Napoli-style pasta. The pasta and rice dishes here have a unique taste that is surprisingly delicious. The owner's father runs "Shikuma Shokudo", and I can see the family's talent in running a bar. The bar has been open for almost two years, and I hope it continues to thrive for a long time.

～～～ Hokkaido Winter 2017 #8 ～～～ After enjoying delicious sushi, we headed to a bar to finish off the night... Along the Temiya Line, I remember walking down this street before, but I had no idea there was such a fantastic bar hidden in one of the alleys!! Its name is Kurokuma... Huh?? I went to Shirokuma during the day, right?? I had no idea that it's run by the son of the owner of Shirokuma Dining ＼(◎o◎)／ He really looks just like the master of Shirokuma♪ ◆ Highballs (several glasses) ◆ Assorted smoked dishes ◆ Napolitan I can't remember how many drinks I had that day, or how many cheers we had, but I started off with a highball at Kurokuma♪ They recommended the smoked dishes at Kurokuma, so we ordered the assorted platter. It's unbelievable that you can get 7 types of snacks for only 1000 yen at a fancy bar like this, right?? They were all carefully selected items, not your typical store-bought snacks, and I was amazed ＼(◎o◎)／ Even the nuts were smoked, and every bite was enjoyable♪ A prominent reviewer from Otaru recommended the Napolitan dish!! It had a simple taste like something you'd eat at a cafe, but the quality was top-notch ＼(^^)／ I was not just tipsy, I was completely drunk, but the impact of the food is still strong in my memory (≧▽≦) And so, the fun feast came to an end with that(T_T) When I returned to the hotel, it was already past 2 o'clock... I must have stayed way past their closing time, I feel bad about that(>_<) Thank you for the delicious meal(^^)

First of all, to those who are reading, please be aware that there are a lot of photos in this review, featuring the cat president (*´ー｀*). Now, despite having a full stomach, when I started walking, I wanted to visit another shop. The question was, "Is the cat okay?" Actually, I don't dislike cats, but I used to be bad with them until that day. In my 20s, I used to frequent a cabaret club called Century 21 in Susukino, where I had a chance to take home Ami-chan, who was in the top 10 for table requests at the club. So, after having yakiniku and getting Ami-chan drunk at a bar, we arrived at Ami-chan's house. However, when we entered and a cat scratched my neck, I gave up and left. Since then, I've been wary of cats. Oh, but reminiscing about those memories, we have arrived at this place now. So, I gathered my courage and entered. Inside, the cat president was lounging on the table. I greeted him and sat at the counter, and he suddenly jumped up in a three-stage attack! He then became affectionate as I petted him. I ordered a highball and the cat president seemed to relay my order to the owner in cat language. He played with me at a good distance, and the three-item set arrived. It included beef jerky, smoked nuts, and smoked bacon, all for just 500 yen. They all paired well with the highball. Then, the snack pizza arrived, but it was already half-eaten. The cat president returned, gracefully jumping around. Next, we had smoked curry with bacon, which was quite spicy and used a type of chili common in Hokkaido. We paid the bill, and as we stood up, the cat president rubbed against our legs. Overall, it was a satisfying drinking tour in Otaru. If you're not bothered by cats, this place is recommended for a stop during your drinking tour. It's not a cat bar, and the prices are reasonable. The cat president also maintains a good distance, making it a good spot for a drinking tour in Otaru.^^

**July 2016** I went to Otaru with my colleague! This post is a bit out of order (lol). This is actually my second visit, or so they say... I don't remember at all because apparently, I was completely out of it during the April Otaru meetup after-party. Rumor has it that I caused a big incident by trying to escape from this place and went missing (-_-;). Well, I'm alive and well now, so I must have been found somewhere (lol). This time, even though I had visited before, I hadn't reviewed it, and my colleagues who went with me said it was good, so I had to go and check it out! The location is a bit hard to find, it's along the old Temiya Line railroad tracks, near a park. The building has a historic look to it, especially nice at night. Oh, on this day, it was around 5:45 pm, so it was still bright outside. We had some time before having a proper dinner, so we stopped by as a pre-meal gathering. Inside, there is an L-shaped counter and one table seat. I wonder if they use the second floor? There were whiskey bottles lined up on the table next to the stairs, each with a price tag. It seems that it's recommended to end your meal with a glass of whiskey. Oh! There was a kitten there (lol), still a cute little one. If you're not a fan of cats, be prepared when visiting. For our order, we started with Otaru beer (bottle), I had the Pilsner. My colleague had the Dunkel, I think (^_^;). For snacks, we had the homemade smoked platter. There was also cheese, but I forgot to take a picture of it. We also had the fried tofu pizza and the fried rice. The fried tofu pizza was delicious, my colleague also thought so. For the second round, we had a glass of house white wine. It was a delicious meal, thank you! We'll definitely come back! Addendum: I actually came here incognito, but I was caught by a friend who happened to be there. It seems like a coincidence, but the friend stopped by for the closing. I was called out, but I was too out of it to meet up (lol). But you can't do anything bad in Otaru, you're easily found (^_^;). Next time, I'll make sure to contact in advance... sounds like a work memo! (lol)

At the fourth stop, the third round is at "Kurokuma." We walked quite a bit to get to the second place, but it seems like we'll have to go back again to get to the third place, so we ended up walking the same amount, if not more. I enjoy walking, so it's no problem for me, but as usual, the drunk guy is complaining. The members include a conniving person, someone over 60 with jet-black hair, and the expert-loving drunk guy. This is all just a joke, of course. But seriously, "Kurokuma" in Otaru? I was wondering what that was all about when the boss said, "It's a shop run by the son of a polar bear." Ah, I see. Are they known for their smoked foods? Anyway, we started with a toast with beer. At the counter, a gentleman was quietly drinking, but with our rowdy drunk guy, things were lively at the table. The atmosphere of the shop was very nice. We had smoked octopus, smoked nuts and cheese, and a champon-flavored fried rice. The champon-flavored fried rice was surprisingly delicious for only 450 yen. We alternated between Heartland beer and Ebisu beer. The smoked octopus was particularly tasty, and the smoked nuts with cheese were also good. The drunk guy suddenly shouted, "Hey, they have a 'woman platter' as a snack!" Everyone was surprised and checked the menu again, only to find it was actually a "sweet platter." It was a good time. The drunk guy, who had been clamoring for ramen since the second stop, disappeared. He must have left through the wrong door, as there are two doors, and he came in through the back door. We searched for him, but couldn't find him. The next day, he sent a message saying, "Why am I at home?" so we were relieved that he made it home safely. Since the ramen for the finish was no longer an option, where will we go next?

Visited the third place at the Otaru meetup on April 30, 2016, "BAR Kurokuma". The location is where the shop "D" used to display a lot of One Piece goods, and by the way, the owner here is the son of the popular Otaru restaurant "Shirokuma Shokudo" (laughs). The selling point here is that you can drink alcohol cheaply and casually, with prices starting at 400-500 yen per drink with no cover charge. This time we only had beer, but they seem to put effort into whiskey, so I recommend it to those who like that. The snacks were also good, with smoked jerky, cheese, and nuts with a smoky flavor that was surprisingly delicious. The highlight was the "Chanpon-flavored fried rice" for 450 yen. It had a somewhat instant-like taste, but surprisingly, I really liked it (laughs). Last time I had curry, but personally, I think I prefer this more easy-to-eat taste than the unique taste preferred by "Shirokuma Shokudo" fans (laughs). I think they opened earlier this year and are still in the trial and error phase, but I believe they will continue to improve and level up in the future. "BAR Kurokuma" is a place that shouldn't be underestimated!

At the end of a day enjoying Otaru at "Otaru Kibun-kan", "Meet Cafe", and "Souraku", we ended up at BAR Kurokuma. The selection of bars as we got closer to Otaru Station, was impressive. As soon as we entered the bar, we were greeted by "Mozuku-chan", a kitten who checked us out to make sure we were okay. With shiny white and black fur, this one-year-old kitten was rescued by the owner after getting lost near a local elementary school. After checking us out, she would coolly wander off somewhere else. It would have been nice if she stayed around a bit longer for some attention. It was around 9 pm on a Saturday, with one customer already there and three more coming in. Each time someone arrived, "Mozuku-chan" would appear out of nowhere to check them out. She was like the security guard of the bar. We settled into a cozy spot on the sofa and chairs, and I ordered a glass of red wine. Cheers! For snacks, I preferred dry options like nuts, cheese, sausages, and deer jerky. While chatting and snacking, I forgot the topics we discussed. Maybe it's just my memory getting old, as I wasn't even drunk. But I do remember having a great time. It was fun to hang out with friends of the same age, and it was energizing to think about tackling the challenges of the next day. We spent about an hour there, and the bill was kindly taken care of by one of the guys. After that, we caught the last train, a local train bound for Sapporo departing at 10:31 pm. This time, we didn't drink too much from start to finish, and we were all very mature about it. The conversation was enjoyable, and it was a great mood booster. Looking forward to the next time! Oh, and next time, I want to try some greasy "Hokkaido-style yakisoba" for the final dish!