Welcome. ---------- October 2020 ---------- Located at North 1 West 2, facing North, Ramen Q is on the 4th floor of the building. It seems like customers are slowly starting to come back. The counter, tables, and private rooms are all full. If you're alone, you can't use the private rooms, it's a rule. You have to wait until the next cleaning for seating availability, but it's unclear how long that will take. Smoking is allowed all day, which can be tough for non-smokers. It gets really crowded around noon, with mostly young staff. The menu has a wide variety of options. Today's special is "Pork Curry" and the "Irorian set meal" comes with sashimi. The tuna, yellowtail, and salmon sashimi were a bit watery. The side dishes included crispy and juicy zangi, reliable ham cutlet, flavorful braised pork, a solid potato salad, and pickles. The salad with leaves was refreshing. The meal also came with free extra rice (of course, I went for it). The miso soup with seaweed was a nice touch. The set meal was filling, making it feel like you could have a drink at lunch. It would be nice if the prices were listed including tax, as it can feel more expensive when added later (979 yen is a bit high).

When you opt for all-you-can-drink, they expect you to leave in 90 minutes. This place doesn't really offer a "take your time" vibe... It's more like a fast-food joint. The wasabi wasn't very strong, but I'll just show you the seared tuna. See you next time!

I had some light ramen and then just kept eating oysters because I was already somewhat full. There was a moment when the grilled oyster was too small, but the thoughtful waiter brought a larger one as a service. The oysters were delicious, and I kept drinking local sake for 2 hours until it was time to leave. It was truly just oysters. Thank you for the meal! ^_^

Today, after work, I went to a drinking party with my colleagues. We visited Hokkaido seafood izakaya called Irorian near the Clock Tower for the first time. It was recommended by my colleague, so I had high expectations when entering. We started with all-you-can-drink and ordered chicken karage, assorted sashimi, horse sashimi, and swordfish tempura. - Beer and appetizers were served promptly and were delicious. - The horse sashimi was sweet and tasted great with the sauce and garlic. - The swordfish tempura was from Honshu, not caught in Hokkaido. It was crispy and had a delicate flavor. - We also ordered sautéed squid innards, which had a rich and delicious taste. We ordered a variety of dishes, and as the conversation heated up later on, we forgot to take pictures of some items, especially the alcoholic drinks. It was my first visit, but the service was good, and the food was delicious. I particularly enjoyed the horse sashimi, swordfish tempura, and sautéed squid innards. I will definitely come back. Thank you for the meal.

The all-you-can-drink option was available, and the food was delicious as well. The sashimi was fresh and had good value for money. It's cheap and has a wide variety of menu options. The steamed pork in a bamboo steamer is delicious! I had a great time with incredibly delicious food. The daily lunch special is also tasty!

Crowdfunding consumed, so heading to lunch. What should I eat? The sashimi was okay. Today's assorted sashimi rice bowl 890 yen + tax Tuna and octopus. As the name suggests, the sashimi is in chunks. The wasabi lacks spiciness. I ask for an extra serving. The tuna is delicious. The yellowtail is a bit fishy. The octopus is average. The rice is not freshly cooked. There is self-service coffee after the meal and smoking is allowed, which is okay. However, the entire restaurant is like a smoking area, so I wouldn't recommend it to non-smokers.

I came here after a long time. It's before 12 o'clock so I could easily get in. Some lunch options were sold out. Hmm. Daily special set meal for 690 yen. They asked me about the amount of rice, so I didn't forget to ask for a smaller portion. It's not a habit for me, so I tend to forget. It arrived in about 15 minutes. The fried chicken was crispy and freshly fried. The sauce was fruity and delicious. The rice was probably leftover from the night before. It would have been better if it was freshly cooked. It was worth the price.

On this day, after a meeting, we had a dinner meeting. We visited Irorian, a restaurant with private rooms. The keyword for a 500 yen discount was "all-you-can-drink"! The portion sizes of the food were a bit small. The drinks came out quickly. We ordered various items, but I forgot to take pictures ( ; ; ) It was a bit disappointing that some items were out of stock. Thank you for the meal!

Lunch is usually a solo affair for me, but today I was invited out for a rare lunch date. I made a reservation because the place gets crowded quickly, especially since smoking is allowed. There was something that caught my eye on the menu - seared lamb and rice bowl for 790 yen plus tax. Apparently, it's often sold out, but luckily they had it today. Yay! I wonder when they'll start including tax in the price? While chatting, we waited for our food. Finally, it arrived with a nice aroma. My colleague said it was seared too much, but I didn't feel that way. I enjoyed both the crispy and cold parts of the dish. The onsen egg is a must-have, right? We also got complimentary coffee after the meal and continued chatting. The fun time flew by quickly, but now it's time to tackle the rest of the afternoon. Let's do our best!

I went after a long time! Today's daily lunch special, grated zangi set meal for ¥680 + tax. I asked for less rice, so usually it comes with more. It was freshly made, and thanks to the grated daikon, it was refreshing yet juicy and delicious. I want to go again!

I don't have much of an appetite today, but I know I need to eat to make it through the afternoon. I decided to try the Salmon Three-Way Bowl with less rice. It was served as a regular bowl and included marinated and seared salmon with a raw egg yolk on top. The sashimi was really delicious and the portions were generous. Instead of the usual potato salad, I had macaroni salad which was on the sweeter side. They also gave me a complimentary coffee after the meal. This meal filled me up nicely, maybe I eat too much on a regular basis.

Today I plan to indulge in a big meal at night, so I want to keep my lunch light (skipping it is not an option). In that case, this plate seems like a good choice. It's a women-only plate lunch for 590 yen before tax. I've been eating too quickly lately, so I'm trying to chew consciously. However, I finish my meal in just 10 minutes. I like the ginger flavor in the ginger pork here. Oh, the miso soup comes in a regular bowl, easy to eat. I'm leaving my stomach 70% full to prepare for the night.

I'm feeling a bit down. I want to eat while smoking a cigarette. In times like that, I recommend Irorian. Bintoro Taku Donburi for 790 yen excluding tax. It's busy today because it's lunchtime. The staff also seem busy. My first impression is that it's small. Just a normal rice bowl. Inside the bintoro, there are diced tuna. The taste is delicious. The ingredients are cold, but the rice is warm, so the colors change a bit. You can chew the pickles properly. After finishing the meal, I received a coffee and felt a bit calmer. By the time I left, the restaurant had calmed down too, and I was sent off with a smile. Time to get back to work in the afternoon.

Today's lunch was at a place in the Odori area around 11:30. I had never been there before, but I decided to take the elevator in the building up to the 4th floor. They had a variety of lunch options, and after some deliberation, I chose the set meal with the restaurant's name on it. More customers started coming in later on. It's a smoking-permitted restaurant with counter seats, but I felt like they weren't taking many COVID-19 precautions. This is just my personal impression. The food arrived fairly quickly - it included three types of sashimi, zangi (fried chicken), braised pork, and ham cutlet. There was also salad, potato salad, pickles, miso soup with seaweed, and you could choose the amount of rice. The presentation was nice, but the rice wasn't very tasty. I didn't finish the miso soup, but I ate everything else. The total came to 979 yen including tax.

I was running late for my lunch break. I wanted something warm to eat quickly, so I decided to go to a place that I know serves food fast. They had a special of the day, a two-color bowl with minced tuna and flying fish roe. Both are my favorites. The portion size was smaller than expected, but the minced tuna was surprisingly delicious. The warm rice and crunchy flying fish roe were very satisfying. I should have ordered a larger portion. After finishing the meal, I felt pleasantly full. The quick service allowed me to enjoy a cup of coffee and take a short break. I will definitely rely on this place when I'm short on time.

Unusually frustrated at work. Ah, I want to smoke. Oh, I remember there was a smoking-friendly izakaya for lunch. I visit there. Water is served in a beer mug. Very izakaya-like. There are various lunch menu options and I'm torn. Not that hungry, so I opt for the women-only one-plate lunch. Take a puff until it arrives. The whole place is probably smokers. Even though the window is open, the restaurant itself feels like a smoking area. The lunch plate includes zangi, ginger pork, potato salad, and pickles. The seasoning is just right, not too strong. It's nice that lemon is served with the zangi. The ginger pork is thinly sliced and easy to eat. The onions still have a crisp texture. The miso soup may be a bit bland. I like the cheap-tasting potato salad. I want more, but it's just a small portion, so I guess I'll have to hold back. Enjoying a complimentary coffee and another smoke. Feeling much calmer now. I'll come back if I get frustrated again.

After a study meeting, we had a social gathering at a restaurant starting at 8 pm. The place was somewhere between Odori and Sapporo Station. The set menu included hot pot and all-you-can-drink for 3500 yen, with a coupon used as well. It was crowded, so we moved to a back room. The server took our drink orders with a nice smile. The first impression of a restaurant is important. The hot pot had chicken, but it took a while to get utensils. The operation could be improved. The meal included salad, sashimi, tofu, fried chicken, udon noodles, dessert, and all-you-can-drink. Even without the coupon, it was a satisfying meal. Thank you for the feast. I would definitely consider revisiting.

All-you-can-drink option available. The selling point is fresh oysters for 130 yen each. However, other food items are priced 100-200 yen higher than market price. It's fair that each person can only order one food item when using the all-you-can-drink option. Orders are taken efficiently using tablets. Unfortunately, the building itself is old and the facilities like the restroom are in poor condition, which is a downside.

"I used to frequent 'Irorian' on the streetcar street. The familiar manager and the cute girl who worked there are no longer around, so I haven't been going as often. A new one opened up nearby! The system is pretty much the same, but if you want all-you-can-drink super dry beer, it's an extra 300 yen. The food menu prices are maybe about 50 yen higher. Since it's an izakaya, you have to order at least one item if you want the all-you-can-drink option. It's a good place! I had a great time drinking from 6 pm with the Shirasu Oroshi. Susukino is calling, so... I'm off to go there now. 😊"

Congratulations on the grand opening! The Hien Kitaguchi store has opened next, and it has been renovated beautifully. The layout remains the same, with elegant tables and chairs. The private rooms are still available, but the one at the back for 8-12 people can get rowdy and disturb other customers. The standard all-you-can-drink (including beer) for 120 minutes is usually 1,480 yen, but for the opening special, it is only 500 yen for 120 minutes! Of course, there is a requirement to order at least one food item. I ordered three fresh Seifunji oysters for 130 yen each, which were small but delicious. The steamed chicken Caesar salad for 590 yen was also tasty. They were out of medium fatty tuna, so they tried to sell me fatty tuna for 980 yen, which was good but a bit pricey. The mixed chicken and vegetable dish for 590 yen seemed smaller than expected, but it was light and tasty. Many places with all-you-can-drink tend to have expensive food, but this place seems reasonable and a good choice.

Well, it was average? If I had to say, it was a bit expensive. The staff atmosphere was good though. The sashimi assortment had a luxurious presentation, but it was lukewarm and disappointing... If they had used ice, it would have been a 100 out of 100!