sanokuni
5 tsubo (about 16.5 square meters) @ Sapporo City, Hokkaido - Agishiri-produced Fresh Oysters or Grilled Oysters 150 yen (per piece) - Oyster Stout 900 yen - Ezo Beer (IPA) Very Bitter Beer 800 yen
A popular izakaya where you can enjoy oysters from Agishiri, Hokkaido for only 150 yen per piece. Located a 3-minute walk from Susukino Station on the Sapporo Municipal Subway Namboku Line, this cozy little restaurant is tucked away in a narrow alley next to the popular ramen shop "Keyaki" in the Susukino area. I stumbled upon this place by chance when I visited Sapporo for a trip 6 years ago and have been back since. The shop used to be a tiny space facing Minami 6-jo Street, with only 5 tsubo of space, mainly offering standing outdoor dining. However, it has now relocated to a small shop in the alley between buildings about 100 meters away from the old location. The oysters used to be 105 yen each, but now they are 150 yen. Still, compared to ordering oysters at izakayas or oyster bars in Tokyo, where even the cheapest oyster can cost 300-400 yen, it's a great deal. I think there were no branch stores back then, but now they have 4 stores in Sapporo and branches in Tokyo, such as Roppongi, Kudanshita, and Ikebukuro, expanding their presence significantly. The Susukino store has a counter with 6 seats and 8 table seats (4 for 4 people and 1 for 2 people). When I visited around 8:30 pm on a weekend, luckily a table for 2 was available. I only stayed for about 40 minutes, but there was a constant stream of customers coming in, and the place was full, so it seems to be quite a popular spot locally. We ordered 5 pieces of fresh oysters and 5 pieces of grilled oysters each for the two of us. Since oysters alone wouldn't bring in much profit, they operate on a system where you must order at least one drink. We chose "Oyster Stout" (900 yen) and "Ezo Beer (IPA) Very Bitter Beer" (800 yen). Oyster Stout is a black beer with oyster extract added, originating in the late 19th to early 20th century in England. At that time, the combination of oysters and stout was popular, leading to the creation of this beer. It has the richness of black beer, followed by a slight umami flavor reminiscent of oyster sauce. The fresh oysters, 5 pieces each, were served on an aluminum tray. They varied in size, but each one was large and definitely worth more than 150 yen. Lemon slices cost an additional 100 yen, but a bottle of lemon juice was provided on the table for free. There was also a small bottle of Tabasco, commonly used in pizza and spaghetti, on the table. I once heard that Tabasco was developed for oysters. In Louisiana, the birthplace of Tabasco in the United States, oysters are popular, and Tabasco is commonly used in local oyster bars. Tabasco's advertising posters even featured oysters. The grilled oysters were served shortly after. We ordered 5 pieces, but we received a total of 7, with an additional piece each as a service. Even at the old location, there was a tradition of receiving an extra piece per person, and I was glad to see that it continues despite the price increase. Strangely, grilled oysters have a stronger saltiness compared to fresh oysters. Fresh oysters are best enjoyed with lemon or Tabasco, but grilled oysters are delicious as they are, without any additional seasoning.