Visited "Honoo" for the first time in Asahikawa with former colleagues from my previous workplace for a drinking party. It's a chain restaurant found in various locations. The zangi (fried chicken), yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), and tsukune (chicken meatballs) were very delicious. However, I was surprised by how noisy the interior of this particular branch was. Even when facing each other, it was hard to hear conversations. I wonder if it's the design of the restaurant? It's a shame because the food was tasty.

There are several branches of a izakaya chain in the major cities of Hokkaido. Some branches also open for lunch, but this particular one operates from the evening for drinking. They don't particularly focus on beer brands, but they serve Malt beer here. They offer Hokkaido specialties like Zangi, and the prices are relatively affordable, which is helpful.

During the state of emergency, the restaurant was temporarily operating as Let's Go Curry, but now it's back to being a Flame restaurant while still serving Let's Go Curry menu. I downloaded the app while eating the Tokachi Cheese Curry with added sweetness, spiciness, and numbness powder. I realized I missed out on the first-time offer for a free topping, but it's valid for a year so I'll use it next time. Some people were drinking during the day as it's also a good place for a final meal. The flavors were amazing. Thank you very much.

I found a delicious yakitori restaurant on Tabelog! On my way there... "En"!!! It's a Hokkaido chain restaurant, but seriously... the tsukune is delicious! And it's cheap (with all-you-can-drink for one person), so... it's a jackpot if you can get in while on a business trip to Hokkaido. I remember it being crowded in Sapporo and having a hard time getting in... is it because of the coronavirus pandemic? It was empty this time though. Still, I enjoyed delicious food and drinks for 120 minutes~ (I'm eating more than it looks in the photo, haha) It's the oasis of solo drinking in Hokkaido ⭐⭐

I saw the appearance of the store and thought that all-you-can-drink was too cheap. It made me feel a little suspicious, so I peeked inside. It was full of local salarymen and group customers, so I felt relieved and entered. They said even solo customers can enjoy all-you-can-drink. I drank plenty of highballs. The salted zangi that came out was also good quality. It was delicious. The tsukune (chicken meatballs) were only 100 yen each. When I bit into it, the meat juices burst out. It was cheap and delicious. The service was also very good. It's a great place for drinkers. There's nothing to complain about with this affordability. I would like to visit again when I travel to Asahikawa.

I was feeling lost after being turned away from the shop I was looking forward to since morning, but then I remembered hearing on a TV show that a morning izakaya called "Inochi no Hi" had opened on Kaimono Park Street. So, I decided to visit. I ordered the DX yakitori set meal (759 yen), but they also had set meals starting from 429 yen. I got a soup that seemed like it was made with raw tsukune as a side. The yakitori and tsukune were all delicious and satisfying. They were served with salt without asking, but I personally prefer the tsukune with sauce, especially the tsukune with egg on top. The set also included natto, cold tofu, seaweed, and pickles, making it a great choice for those who want a hearty meal in the morning. Highballs in the morning were only 110 yen, and morning beers were 209 yen. They also offered a morning all-you-can-drink option for 500 yen for 60 minutes. I can drink in the morning, so I wished there were morning izakayas like this in Sapporo too.

With the "Youth 18 Ticket," I embarked on a casual trip starting from Sapporo and arriving in Asahikawa on the first train. It was a little before 9 o'clock, and I wandered around the shopping park looking for open stores. I remembered that "Honoo" had started serving breakfast. I made my way there. Unfortunately, there were no open stores, so I had no choice but to enter "Honoo." The breakfast menu was filled with raw tsukune dishes. I sat at the counter after undergoing temperature checks and sanitizing. The morning menu included an extensive selection of alcoholic beverages, with special morning drink prices. The morning menu was quite elaborate, offering items like morning highball for 100 yen and morning beer for 190 yen. I ordered the "Tsukune Donburi with Raw Egg Set" for 390 yen (excluding tax). The meal arrived in 7 minutes, consisting of two raw tsukune skewers, white rice, raw egg, and soup. I made a raw egg over rice (TKG) and enjoyed the delicious tsukune. The seaweed soup was too salty for my liking, so I couldn't drink it. This was the most affordable breakfast option, and for a few hundred yen more, additional items like natto, seaweed, fried chicken, and yakitori could be added. I will definitely visit this place again in Sapporo. Stay tuned for more explorations in Asahikawa.

This restaurant shifted its business hours to cater to morning and afternoon drinkers, from 9am to 5pm, starting in April this year. It seems to have established itself as a popular spot for morning and afternoon drinking, with customers coming in regularly. I was surprised to see many customers enjoying "morning drinking" right as the shop opened. I had only one glass of wine at another place for lunch, but it wasn't enough, so I decided to stop by here. They offer a morning drink all-you-can-drink for 500 yen (excluding tax) until 11:30am, and the same price applies for the lunchtime drink all-you-can-drink starting from 11:30am. The lunchtime drink all-you-can-drink lasts until closing at 5pm. The prices are very attractive, making it a great deal. I ordered the lunchtime drink all-you-can-drink for 60 minutes for 500 yen (excluding tax). There is no table charge, so you can order your favorite snacks. I ordered the "Tsukune with egg yolk" for 300 yen, "Squid with natto" for 290 yen, and "Oshinko" for 190 yen. For drinks, I started with draft beer and then switched to local sake, trying "Onikoroshi," "Tagatsuru," "Michinoku local sake," and "Matsubame Gokai" within 60 minutes (laughs). The snacks were very reasonably priced, especially the "Tsukune" here is delicious. The squid with natto for 290 yen is also satisfying for the price. It seems they were closed during the state of emergency, but otherwise, they always seem to have many customers. While many other izakayas adjusted their hours to offer afternoon drinking during the state of emergency, this place's hours of 9am to 5pm allowed them to continue as usual. I sometimes receive Line messages from drinking friends showing they are here, and with such affordable prices for drinks and food, it's easy to see why they want to share with their friends (laughs). It feels like the demand for afternoon drinking has increased during the pandemic.

It was also introduced on TV, but a morning drink and lunch drink specialty izakaya opened in Asahikawa City Shopping Park on April 6th. Originally, it was "Charcoal Izakaya En Shopping Park Store," but it changed its business hours to "morning drink and lunch drink" format! It is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and it closes by the time regular izakayas open. Of course, in addition to drinks, set meals are also available, so it's also good for breakfast and lunch! I entered as soon as it opened because it was expected to be crowded on the first weekend after opening. And then customers came one after another! By 9:40, it was full and there were customers waiting! The all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink until 11:30 a.m. is so cheap that it could be called a "price collapse"? You can also order a la carte, but I opted for the "Morning All-You-Can-Drink (60 minutes) " (500 yen excluding tax) and "Morning All-You-Can-Eat (60 minutes) " (980 yen). I thought the Morning All-You-Can-Drink would be limited to drinks, but when I asked the staff, they said all drinks on the menu were included. I started with a "draft beer" (I was so happy that I forgot to take a picture), and then I continued to drink the "coffee shochu" that is popular for morning drinking. I asked the staff again if the expensive sake was also included in the 500 yen all-you-can-drink, and I switched to sake (I told them I wanted to take a picture of the bottle, and they brought it to me!). I had three cups of "Tagatsuru," "Onigoroshi," and "Komeichizu." The individual prices for all of them are in the 400 yen range, so is it okay to offer them for 500 yen all-you-can-drink?? As a drinker, I'm happy, but... The Morning All-You-Can-Eat includes "tsukune, salted zangi, nankotsu karaage, oil-drenched chicken, chicken nanban, rice, soup, egg, nori, and osinko" (these are ordered each time) and self-service snacks from the refrigerated case. I didn't eat rice because I was drinking, but maybe it's okay to eat "tamago kake gohan" as a finisher?? It's nice to be able to grab something to eat before the food arrives. I brought "edamame" and "shiokara" from the refrigerated case and had them as a snack with beer. After that, I ordered "salted zangi," "tsukune" (2 pieces), "oil-drenched chicken," and "chicken nanban" one after another. In between orders, I also had "hiyayakko" and "kimchi"! There were not many group customers, mainly one to three people. There were also about two families (the children drank juice while the parents drank alcohol...). The food menu that can be ordered at all times was too numerous to photograph, but it wasn't that expensive... However, if you use these two all-you-can-eat and all-you-can-drink options until 11:30 a.m., it will cost 1,628 yen including tax per person. Will "morning drinking" become a trend in the future??

I visited the "Homura" restaurant in Asahikawa, which has three branches in the city, because I wanted to eat yakitori at a reasonable price with all-you-can-drink option. The interior of the restaurant is equipped with vinyl sheets and dividers for infection prevention. - 90-minute all-you-can-drink for 750 yen (excluding tax) First, I tried the salt lemon sour, which was refreshing and sour. - Assorted 5 raw tsukune for 600 yen I like the cheese and mustard mayo flavors, but the tsukune at this branch of Homura was a bit disappointing. Maybe it depends on the branch or the chef. There were some interesting items on the monthly menu. - Cheese grilled oysters on an iron plate for 590 yen It had a miso flavor but was quite fishy. - Grilled dried chicken overnight for 490 yen At first glance, I thought it was squid. It was sliced chicken breast, but it was tough, dry, and had a strong smell. I decided to try some awamori, and when I ordered the aged Mizuho, they were out of stock and recommended "Homura." The service was good at that time. However, when I asked for water later, the staff told me to order through the touch panel system and disappeared into the kitchen before I could ask where the panel was. It felt like they didn't want to interact with customers, maybe as part of their infection prevention measures.

12/06/20 Attended a gathering with 4 friends. It was really hot today. Invited 3 bosses and headed to Sanroku Street to quench our thirst. This is a high cost-performance izakaya chain originating from Sapporo. The restaurant is spacious with a single floor. I wonder how they deal with troublesome customers. Wow, amazing! I was surprised when I entered. The interior is filled with transparent screens. Each table is partitioned off. It must have been a lot of work. First of all, I am grateful for the company's efforts. The all-you-can-drink here is 120 minutes for 980 yen excluding tax. Of course, it comes with draft beer. As far as I know, it is the cheapest in Hokkaido. With all that we ordered, the bill came to 2080 yen per person (surprised). This is truly a grateful restaurant. As Asahikawa gets hotter, I will definitely visit again soon.

I visited this restaurant while on a trip to Hokkaido! My friends and I were amazed by the incredibly cheap all-you-can-drink option of 90 minutes for 750 yen. We decided to extend it to 120 minutes for just a little over 1000 yen. The variety of drinks available was also impressive, so we didn't hesitate to go for the all-you-can-drink option. In 120 minutes, I had 1 sour, 3 highballs, 1 wine, and 1 cocktail. It was amazing... We also ordered the recommended assorted raw chicken skewers, which were delicious as expected. With the all-you-can-drink option and a few a la carte dishes, it cost just a little over 2000 yen per person. Well, I didn't eat much because I was focused on drinking... Anyway, the cost performance was excellent. I wish they had a place like this in Osaka... It has become my favorite restaurant, and I would definitely visit again if I come back to Hokkaido.

29/07/19 I went to a restaurant to celebrate my boss who is on a business trip alone. Both my boss and another boss from a different branch are on their first solo business trips. I reserved the most popular place in town from Sapporo. The "Flame" all-you-can-drink option is only 980 yen (excluding tax) for 120 minutes, including real draft beer. During my two years in Sapporo, I couldn't find a cheaper all-you-can-drink deal than this. It's no wonder that you need a reservation to get in on weekends. My boss, who has been in Sapporo for a long time, ordered the usual dishes. It's a comfortable and enjoyable place to drink. This is the advantage of chain restaurants. It's the best cost performance izakaya in Hokkaido. I will definitely be coming back here often.

The other day, I received a comment on my blog suggesting that I should try the yakitori restaurant at the Kaimono Park. I decided to give it a try since I don't usually go to izakayas at Kaimono Park. I remember there used to be a McDonald's at Kaimono Park, I wonder how long it has been since it closed. I used to buy soft-serve ice cream there on my way back home. Now, it has been replaced by an izakaya. Upon researching, I found out that it is a Sapporo-based chain. They have multiple locations in Asahikawa, Obihiro, Hakodate, and more. Do you like izakayas? Today, I will share my experience there. If you think it looks delicious, please click the "↓" button! ⇒ Try clicking it once! Right now, it's asparagus season. Local ones are starting to appear, and they are in season. I've had it a few times, and this year's asparagus is delicious. I like to sauté it with butter and eat it with soy sauce and mayo. And tempura, I really like that. I didn't have it this time though haha. Speaking of which, I saw the words "raw tsukune" at the supermarket deli section. I'm thinking of trying it next time. This place used to be a store. They seem to specialize in tsukune. There are quite a few types of grilled chicken skewers available. Even Bibai yakitori. When you mention Bibai yakitori, it refers to skewers with chicken meat, liver, gizzard, heart, and kinkan (a citrus fruit) sandwiched with onions on a skewer. I'm not a big fan of kinkan though! I tried the all-you-can-drink option. It seemed like a good deal because they say it's cheaper after two drinks. It was 750 yen for 90 minutes. Quite affordable, right? I had 4 drinks and 1 oolong tea in 90 minutes. The all-you-can-drink option was definitely worth it. That's probably why the place was so crowded, it's a good deal. However, the sake seemed a bit watery, maybe it was just me haha. This is a chain store, right? It was written on the bridge bag. It seems like they have various stores under their group. I remember seeing the words "take-out yakitori shop" with flames at the supermarket. Also, I saw it at Sapporo's Ario. They seem to have quite a presence in supermarkets. I wonder how many stores they have in total as a group? Maybe around 100 stores. I signed up for LINE to become friends and get zangi (deep-fried chicken) for free. I also ordered chicken skin senbei. And then, they arrived together as a set. It looks quite luxurious, right? However, the zangi was a bit dry and not very hot. The chicken skin senbei was bland, so I sprinkled some salt on it. I tried various types of tsukune skewers. You can order one skewer of each type, which is nice. From left to right: cheese, umeshiso (plum and shiso), grated garlic, and raw tsukune. It's like topping the basic raw tsukune. The garlic with grated garlic was like chips. Well, it's quite diverse and affordable in the 100 yen range. But the plain one without any toppings was the most delicious. I ordered a set of moon-viewing tsukune with sauce for 2 skewers and salt for 1 skewer. But there was only one yolk. Wait... if that's the case, wouldn't it be cheaper to order one moon-viewing tsukune and one raw tsukune instead? I think the sauce is better for moon-viewing tsukune. Various types of yakitori. On the top: motsu (offal) with salt, gizzard, ponpochi (neck meat). On the bottom: chicken skin. This tastes similar to the take-out yakitori from the supermarket. Well, it's the same store after all, so it's natural haha. Yakisoba with sauce. Since yakitori alone wouldn't fill me up, I ordered the special thick noodles yakisoba. It had plenty of sauce on top, like okonomiyaki. The noodles were thick and chewy. However, it was a bit watery, which was a bit disappointing. Well, it's quite cheap. The taste is okay, but for those who want to drink alcohol, it's a good deal, so I'm sure many people would gather here. I don't drink much, so I focus more on the food haha. Next time, I'll buy the take-out flames and compare it. Thank you for the meal. ⇒◇

I went to dinner with a friend, and we spent less than 4,000 yen in total. The food was delicious and we were very satisfied. The raw tsukune pizza was especially tasty! ✨