I don't usually drink much, so I opted for the all-you-can-drink option this time. The menu was decent and the food was delicious! However, it was a bit hard to find what I wanted to eat. The dishes came out relatively quickly, so it was a stress-free experience. I would like to visit again if I have the chance.

Familiar "Hakuya" is Daarin's favorite because it has private rooms where you don't have to worry about anyone and you can enjoy a vegetable-filled shabu-shabu. This day, we ordered many side dishes as well. Since shabu-shabu doesn't come with condiments, we also ordered kimchi for a change in flavor. The tofu salad was delicious. Surprisingly, the fried chicken is also tasty. It used to be bigger when I first came here, but now it's smaller, which is strange. But the batter is delicious. The fried squid is also good. Probably because it's commercial grade, but it's a nice palate cleanser. Squid is expensive. The fried eggplant was different from what I expected. It didn't need to be so mushy (laughs). Oh, sushi. This is a key part of the course, with thick slices of salmon and various toppings like ikura and seared fish. There are also daily recommendations, so you never get bored. The white fish was also delicious. The tuna and crab were great too. It's luxurious and reasonable. They must put in a lot of effort. The drinks arrive quickly, and it's a favorite spot.

When I return to Japan, there are several restaurants I want to eat at, and one of them is Haku-ya located on the main street. I want to have shabu-shabu, karaage, and sushi. And I can have it all here. So, I also eat a lot of vegetables. This time, I made a reservation for a Sunday, so we could order the premium items like beef shabu-shabu and sushi at the same price as last time. But both of us prefer pork shabu-shabu. We like to put kimchi in the pork shabu-shabu, it's our favorite. Also, the fried chicken here is amazing. Interestingly, the first serving of meat is larger, but the refill is smaller... This was the same as last time, so it's not a mistake. Maybe it's to prevent food waste? Last time, I ordered salt yakisoba, but this time I decided to have fried rice as the finishing touch for the shabu-shabu, and it was the right choice! It was served in a bowl, and the rice was fluffy with a soy sauce-based flavor. It tasted like my mother's fried rice. Delicious! The fried chicken and fried rice make it look like a set meal restaurant, right? Oh, I also ordered potatoes which turned out to be a larger portion than expected. It was a nice side dish to have in between bites. The tofu salad that we ordered didn't arrive, it was probably missed since it's part of the table order all-you-can-eat menu. But it's okay, I didn't mind. The recommended sushi of the day was herring. There were also items like abalone and medium fatty tuna in the upgraded course. The herring, salmon, ikura, and medium fatty tuna were delicious. There were also plenty of seared sushi options. The rice portion was small, so I could try various types. Maybe they can offer it at a good price because they order ingredients in bulk from group stores? Apart from that, the kitchen staff's skills are good, as seen in the perfectly cooked fried rice and the yakisoba from last time. I appreciate that the common menu items are not overlooked. There were also attentive waitresses. I noticed that it's always crowded. We ate slowly in a private room for two hours. Thank you for the meal.

I was exhausted from work, so I gathered my friends and made a reservation at Hakoyasan for some shabu-shabu. It was a struggle to get a reservation, but after trying three times, we finally secured a spot at the Odori store. The Susukino, Odori, and Sapporo Station areas were all highly competitive. The Odori store is known for its sushi, while the Susukino store is famous for its yakitori and gyoza. We started with pork shabu-shabu because we wanted to get some vitamin B1 and eat lots of vegetables. We wanted to eat plenty of cabbage to feel refreshed. The only sauce available was sesame, but we joked that we should have brought our own ponzu sauce. The lemon sour was delicious and refreshing. It was perfect for erasing the fatigue from the day. The chicken wings were outstanding, crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. We couldn't get enough of them. The side dishes were buffet-style, and we particularly enjoyed the kimchi. It was great when added to the shabu-shabu. We also ordered yakisoba, which was full of bean sprouts. We wanted to try the fried rice too, but we were too full. The shabu-shabu was so satisfying, and we were tempted to order ramen for dessert, but we ended up having more yakisoba instead. The sushi was authentic and impressive. We loved the toro tuna sushi and the seared salmon series. The seared mackerel was also delicious. Overall, we had a great time and overindulged so much that we couldn't walk home. It was a day when I was feeling a bit irritable, but thanks to my friends, especially Darin, I was able to enjoy a wonderful meal.

12/30/21 Attended a year-end party at work as the after-party. I was already pretty drunk from the first party. Led by my close colleagues, we made our second visit here. It was 8:32 PM. Susukino was bustling with activity that day. After the first group from the first party left, we managed to squeeze in about a dozen people. Thankfully, we didn't become bar refugees. I was feeling a bit broken. My enthusiasm for checking out new restaurants was fading. In the midst of this, our young colleague is truly sincere. "Ganma-san, here are the snacks!" They brought the ordered dishes right in front of me. "Please take a good picture," they said. To the esteemed president, as long as this young colleague is around, our company is secure (tears). We ended up staying here for two hours. We spent the time leisurely drinking. It was 10:32 PM. "Everyone, let's go home." We left under the guidance of our close colleagues. Our forgetful junior organizer made sure to check for any lost items here too. Thank you. I can relax and let loose without worrying. To my dearest mother, I am returning to Asahikawa tomorrow.

The course meal was bland or oddly sweet overall. The quick service for alcohol refills was appreciated, but the drinks were weak and needed to be ordered "stronger" to be enjoyable. This was my second visit, and last time there were still some dishes that were edible. I guess it really comes down to the price you pay...

We went to a company drinking party. The all-you-can-drink was 1500 yen, and we also ordered individual items. We ordered a lot of sashimi, meat sushi, steak, grilled dishes, and hokke. In the end, it was 4000 yen per person, but everyone seemed to have expected a higher price, so they said it was a good deal. It was just right for a casual drinking party, with delicious food that was more worth it than the price.

The food was average and nothing special.

Drinks come out quickly.

On July 30, 2019, I attended a department gathering at a restaurant and tried the "7 dishes, 150 minutes all-you-can-drink course for 2980 yen". It was a chance for the department members to meet and get to know each other. The new guy who had previously suggested an all-you-can-eat restaurant for an old man's drinking party took charge this time and said, "Leave it to me." It seems like he finally has a junior to mentor. Let's see how he has grown in a year. Good job, new guy. The all-you-can-drink option included a decent selection of drinks for 150 minutes. The food was tasty too. What surprised me the most was the fresh oysters from Akkeshi. I haven't seen such big and juicy oysters in a while. The fact that all of this was only 2980 yen was truly surprising. It's something you can only find in the competitive dining scene of Sapporo. However, the private room we were in had thin walls, so be careful as conversations may not be completely private. Our department of six members left the restaurant completely satisfied. The new guy also passed the test as the organizer. Everyone, let's continue to work well together for the next year!