101218
On Sundays in Sapporo, there are few open stores. I made a reservation through Tabelog for this highly rated restaurant, which is open on Sundays. When I arrived at 8:00 PM, there were 6 seats at the counter and about 10 tables, with only half of them occupied, creating a calm atmosphere. I sat at the counter and checked the menu. There were weekday-only and weekend-only courses available. Unfortunately, the weekend course required a minimum of 2 people. I ordered a Sapporo Classic beer (700 yen), a daily selection of 5 appetizers (880 yen), Hokkaido black pork loin (1,780 yen), and European cheese gnocchi (1,580 yen). The menu included unique meats such as Ezo deer, wild duck, Japanese beef, crocodile, kangaroo, ostrich, and wild boar. I wonder if crocodile tongue tastes good? However, dining alone made me hesitate. While enjoying my beer, the staff informed me that they were offering complimentary prosciutto for their 2nd anniversary celebration. The prosciutto was not too salty, packed with meaty flavor, and delicious. Next, the 5 appetizers arrived, but I forgot to take a photo. There was a potato salad with spicy cod roe and pickled radish, simmered cartilage, tuna brain sashimi, homemade ham, and chilled onion soup. The potato salad had a crunchy texture, the cartilage had a unique taste with plenty of oil, the tuna brain sashimi was rich in umami but not too fatty, the ham was lightly salted with a strong oil flavor, and the soup was sweet. I added a glass of red wine (480 yen), which was reasonably priced and not too sweet, making it delicious. I couldn't really taste the wine, so it was good enough for me. The pork loin sauté arrived with various salts like rock salt, wasabi salt, wine salt, and pepper. The wasabi salt paired well with the juicy and flavorful pork. I also added a round bread (150 yen). The accompanying onions were sweet and creamy, while the potatoes were hot and fluffy. Finally, the gnocchi arrived, generously topped with cheese and delicious when drizzled with honey. It was flavorful and filling. I didn't try the game meat this time, but it's a great Italian-based Western restaurant. I might challenge myself with game meat next time. Thank you for the meal. May 14, 2023, 3.57 stars.