"Across from 'Hanamura' is the restaurant 'Hokkaido Dining Hokuto Monogatari' @ Tobu Nerima. This time, the aim at this restaurant was the 'Delicious Lamb Meat Jingisukan-style' that was introduced as a popular menu with a different twist in a past issue of the Jobancho Town Newspaper. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it on the current menu, so I ended up ordering the Hokkaido recipe 'Zangi'!... When it arrived, (I've never actually eaten it in Hokkaido, so I can't judge if this is a faithful taste to the local recipe) a plate of juicy and large pieces of chicken thigh karaage was brought out in abundance. Along with the appetizer of Ebi Chili with 5 or 6 large shrimp, which was much more impressive in size than the mediocre single item Ebi Chili from other restaurants, I stretched out my chopsticks and enjoyed a cold beer with a crisp gulp!"

On Friday night, three of us visited the restaurant. There were only two other groups of customers in the store, so we sat at the counter. We were surprised to receive a small bowl of cream stew as a complimentary starter. It had plenty of vegetables and meat, which was perfect for the cold weather. Most of the menu items came with generous servings of vegetables and had a simple, home-cooked feel. The flavors were not particularly outstanding, but everything was delicious in a normal way. The restaurant seemed honest and not overly commercialized. We would definitely like to visit again. They didn't have a grand menu, so we ordered from the individual item menu: Caesar salad, pork skewers with warm vegetables, lamb and vegetable stir-fry in the style of Genghis Khan, fried chicken, octopus tempura, tomato bacon skewers, grilled mackerel with grated daikon, and yellowtail sashimi. We also had drinks like draft beer, wine, cola, and oolong tea. The total bill came to 7,600 yen.

On Saturday evening, I decided to dine alone at Tobu Nerima. I was looking for a restaurant on the Nerima side and discovered one that I, a Hokkaido enthusiast, had not yet visited. Since it was not yet registered when I visited, I took a chance and decided to go in. It was only 5:30 pm, but a family of three was already having their meal in the back. I started with sashimi. Oh, the beer mug is frozen! I'm getting excited. The appetizer was dried radish, a substantial dish. The daily recommendation was saury sashimi, octopus sashimi, shrimp, live oysters, a parade of seafood. But I was in the mood for grilled fish, so I ordered the salt-grilled Pacific saury for 450 yen. It was mid-November, and the saury with its fat and beautiful grill marks looked delicious. I poured soy sauce over the daikon radish and took a bite. The flesh and the bitter parts were delicious. Since they were out of sashimi, I ordered a Hoppy. The large beer mug was a nice touch. While waiting for the grilled fish, I looked around the restaurant again. There were other tempting dishes, including Genghis Khan. But what caught my eye was the "zangi" for 680 yen. I love zangi. It's not just fried chicken; it's marinated in a special broth, so the flavor is rich and delicious. And it's quite a generous portion. Each piece is large, and I ended up with more food than I could handle alone. I ordered another Hoppy, but I decided not to order anything else to avoid overeating and paid the bill, already looking forward to my next visit. The prices are reasonable, and it's a great restaurant. Yes, I'll definitely come back.