I went to a restaurant called Hokkaido in Ningyocho for lunch. They seem to have started serving lunch recently. All lunch options are priced at 700 yen, and this time I chose the chicken karaage set meal. You can have unlimited refills of rice and miso soup. The karaage was crispy and delicious. It came with ponzu sauce, but the karaage itself was already flavorful, so adding ponzu sauce made it a bit too strong. The portion of karaage was quite generous, and I think it's a good deal for 700 yen. Many customers around me were having sashimi set meals, which also looked delicious, so I plan to try that next time.

Hokkaido B-grade gourmet, Spakatsu. It is a true B-grade dish with no room for error. The cutlet is heavy with oil and lacks flavor, while the pork inside is tough and tasteless. The meat sauce has a decent taste, reminiscent of home-cooked meals. The noodles are average with a good firm texture. When looked at individually, the meat sauce spaghetti is like something you would eat at home, but the combination with the cutlet lacks any sense of taste. Overall, dishes like Escalope make me feel like Hokkaido lacks skill in combining food. That's all. Thank you.

The previous day, my partner saw a scene of people eating Hokkaido Zangi (deep-fried chicken) on a show and got really interested, so we decided to go to a Chinese restaurant together. We found out that the Kanda branch was closed, so we went to Ningyocho where it was easier to park. I remembered this place from taking a walk before, as they have a giant model of a brown bear. The restaurant had two floors, and we were seated on the first floor. We used a touchscreen to place our order, which seems to be a common feature in recent chain restaurants. We started with beer and ginger ale, and got spinach ohitashi and curry-flavored egg salad as complimentary side dishes. For food, we ordered Zangi skewers, assorted grilled skewers, ramen salad, half-size potato mochi with butter, miso crab shell grilled with butter, and fried items. The Zangi arrived first, and it was delicious with a sweet and sour sauce. The potato mochi with butter was rich in flavor, and we enjoyed it as well. However, the assorted grilled skewers were disappointing and we couldn't finish them. The ramen salad was a nice and refreshing dish, and the miso crab shell grilled with butter was a unique experience, though we had to ask the kitchen to reheat it properly. We also had some white wine, which was surprisingly dry. Overall, we had a good meal, but fried food can be heavy on the stomach. The foreign staff serving us were attentive and made our dining experience pleasant. Thank you for the meal!

I recently saw zangi on TV and it looked really delicious, so I wanted to eat it! I thought there was a shop near Kanda, but it was closed, so I went to Ningyocho, which I had noticed before. The atmosphere of the restaurant was calmer than I expected, but it was quite lively inside with many customers. First, I tried the tare zangi, which is zangi dipped in a sweet and sour sauce, and it was delicious. I'm not sure of the difference between zangi and karaage, but my craving from the TV show the day before was satisfied here. And whenever I come to this chain, I always eat the "imo mochi butter," which has a consistently delicious taste. It's a bit of a cheap delight, but the saltiness of the butter and the sweetness of the sauce are exquisite. The "lar sa la half" is also from Hokkaido, and it was the main source of carbohydrates for the day. The crab miso shell bake was not cooked properly on the portable stove, so I had it reheated in the kitchen. When I put it on the bread, I couldn't tell if it was Japanese or Western, but it was pretty tasty. The skewer assortment had tough meat and was quite disappointing. I didn't order a lot, but I ended up feeling quite full.

Today, I came to have lunch at a place called "Hokkaido" along Ningyocho Street, where a large wooden bear carving has caught my eye for a while now. I had previously been taken here for a welcome party on my first day working in Gotanda, so it has been a while since I last visited. I usually ignore chain izakaya lunch menus, but yesterday on my way back from lunch, I happened to see lunch menus featuring local specialties such as "Hokkaido Pork Bowl" and "Hokkaido B-class Gourmet Spa Cutlet." Despite suspecting that they were just chain restaurant level dishes, I couldn't help but be curious. After going through the ritual of temperature check and hand sanitizing, I entered the restaurant and was seated. I ordered the "Hokkaido Pork Bowl (890 yen)," and when it arrived shortly after, I was disappointed by its appearance. Looking at the sample photo, I had a feeling it wouldn't be what I expected, and indeed, this "Hokkaido Pork Bowl" was not the Hokkaido Obihiro specialty, but rather the version that Yoshinoya used to offer as an alternative to "Gyudon" during the BSE crisis. It's disappointing that a place claiming to represent "Hokkaido" would serve such a fake dish as a "Hokkaido specialty." While I didn't have a bad impression of "Hokkaido" before, incidents like this make me reconsider. I reluctantly tried the dish, which was more like a "Ginger Pork Bowl" than a "Hokkaido Pork Bowl." If it had a strong garlic flavor, I could have enjoyed it as a "Sta Don," but it lacked that punch. Despite my thoughts, I quickly paid the bill, only to find out that the restaurant would be closed again due to the pandemic starting tomorrow. For me, it doesn't make much of a difference, but upon reflection, it may have been a stroke of luck to resolve this issue before the closure.

In the Doll Town area of Ningyocho where lunch prices are not particularly cheap, Hokkaido offers a rare one-coin bento option that is not Chinese food. The bento is sold directly at the shop, making it easy to purchase! I wanted a hearty meal, so I bought the hamburger bento which comes with a huge hamburger. The side dishes include simmered pumpkin, potato salad, and corn with a rich flavor, making the rice go down smoothly. At only 500 yen, it's a very satisfying bento!

Eating at a restaurant where you can use GOTO eat points is valuable. Plus, this place offers reasonable prices and tasty food. On my second visit, I had the Hokkaido shrimp dipping noodles and a mini tempura rice bowl for 990 yen. It was pretty delicious overall, although it doesn't quite compare to a dedicated dipping noodles shop. I personally prefer the dipping sauce to be a bit hotter. But considering the portion size and price, it's a pass!

October 9th, Second Visit It must have been around 7-8 years ago when I visited this place for lunch, back when I had no connection to Ningyocho Station. I had visited once before with a colleague from another department, and this time I went with a junior colleague and another person. Initially, we didn't make a reservation because we weren't sure if the person who couldn't eat meat (except for hamburgers apparently) and especially disliked yakitori would join us on the day. At exactly 6:00, the three of us left the office and walked towards Ningyocho Station, randomly choosing a place to dine. We were guided to the second floor where there were private rooms. Personally, I prefer drinking in a lively, open setting without partitions, but the person who was drinking with us for the first time came from a well-bred background, so I found their stories from that world quite interesting and ended up getting quite drunk. *I get drunk no matter who I drink with ^_^ On a side note, when we ordered the "baron potato," it was named and created by the person's ancestors, who were barons in Kochi and started the colonization of Hokkaido.

I decided to try this izakaya for lunch to see what kind of food they offer. The presentation of the meal was not bad. However, when I tried it, I felt like the meat portion was a bit lacking. In terms of cost performance, I was disappointed compared to smaller izakayas. Maybe it's because the store is bigger?

I had never tried Genghis Khan before and wanted to, so I visited this restaurant. In addition to Genghis Khan, there were other Hokkaido dishes such as crab sashimi and ramen salad, which I enjoyed. The crab sashimi was around 5000 yen. The crab miso was rich and delicious, but the leg part of the sashimi, including the sauce, was not great. I don't have a picture, but the ramen salad was very delicious. The salmon sushi was also tasty. It was disappointing that the menu was limited and the Hokkaido seafood bowl was more expensive than I had imagined.

I made a last-minute reservation on Thursday, but they were able to accommodate my request for all-you-can-drink option for individual items! The spacious seating was also nice.

The pork cutlet set meal for 890 yen is delicious, but I was disappointed that no one came to refill my tea after I finished it. I am unsure if the staff will assist if I want to add more rice or miso soup next time.

It was past 8 o'clock on a holiday night, so the restaurant was quite empty and we were able to enjoy our meal slowly. The dishes were a bit small for the price, but the taste was good. However, when we ordered the boiled Taraba and Zuwai crab assortment, we were surprised. The Zuwai crab legs were quite thick, but there was hardly any meat inside. It felt like they just gave us the shell. Sometimes this happens, but this time each leg had only about a quarter of meat. The Taraba crab had meat inside, so that was disappointing. I thought about complaining directly, but I was with someone else so I decided against it. If it's a bad season for crab, maybe they should consider taking it off the menu altogether? Even if I go back, I'll avoid ordering boiled crab.

I visited for lunch and had grilled fish. They grill it after you order. You can get free refills of rice and miso soup. The rockfish was a bit small, but tasty. The restaurant isn't very big and there were a lot of office workers, so it was relatively calm. The only downside was that there was a smell of cigarettes coming from somewhere. Even though it's supposed to be non-smoking... Upon closer observation, it seems like the staff are smoking. It's a shame when the food is so good... So, I gave it a middle rating.

Lunch for 980 yen! Grilled hokke is delicious!

Probably the biggest place in Ningyocho, I've passed by before but this is my first visit. It's definitely spacious, with two floors on the first and second floors. There are 400 stickers outside the shop, making it probably the biggest place in Ningyocho. On the second floor, there is a counter seat facing the kitchen, which is rare for a izakaya chain, and this contrast is nice. The interior has many 4-person tables, each separated by partitions, making it convenient to use. Orders are done through a touch panel, drinks come quickly, and there's no need to change glasses, so you can drink without stress. I think it's a reliable choice even for a small company drinking party with a large number of people.

I casually dropped by Hokkaido Ningyocho store located on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of Ningyocho Building on a Sunday when not many shops were open. I ordered a draft beer to start and then decided to try the Hokkaido three kinds of sashimi platter and boldly asked for the crab three kinds comparison, which was said to take some time. They were all undeniably delicious. Next, I requested a bottle of Ichiko-sha on the rocks. It seems that for a limited time, both the half bottle and the full bottle are priced the same. The grilled bacon made from Poloto pork was not greasy and went well with shochu. And of course, when in Hokkaido, you must try the Zangi. It had a satisfying texture and was delicious. Thank you for the feast.

I wonder if it's an izakaya, with small partitions making it hard to see the whole store. Anyway, the seating is quiet and spacious. The appetizer seems to be a simmered dish with just the right amount of oil, almost like a stir-fry. I thought it might be bracken, but it was soft, so I think it's something else. You order from a tablet on the table, but if a staff member is around, they'll take your order verbally. As I looked through the menu, I noticed a crab tasting set. It includes taraba, zuwai, and snow crab. When I asked the staff, they said it's their specialty. It's a generous amount for three people, with the meaty texture of taraba, the delicate texture and sweetness of zuwai, and the richness of snow crab miso. It was just the right amount to enjoy with drinks while eating.