On this day, after a meal in Okachimachi, we walked towards Ueno through Ameyoko. We found many new restaurants with grand opening decorations. There were seats available outside at Torimaru as well. Since the inside of the restaurant was relatively empty, we decided to sit inside. The staff asked if it was our first visit and recommended some dishes for first-time customers. The drink prices were great - a chu-hi was only 190 yen plus tax, and a mega-sized jock was only 500 yen plus tax. Other drinks were also reasonably priced. We tried the recommended tebasaki (chicken wings) and nikuzashi (raw meat). The nikuzashi included liver, heart, and gizzard, and was prepared in a "raw meat style" which was cooked at a low temperature. It was delicious and went well with the drinks. Thank you for the meal. We will definitely visit again!

The food and drinks were served quickly. There are seats on the second floor, which was surprisingly spacious. The menu has a variety of options, and the atmosphere is like a casual izakaya. You can drink cheaply here. The staff were also fairly efficient and good.

Exploring izakayas in Ueno, second stop on the izakaya crawl. This time, we went to a slightly more upscale (for Ueno standards) izakaya with a nice atmosphere. The staff was young and energetic, which was nice! The first floor was full of customers, so we were guided to the second floor, which was spacious, bright, and clean. The staff didn't seem to be stationed there, so we had to order our first drink verbally, and then use a QR code to order the rest, but the poor signal made it frustratingly slow. In the end, we ended up just verbally ordering when they brought our drinks or dishes. The drink menu was affordable, with highballs and chu-hais for ¥290. I tried the fresh grapefruit sour for ¥490, which was decent. When I asked about the brand, the staff didn't know, so I assumed it was a commercial one. They also offer bottle orders, like the Kinmiya for ¥2980, which includes ice. Decent cost performance. As for the food, we mainly ordered chicken dishes, but the yakitori wasn't very good. It was better than the first place, but still disappointing. The food was not something I would come back for. The sweet and sour chicken wings were average. They have sashimi platters, which is nice, but the taste was lacking. The izakaya exploration in Ueno is proving to be challenging. The place is clean and good for just drinking after getting drunk, but not for the food.

"I decided to try something different this time! When I come to Ueno, I always pass by the oyster restaurant that I always go to. It looked crowded as usual. So, I decided to try a different restaurant 2 or 3 shops down. I ordered a beer. The egg tofu appetizer was served, and it was slightly sweet and delicious. I asked the new staff member for a sake recommendation. It was a brand I had never tried before, and it was good. The yakitori, chicken wings, and clams with wasabi were all delicious. Overall, it was quite enjoyable. I may have had a bit too much to drink."

We were able to have a second party! We were supposed to just have a few more drinks and go home, but ended up staying here for about 2 hours! We ordered lemon sours and ended up spending 13,000 yen in 3 hours, but it got a bit more expensive because two more people joined us halfway through! Later, we found out that here you have to order the all-you-can-drink option, not just individual drinks! Big mistake. When we asked the staff, they just said, "You didn't ask." Oh well, I guess that's business! We hardly ate anything and just kept drinking sours!

The food was delicious and I was very satisfied. The staff were very polite and I would like to go back again. The chairs were a bit small and the restaurant was a bit narrow, but I guess it can't be helped due to the location.