A Hokkaido seafood and Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) izakaya. Featured in the TV drama "Forget Me Not Sachiko". They serve fresh octopus sashimi from Hokkaido, as well as lamb Genghis Khan for two people to cook themselves in a hot pot, although the chef will cook it for you if you ask for just one portion. They also offer Hokkaido blue soy sashimi and a good deal on a 1500 yen bottle of Kinmiya. The atmosphere is friendly, with a casual owner and a young female staff member who interact with customers in a fun way. The owner enjoys drinking and smoking with regulars, making it a comfortable place to hang out.

TV Tokyo drama "Sachiko of Forgetfulness" featured a restaurant where Sachiko (played by Mitsuki Takahata) enjoyed eating deliciously! She truly is a talented actress! However... Located less than 20 seconds on foot from JR Sobu Line Okubo Station South Exit, on the first floor of a mixed-use building with two entrances. Inside the restaurant, there is a retro Showa-era atmosphere with table and counter seating. We were seated at a table by the staff. I wished we could have sat at the table Sachiko (Mitsuki Takahata) used in the show! We ordered the Mongolian mutton slice Genghis Khan set with vegetables (680 yen), as well as other options like lamb Genghis Khan (680 yen) and mutton loin Genghis Khan (680 yen), along with a medium-sized draft beer (500 yen). The draft beer arrived first, and I took a sip (smelling of the glass). Next, the Genghis Khan hot pot was served, with the staff preparing the meat on the pot with white solidified oil (beef fat?) until minced meat was added. Various Genghis Khan dishes were brought out, with the staff grilling the meat only at the beginning. The grilled meat had a unique wild flavor different from pork, beef, or chicken. However... The meat was frozen, cut, and served while still frozen. In the drama, it looked delicious as if it had been thawed. Some of the meat even had freezer burn. Could it be that they served old meat? Hmm... It wasn't particularly delicious or bad. The bean sprouts in the pot had discolored root parts, lacking freshness. We also ordered simmered hot pot and raw sardines with sake from Yamada Nishiki and Uonuma. The sake was poured into a sake cup (which also had a smell). The simmered hot pot was not up to the standard of a restaurant, lacking depth in flavor and seemed hastily made. The offal had no freshness and tasted bland. The raw sardines took over 30 minutes to arrive, even though there were only two groups of customers. It tasted decent. Another group ordered Atka mackerel. The staff took out a vacuum-packed Atka mackerel from the refrigerators and freezers in the open kitchen. Hmm... The owner and the female staff member were relaxing inside, watching TV and chatting with customers. While this style of service is fine, I wish they would put more effort into the food. It's a mystery why this restaurant was chosen for the drama. On the way home, I could even smell the meat odor on myself.

In the body, especially from the fingertips typing on the keyboard, there is a pleasant smell of lamb meat. A friend from Morioka suddenly came to Tokyo. We decided to have dinner together near Shinjuku, so I suggested some options. Kamjatang, thick sashimi, and Genghis Khan. Due to the lack of opportunities to eat it in Morioka, we decided on Genghis Khan. The restaurant is "Doki Doki" in Okubo, where my favorite pressed meat (frozen round meat) is available. This is the pressed meat. When we were young, the meat we ate at the Koizumi Farm was in this shape, this thinness. A few years ago, a sudden, or rather forced, Genghis Khan boom occurred, with many restaurants opening with slogans like "Old meat used to be poor quality and had a strong smell, but today's meat is fresh so it has no taste." However, ultimately, people who don't like lamb meat will still not like it raw. And those who can eat it find that it lacks flavor when eaten raw, leading to an unfortunate situation occurring in various places.

Basically, it's an informal izakaya. The Genghis Khan set in the photo is said to be for 3 people, but two men ordered it 4 times, so does that mean they ate for about 12 people? It's a mystery whether they really ate that much... The portion size is so small that it's questionable. We also ordered squid sashimi, but it looked too red to be eaten raw, so I decided not to eat it. The atmosphere is not bad, but the service is lacking in some areas, giving it a local store vibe. The bill came out to about 13,000 yen for two men drinking moderately, so the cost performance is not good. Unless something drastic changes, I don't think I'll go back a second time.

When it comes to Genghis Khan, it's definitely the round frozen meat. You can eat it at this restaurant. There is also Bell's sauce, making it feel like homemade Genghis Khan. There was a Genghis Khan boom a while ago, but that was with stylish lamb meat, while this place might be considered more traditional. There is also a wide variety of alcohol to enjoy. In addition to Genghis Khan, you can taste Hokkaido cuisine. My favorite is scallop and surf clam sashimi. They also cook the liver.

Genghis Khan was craving it and decided to visit. The frozen mutton was nostalgic and delicious. The Bell sauce was tear-jerking. Besides Genghis Khan, there are also other Hokkaido dishes available. The Zangi was rich in flavor and excellent, perfect with beer. The extra-large hokke is from Nemuro and the big komai is also nostalgic and delicious. Well, this place is good as it is. It's laid-back. There are few customers (is it okay?). You can stop by even if you're alone. It's nice to have delicious raw lamb Genghis Khan at a fancy restaurant, but sometimes you feel like stopping by a place like this.

"Genghis Khan was a big hit," and don't make it past tense. As a signature dish of Hokkaido, thanks to the boom, even Tokyo supermarkets now stock "lamb meat." In Shin-Okubo, near the station exit towards Shinjuku, there is a restaurant called "Genghis Khan Dokimuki" managed by a stylish manager from Nemuro. Surrounded by Korean restaurants and Korean tourists, you might wonder where you are. It feels like coming from a northern country, very calm and warm. The walls of the restaurant are decorated with retro posters of Takakura Ken's movies. The manager might say, "I'm clumsy..." but lacks the strength of Ken-san. Despite the high prices of Genghis Khan in Tokyo, they strive to provide it at a lower cost. A large map of Hokkaido is displayed on the wall, and Hokkaido customers can mark their hometowns on it with a pin. It's touching to see people from various places in Tokyo coming here. I can't afford expensive crab or sea urchin, but I come here to enjoy the traditional mutton Genghis Khan and regain the wild power I've forgotten in the big city. When eating crab, people fall silent, but when eating lamb, they are lively. I visited alone that day and started with the nostalgic "Mutton Slice Genghis Khan Set with Vegetables / 600 yen" for one person. They also have mutton loin and marinated mutton with their homemade sauce. The popular Hokkaido version of chicken karaage, "Zangi / 450 yen," and herring "Ruibe" also look delicious. Don't overcook them, and place the meat on top of the vegetables for a steamed finish. They also offer Hokkaido's usual flavors, such as fish and Ruibe directly from Nemuro, as well as rice sushi and hot pots for parties in winter. If you visit Shin-Okubo or Okubo, enjoying the Korean wave is great, but even if you're not from Hokkaido, you should visit this place at least once.

I have revisited this place several times. The seafood here is delicious and always leaves me feeling satisfied, sometimes to the point where I end up leaving without trying the Genghis Khan dish. The grilled mackerel is big and fluffy, and the raw tsubugai clam is even better than the one I had at a certain sushi restaurant, with a generous portion perfect for sharing between 2-3 people. The shishamo smelt is authentic and I was delighted to find a male one in my plate. So far, I have never been disappointed with any of the dishes here. The zangi (deep-fried chicken) and potato salad bring back nostalgic home-cooked flavors. When it comes to Genghis Khan, I always go for lamb if there's no mutton available. I once found the wine marinade a bit too acidic, so I've avoided it since then. The owner is usually laid-back and sometimes can be found staring at a computer monitor inside the counter when there are few customers, which may not be ideal for some guests. However, this casual and relaxed atmosphere is part of the charm of this place. It may not be the best choice for those seeking top-notch service, but for those who enjoy a homely vibe, it's a great spot to visit. I'll definitely be dropping by again.