When searching for "Higashi-Muroran" and "Genghis Khan," I found about 5 results, and I visited "Matsuo Genghis Khan." It was quite far from Higashi-Muroran Station, about a 15-minute walk. It was around 8 pm, and we were the only customers. An older lady was running the place by herself. We started with a draft beer. The Genghis Khan dish was cooked on a unique raised iron plate, where lamb and bean sprouts were grilled vigorously. The fat dripped down, steaming the surrounding bean sprouts. The lamb was tender and delicious, with no noticeable gamey taste. We also ordered mutton. I don't often have Genghis Khan, but I'll try it in Osaka next time. It was a great meal!

Every time I come to Nakajima, I was curious about the building of Matsuo Genghis Khan, which seems to be one of the chain stores in Hokkaido. It was a building that made me think, "They're still open," because there was no one else there on that day. It's a restaurant from the Showa era that is becoming less common. It's dark, but as soon as you enter, the old lady turns on the lights. You don't really smell the smoke or the scent of Genghis Khan, and I later found out the reason for that - Matsuo Genghis Khan doesn't grill the meat, they stew it. There was a perfect set meal for lunch. There was a lamb set meal and a mutton set meal, so you can enjoy different types of meat. A plate with plenty of meat and vegetables was brought to the table. There was Chinese cabbage among the vegetables, just like my mother at home thinks of Chinese cabbage when it comes to Genghis Khan. The old lady said, "You can put everything in and cook it," so I did just that. Instead of eating while grilling, you cook while stewing. I couldn't tell which meat was which once they were cooked, but I think the slightly tougher one was mutton. The set meal also came with miso soup and pickles, and the rice was served in a rice bowl. The old lady said, "Even women eat it all up quickly, Genghis Khan makes you want to eat rice," as she served the meal. The Matsuo Genghis Khan trademark was also displayed in the restaurant, so this meat was undoubtedly Matsuo Genghis Khan's, but the atmosphere changes depending on the restaurant you eat at, and I imagine that at the main store, they serve it as a lunch set in a clean restaurant. However, the set meal here, with the old lady's miso soup and pickles, is what I think of as Matsuo Genghis Khan.

On a regular night, I was in the mood for eating out... I had been curious about the old-fashioned storefront with the sign saying "Matsuo Jingisukan" along National Route 37, just past the Taiping Bridge. I wondered if it was the Matsuo Jingisukan that is famous in Muroran, or something different... I gathered my courage and decided to go in. It was just before 8 pm, and there were no other customers... I was a bit worried! The interior of the restaurant was quite old, and there were two elderly people in the kitchen. I sat in the tatami room at the back. As soon as I sat down, I noticed a strong smell of burnt fire, either from the previous customer or from years of use in the restaurant. I started to regret entering the restaurant. I felt that the restaurant needed better ventilation and cleanliness. Looking at the menu, there were mainly lamb and mutton dishes, along with set meals, vegetables, and rice dishes. It was essentially a simple menu with only lamb and mutton. Since mutton tends to have a strong smell, I decided to go for the lamb set meal. The "Lamb Set Meal" was priced at 1200 yen. First, a platter of lamb and vegetables was brought to me. I lit the Jingisukan pot and waited for a while. The pot was ready for grilling, so I started by adding the vegetables. This is the way to eat Matsuo Jingisukan, Takikawa style. After adding the vegetables, I placed the meat and special sauce on top of the vegetables. This way, the vegetables are steamed and cooked under the meat. The sauce adds flavor to the vegetables as well. The sauce contains apples and onions, and it should not be consumed raw. It needs to be properly cooked. After waiting for a while, it was time to eat. The meat was already seasoned, so I tried it directly from the grill. It was just like the Matsuo Jingisukan I had eaten before! I never expected to find this Matsuo Jingisukan in Muroran. The meat was initially steamed, but as time passed, it was cooked thoroughly, allowing me to enjoy the change in flavor. The vegetables included bean sprouts, cabbage, onions, and green onions. These were cooked in the sweet sauce, enhancing their sweetness and tenderness. The set meal also came with rice, miso soup, and pickles, making it suitable for dinner. The restaurant was old, run by an elderly couple, and the atmosphere was not great, with a strong smell lingering. Despite the atmosphere, the taste was not bad at all. In a time when the post-marinated "Tsukisamu style" is popular, this restaurant offers the rare "Takikawa style" of marinating. However, although Matsuo Jingisukan is well-known, it is a bit concerning that this particular restaurant is not listed on the website that features information about the 10 or so branches in Hokkaido. I thought the taste was good. Restaurant Name: Matsuo Jingisukan Nakajima Branch Phone Number: 0143-44-0087 Address: 4-5-6 Nakajima-cho, Muroran, Hokkaido [Tabelog] ☆- [Tanuki Rating (Daytime)] ★ Overall... 29 points ★ Atmosphere... 4 points Cuisine... 6 points Signboard Menu... 8 points Cost performance... 6 points Repeat frequency... 5 points

Matsuo Jingisukan: The food was delicious and the service was great. I highly recommend trying their lamb barbecue.