In a district known as the Ginza of Kitami City, there is a high-end izakaya with exceptional dishes. The yakitori, sashimi, and fried foods were all delicious. The chestnut tempura was a standout dish, with the chestnuts fried with the skin still on, bringing out their sweet flavor. The fried chicken was juicy and perfectly cooked. Overall, a very satisfying izakaya, although it may be a bit pricey.

With the lifting of the state of emergency, izakaya-style restaurants that were only open for lunch are now operating normally. However, there is one place that continues to offer lunch, which is great for those looking for a meal during lunchtime. What caught my attention was the sashimi set meal that they now offer, which I really wanted to try. The set includes 9 types of sashimi: tuna, salmon, squid, sea urchin, shrimp, abalone, scallop, golden eye fish, and one more item that I couldn't identify. It was a luxurious spread. The scallop was particularly delicious, with a nice texture. Each piece was thick and fresh, and simply delicious. The set also comes with simmered dish, pickles, miso soup with baby clams, and salad. And all of this for only 1580 yen! It's such a great deal considering the quality. I might try their takeout next time.

I had lunch at MASA. There is a Korean restaurant next door! I'll try it next time. Last time I had curry, so this time I couldn't decide between ginger pork and chap chae chicken set, so I ordered the chap chae chicken set. I also ordered mini chawanmushi, tempura, 2 zangi, and pickled cucumber. The sauce for the chicken chap chae goes really well with the white rice. It's bad manners, but I put the rice on the plate and ate all the sauce without leaving any. The miso soup had plenty of clams, which made me happy. The freshly fried tempura was delicious as expected. It was around 150 yen each, so it was reasonable. Zangi goes well with beer. It also looks delicious on top of curry. Every dish was delicious and I was very satisfied. They also offer takeout, so maybe I'll get some next time.

I was not satisfied with the price. Both for lunch and dinner. It is a high-end restaurant that serves lunch. There are private rooms available. The staff seemed busy, so there were customers there. It seemed crowded. Although I couldn't see, I think it must be popular. I had the restaurant's specialty curry in large portion for 900 yen. I thought it was expensive. The curry was very thick and salty. There was a lot of leftover sauce. I ate the vegetables with the curry sauce without dressing. I went once for dinner and found it expensive, so I don't plan to go again. I also don't plan to go for lunch anymore.

I had been curious about MASA in Kitami for a while. When I found out they started serving lunch in March, I decided to go check it out. The interior of the restaurant has a bit of a luxurious feel to it. The atmosphere is calm and it feels like a luxurious experience. The menu is quite authentic, with options like set meals, rice bowls, soba, udon, and side dishes, as well as a curry that they seem to be promoting. There are various toppings available, which is nice. I ordered the curry rice with a mini tonkatsu topping, with extra curry sauce, and also a mini chawanmushi. The curry rice had a rich demi-glace-like color. It had a sweetness from caramelized onions and a strong spiciness, with a mature bitterness in the aftertaste. Getting extra curry sauce was definitely a good choice. The freshly fried tonkatsu was delicious as well. The chawanmushi also had a strong dashi flavor, giving it that authentic Japanese pub feel. I bet their evening menu is also delicious. I look forward to enjoying their dishes with some drinks next time.

During the time of the coronavirus, this restaurant has been offering lunch service since around March. It seems to be for a limited time. I tried the pork bowl for lunch. The slices were thick and the amount of fat was just right. The sauce was tasty, but personally, I think it could be a bit sweeter. Compared to the typical rice bowl dishes at diners or set meal shops, the amount of rice seemed quite small.

I visited this restaurant for the first time in March. It is an izakaya with mainly private rooms and a counter. It seems to have expanded by merging with the neighboring restaurant that used to be there. The two chefs are still the same, but I noticed more staff members in the dining area, with a total of 5 people. There are now more private rooms available. The menu has also changed slightly. The food is delicious as always, and the presentation is beautiful. The staff provided good service, making the experience stress-free.

Taste: Better than chain izakayas. Each dish is carefully prepared. Cost performance: Very poor Customer service: Part-time staff are friendly, but not knowledgeable about the menu. A male employee who seems to be a full-time staff member is pushy and doesn't seem to understand customer service. Overall rating: The food is carefully prepared and presented beautifully. The restaurant is clean and provides a nice atmosphere for dates. However, the taste is only slightly better than typical izakayas, yet the prices are much higher. If they are going to charge these prices, they need to clearly state the quality of service, ingredients, and rarity of the products. They also need to improve the taste. With the amount spent here, you could visit another restaurant with the same taste twice. I will not be returning. Taste: 2 Customer service: 3 Cost performance: 1 Atmosphere: 3

The three dishes in front of me are appetizers (1000 yen) and a sashimi platter for two (2400 yen), which means each slice is about 300 yen. The restaurant has a calm atmosphere and is comfortable to dine in. The menu is extensive and the food tastes delicious.

We went to a stylish izakaya to celebrate his promotion. The restaurant was quite fashionable. As mentioned in other reviews, it was a bit pricey... but the presentation was lovely. The taste was also excellent. It might be worth indulging in occasionally.

I was able to relax and drink in a private room.

Expensive!! Slow!! Small portions!! Average taste!! I won't go back!!

It was a long-awaited reunion with a friend from Kitami. We decided to go with the chef's choice course for the day. The restaurant had a counter and private rooms, which allowed us to chat leisurely. The dishes were all delicious and beautifully presented. We enjoyed some local sake from Kochi called "Minami" as well. I forgot to take a photo, but the chicken sukiyaki was also delicious. In addition, we had a miso-grilled octopus and finished off with matsutake mushroom tempura. I was so engrossed in our conversation that I don't remember the taste of the last dish. It was a great restaurant to relax and enjoy delicious food. Thank you for the meal.

The fried bird and vegetable stir-fry in the Caesar salad are delicious, but the onion rings are also tasty. The skewers are average, and the shrimp is not very cost-effective. The appetizer is quite luxurious but costs 1000 yen. The miso-simmered mackerel is average. The stir-fried beef heart and vegetables with yuzu pepper are delicious. The tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelette) is sweet but okay.

Today's main dish was "MASA". I had made a reservation in advance, checked into the hotel, had a quick drink, and then met in front of the restaurant at 6 o'clock for a meeting with the boss. The meeting finished in the afternoon, so the evening was just for drinking. I'm going to a second place, so even if they say we're having a meeting now, we'll have to have another one tomorrow. It's a secret meeting. We were seated in a private room, but we could hear the voices next door. We cheers with beer and ordered various dishes, but nothing particularly amazing. The cute waitress couldn't remember anything we asked, which was a bit frustrating. We decided on the "sashimori" for 2,000 yen instead of the listed 3,800 yen. The "kushi mori" skewers were delicious. The "iburi gakko cream cheese" was average. I didn't try the "changja cheese". The "asari no sakamushi" was big but not impressive, probably frozen. The "takoage" was soft and tasty. I skipped the "kasupe no karaage" as I don't like it. The boss chose this restaurant based on a 4.3 rating from keipon, but I was a bit drunk last time we came here, so I don't remember much. The bill came to 6,500 yen per person, which seemed a bit high considering the content, but I guess it's because I drank a lot of sake. It's better to sit at the counter and chat with the chef while eating. Or the waitresses should understand the menu better. This place is good, but maybe I set the bar too high after the last visit.

In April 2017, I attended three consecutive meetups. Two days before, I met with a couple from Sapporo in Otaru, the day before I met with a naughty guy on assignment from Sapporo in Asahikawa, and on this day I met with a sharp-tongued person from Kushiro in Kitami. The restaurant I chose was "Sakana Sairin MASA", which seemed promising. I thought it would just be the two of us, but in the cheers photo, there are three hands! Hmm, it's still a mystery who else was there (^^;) I ordered the "chef's choice sashimi" for two people, but later found out that one serving costs 3,800 yen! I didn't know what they would serve, so I changed it to one serving (^^;) The young lady staff's unresponsive attitude during this exchange made the old man a little irritated (laughs). Considering the atmosphere of the restaurant and the sense of dignity felt from it, the service seemed a bit lacking. As for the sashimi, the botan shrimp was quite large. The scallops, sea urchin, hokke, tai (?), and chu-toro were reasonably fresh, but honestly, with this selection, I would say it's worth around 2,000 to 2,500 yen... The five skewers platter (1,380 yen) was forgettable after a taste test, so it must have been satisfactory. I was curious about the fried kusube (780 yen), and it had a crispy outer layer with a fluffy interior, making it the best dish I had that day. The selection of sake looked good, but I was personally bothered by the fact that they didn't specify whether it was daiginjo or junmai. We didn't stay long here and headed to the second venue.

This is a drinking spot in Kitami. Today's third stop was chosen by Yome-san. She said she was curious about the name of the place, "MASA." It seems Yome-san likes Mabo-chan. I have seen this restaurant before but never thought to go in. The exterior is a bit flashy, but the interior is chic. I sat at the counter and ordered a beer. After the beer, as usual, I ordered a "strong drink," but the staff chose a "600K" for me. It does look heavy. Inside the restaurant is very clean, and while I sat at the counter, the raised seating area was a lovely room with a moat. The "omakase" comes with five dishes, and they were all excellent. The dishes were beautifully presented, with attention to detail in plating and serving dishes. The first dish was white fish sashimi, which was fresh and delicious. The matsutake mushroom hot pot for 980 yen was surprisingly affordable and tasted as expected. The eggplant dish was not for me as I don't eat it without peeling the skin, but Yome-san enjoyed it. The presentation was beautiful, and the pricing was reasonable. The sashimi was very tasty, with real wasabi. The matsutake hot pot was a great value for the price. I will definitely revisit this place. Today's restaurant choices were all winners, and this place was also excellent. Maybe I should leave the restaurant selection to Yome-san from now on.

In early July 2016, I visited Hokkaido, which was still cold. I planned to visit Shiretoko, but all the accommodations were fully booked and expensive. I ended up staying in Kitami, where even the business hotels were pricey. I searched on Tabelog for a restaurant and found a creative Japanese cuisine restaurant. Although it was a bit expensive, the quality of the sashimi and skewers was excellent. I was impressed by the freshness of the ingredients. I don't come to this area often, but I will definitely come back to eat here when I visit Kitami again. Thank you for the wonderful meal.