★スマイル★
Located in Kitami City, which is adjacent to the west of Abashiri City on the eastern side of Hokkaido, this city stretches from the top of Ishikita Pass (1,050m above sea level) to the plains where farming is thriving, gradually turning into a city area, and finally facing the Sea of Okhotsk and Lake Saroma to the east. Kitami City is known for being the top producer of onions, scallops, and white kidney beans in Japan, with a strong focus on farming and dairy farming. Despite being a key city in the Okhotsk region, the downtown area is quiet on weekday nights, but it gets lively after the New Year.
One dining bar-style izakaya located just off the main downtown area is called "Izakaya Appare." It is a slightly stylish izakaya housed in a single-story building, offering counter seats and table seats on the first floor, and several private rooms on the second floor that can accommodate groups of 4 to 10 people. The second floor has a shoeless entry style, allowing guests to relax comfortably, especially in winter when boots can be removed. While I didn't order much food this time as it was our second stop, this izakaya is popular for its seafood, with the "Appare Mori" sashimi platter featuring seafood from the Sea of Okhotsk being a favorite. The contents vary by season but typically include scallops from Saroma and saury from Kushiro at a reasonable price. Additionally, they are known for serving fresh oysters year-round, sourced from Hokkaido when available and from across Japan when not, priced around 300 yen each, making it a popular spot. They also offer an onion salad made with local onions and an Okhotsk salt yakisoba. The beer served is Kirin, while the whiskey is mainly Suntory, and they have a variety of sake and shochu, especially a wide range of sweet potato shochu.
One interesting find was the "Peak Whiskey" from a distillery called "Tamaseido Sake Brewery" in Gifu Prefecture. I had never heard of it before. They also offer a Junmai sake called "Hakuto no Shizuku" made from Hakuchou Mochi rice from Tanno-cho in Kitami City, as well as a local beer called "Okhotsk Beer Ale" and a unique local spirit called "Onion Shochu." I've never tried it, but I wonder what it tastes like - I should have ordered it. They also have a drink-all-you-can menu, and what caught my attention was the option where you can start with a 90-minute plan and then add 500 yen for every additional 30 minutes of unlimited drinks, which seems like a good deal for those who enjoy drinking a lot. The customer base is diverse, with many students also frequenting the place. While the second floor tends to be lively and bustling, the first floor is relatively quiet. With consistently good food and affordable prices, this izakaya is a great place to visit.