The accommodation for this trip was in Hakodate. We made a reservation and visited the place. It is located south of the Hakodate City Tram Matsukaze-cho stop, a little to the west. Originally, we planned to have yakitori here on the first night and enjoy seafood on the second night at Mt. Hakodate. In response to the pandemic, hand sanitizers were placed at the entrance, and the staff were wearing masks. We started by ordering drinks. My friend had a draft beer, while I ordered the local sake, Takasago Junmai Ginjo Ooyuki. Soon, the sake and appetizers arrived. The appetizer was like a tofu soup. Takasago Junmai Ginjo Ooyuki was sweet and fragrant. The tofu soup had a hint of shiso flavor and was delicious. For snacks, we ordered squid sashimi and yakitori, including seseri, sunagimo, and tail, each grilled with salt. First, the squid sashimi arrived. It had both the usual tentacles and the ear part. The condiment was ginger. It was delicious with a hint of sweetness. Next, the yakitori arrived. They were all well-seasoned with salt and paired perfectly with the sake. Especially the tail was exceptional, without any unpleasant smell. Meanwhile, my friend ordered more local sake, Ichinokura Honjozo, and yakitori tail. Since they didn't have soba here, we decided to end the meal at this point.

After two years, I decided to choose a place to drink in Hakodate by researching on Tabelog. I had three options: a highly-rated new restaurant, a cozy place I had visited before, or a familiar place. I left my accommodation at 5:30 pm and as I walked, I saw a person trying to attract customers to a place that was empty inside. I hesitantly entered the highly-rated new restaurant and found it also empty, with a staff member sitting with their head down. I asked if it was okay to sit, and they finally raised their head to tell me they were fully booked for the day. I couldn't help but mutter "Is that really true?" in a strange Hakodate-style Japanese in my mind. I decided to skip the new place and head to the cozy spot I had enjoyed before. I sat at the counter and ordered a sashimi platter, pork skewers, chicken skin, daikon salad, and a draft beer. I also had three refills of Kirin's carbonated shochu. I ordered recommended dishes like thick fried tofu and beef tendon stew. The mustard was spicy! But having a familiar spot to go to while traveling always adds an exciting touch. As I left, I glanced at the rejected new restaurant from the opposite side of the street.

If you're looking to have dinner while drinking in the Daimon area, I recommend Sushiraku. It's delicious and reasonably priced. I used to go there with my senior colleagues when it got cold to eat oden. Although it's not the same store as before, I always order the "tachi" dish this season. This time, I ordered the tempura tachi. It was hot, tender, and absolutely delicious. For dessert, I had the dashimaki tamago. It was fluffy and the broth was rich, making it really tasty. I always go for the owner's highball drink here. It's 460 yen for a double serving, which is just right for me who doesn't drink much. The highball here has a strong carbonation, so even this amount is enjoyable to drink. I ended up having three glasses.

I visited this restaurant while looking for something other than seafood during my trip to Hakodate, as the local area is abundant in seafood. The oden was excellent! The yakitori was also delicious, making this restaurant a great find! I will definitely stop by again when I come back to Hakodate!

Hakodate is no exception, but the 4,000 yen banquet course seems to be a bit expensive for what you get.

Oden is delicious, especially the daikon radish. Wednesdays offer half-price beer and highballs, which is a great deal.

Oden is delicious.

The drinks are cheap.

I'm not really good with the Daimon (station front) area (^_^;) In the past, whenever we said "let's drink!" it was always Daimon, but this time the young guys chose the restaurant. The sign, or rather the wall, is like a "price list" (laughs). The floor inside is a bit sticky. We ordered quite a bit, but there are only a few photos. The ham cutlet was a delight! Whenever it's on the menu, I always order it. We had oden, yakitori, sashimi, the usual stuff. Thank you for the meal! The bill for all-you-can-drink was less than 3000 yen per person! It's so cheap. Next time, I'll go with the young guys again!

On the first day in Hokkaido, I arrived in Hakodate after 10:30 pm. I checked into my accommodation and headed out to explore the city. The restaurant I had in mind was closed, so I searched on Tabelog for another option. There were only a few places open past midnight, and I found a ramen shop along a street with a couple of late-night options. When I peered inside, there were no customers. I asked the staff (possibly the manager) if they were still open, and they said they were open until 11:30 for the last order. I went in and ordered a draft beer for 480 yen, a sashimi platter for 1080 yen, pork skewers for 300 yen, and edamame for 320 yen. The beer was cheap, but the glass was a bit small and lukewarm. The sashimi platter had five types of fish, including mackerel, which I tried for the first time. The slices were small but neatly arranged. I couldn't resist ordering the pork skewers over yakitori. The edamame was served hot and fresh, not pre-made. I felt bad for making them prepare it right before closing. For my second drink, I had a Mega Highball for 450 yen, which was nicely chilled. After the last order, I paid and left. It was a cozy izakaya where I'd like to come back earlier next time. Outside, the cool air was refreshing, and I debated whether to have ramen as a final meal while wandering the streets for a bit.

I went to "Yakitori Oden Jyuraku" on this day. I arrived before 7 pm and there were several groups of customers already there, making it lively. I was seated at the counter and on this day it was Wednesday, which is "Jyuraku Day" where drinks are half price until 10 pm, a happy service day. I ordered a draft beer for starters. The draft beer and a side dish of simmered mountain vegetables arrived. While eating the mountain vegetables, I looked at the menu and ordered chicken skewers with salt, liver with sauce, and added negima (chicken and leek skewers) after mumbling "no negima...". While waiting for the skewers, I ordered oden with egg, daikon radish, and shiitake mushrooms. The daikon radish was huge! It was delicious with a rich flavor. As I enjoyed the oden, the skewers arrived. They were delicious too! I especially liked the liver. I'll have to go back on a Wednesday to enjoy the discounted drinks again. Thank you for the meal!

I called ahead and they had availability, so a colleague and I visited after 8pm. The restaurant had mostly tables for four, not ideal for large parties. On Wednesdays, they offer half-price beer until 10pm, which was a great deal. The glasses were clean, the beer was cold and tasty. We tried the flavorful oden, salad with shirasu, fried horse mackerel, and yakitori. The yakitori sauce was too sweet for me, but the salt version was delicious. The staff were friendly and attentive. The place used to be a club or snack bar, which you can still sense in the atmosphere, but it's not uncomfortable. They also have counter seats and TVs, making it a good spot for solo diners. Recommended.

After leaving Shokunou in September 2014, I took a short break at the hotel before strolling around Hakodate at night. At first glance, this restaurant seemed relatively new, and I usually wouldn't choose such a place, but for some reason, I felt drawn to it and decided to visit. I started with their signature dish, oden, and then had a few skewers of yakitori. The broth of the oden was incredibly delicious, and I was impressed! The kombu they use must be different, right? After chatting with the owner for a bit, we moved on to the next restaurant. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I came to Hakodate on a business trip and walked from the hotel to the bustling downtown area. On Gion Street, I spotted "Juraku" with its menu and prices boldly written on the exterior wall. The side featured yakitori, while the front showcased oden. Despite the chilly weather, I was drawn to Juraku for oden. The interior had only counter and table seating, with a group of 4-5 salarymen already there. In the off-season for tourists in Hakodate, most restaurants were similar in size. Being alone, I sat at the counter and ordered a draft beer. I ordered two skewers of yakitori for 260 yen each, and for oden, I chose daikon (200 yen) and beef tendon (280 yen). The presence of beef tendon indicated a Kansai-style oden, although oden originated in Edo. I prefer the lighter Kansai style over the richer Kanto style, with a focus on dashi flavor. The owner lifted the lid of the square oden pot, revealing a plate of daikon and beef tendon, emitting a delicious aroma. The broth was clear and fragrant, steeped in the ingredients. The daikon, cut into thick slices, absorbed the flavorful broth, making it delicious. Beef tendon, a common ingredient in Kansai oden, provided a satisfying chewy texture. It's the best time of year to enjoy oden. Although beef tendon is not a familiar ingredient for us locals, it adds a unique texture to the dish. I switched from beer to highball, impressed by the affordable prices on the menu. The highball machine, offering various fruit flavors, was set up by Suntory, ensuring a perfect mix every time. I ordered a highball with shikwasa (a type of citrus fruit) and enjoyed it. The pork cheek skewers were grilled over charcoal and served with a thick sauce and mustard. The texture was firm, similar to pork jowl, with a low fat content. The slight bitterness and spiciness of the mustard complemented the pork well. Overall, I found Juraku to be a great restaurant.

On a night during a trip to Hakodate with my husband, we entered a lively izakaya and ordered fresh squid, but it was a bit disappointing. We decided to change course and wandered around the drinking district for about an hour. We even checked out some food stalls, but nothing caught our interest. Tired from walking, my husband suggested a place and we entered. The exterior had "oden, yakitori" written on it. Inside, it was dimly lit with a retro Showa-era atmosphere. There was a small TV with a tube screen, but the place was surprisingly spacious. It was past 10:30 pm and there were no other customers, but my husband wanted to watch women's volleyball, so we sat at the counter near the TV. We started with beer and decided to focus on the signature dishes of oden and yakitori. The yakitori was pork skewers, my husband's favorite. The oden was served quickly and included a huge daikon, twin eggs, and delicious satsuma-age. The broth was very tasty, and we couldn't help but slurp it all up. The yakitori seemed to be grilled over charcoal. It was a random choice of a restaurant, but we were pleasantly surprised by the authentic and delicious food we found. As my husband, who seemed reserved at first, chatted with the owner while watching volleyball and enjoying the conversation, we ended up leaving the restaurant close to midnight with a promise to return the following month. And the next month, just as promised, we visited Hakodate again. My husband was eager to go out for dinner as soon as we checked into the hotel. It was still bright outside, but we headed to "Jyuraku," a restaurant that we had visited last month. The place was very crowded this time, perhaps because of the half-price drinks offer. We managed to secure seats at the counter. The owner seemed to remember us and served us a small dish of squid sashimi with liver as a complimentary appetizer. We loved squid, so it was a great start to the meal. We ordered several dishes, including oden, pork skewers, chicken skewers, tsukune, pork belly, buttered corn, asparagus with butter, salted fish roe, fried potatoes, fried squid legs, and a few sashimi dishes. Everything we ate was delicious, especially the oden and tsukune with egg yolk. We indulged in a variety of dishes and drinks, and despite staying longer than intended, the bill was still under 10,000 yen. The half-price drinks offer was a bonus, but the authentic flavors at reasonable prices made this restaurant a definite recommendation in Hakodate, where there are many tourist-oriented establishments.

I went to Jyuraku a little while ago. They have a service where drinks are half off every Wednesday. Some drinks are not included in the half off promotion. The dishes are reasonably priced, such as scallop sashimi for 580 yen, and sweet potato butter for 450 yen. The portions are not very large. The staff here is always working hard and very friendly. I ended up trying a nostalgic highball drink that was not included in the half off promotion, but still very affordable. The restaurant has fun retro posters on the walls.