A friend took me to a recommended restaurant. The place was crowded with young customers. There were many items on the menu. Unfortunately, the dish I wanted was sold out. The garlic shrimp was average. I would like to go there again.

Last November, when I visited "Harukiya" at "Kitami Jiman Village," the manager mentioned that a new restaurant would soon be opening. I promised to visit once it opened. About half a year later, I finally went to the new restaurant. It was a very stylish place, with a modern Japanese atmosphere that didn't feel like a typical izakaya. When I entered, the manager greeted me warmly, remembering that I had visited their previous restaurant. The menu featured a variety of dishes, including sashimi, robatayaki, and a selection of tempura, just like Harukiya. They also had a range of drinks, including sake, beer, whiskey, and cocktails. The bartender was able to make some delicious cocktails. I started with a Super Dry Extra Gold beer and enjoyed some appetizers that came with it. I couldn't eat much because I had already eaten, so I decided to try their cocktails instead. The bartender remembered me from a different place I had visited during the day, and I tried their recommended City Coral cocktail, followed by a Prosciutto Caprese with a second cocktail made with sake called Red Comet. The food and drinks were excellent, and the atmosphere was lovely. It was more like a casual kaiseki or a stylish bar than a traditional izakaya. The restaurant seemed to be quite popular, with customers coming and going. It was a fantastic experience!

I went out with a good friend in Kitami after a long time. I had a huge portion of mapo tofu for lunch and I'm still feeling bloated. This place used to be Jiman Village run by the Haruki family, but now it seems they have moved and transformed into a new type of establishment. It has a stylish bar-like counter. They seem to specialize in jelly cocktails and vegetable cocktails. They also have something called "Sui Niku" from Kagoshima. It seems like a teppanyaki dish with beef and vegetables? It sounds interesting but I can't handle heavy food right now. I'll go for something light and refreshing. I ordered chicken and vegetable salad, a sashimi platter with 5 types, and tempura with myoga, maitake mushrooms, and mentaiko. I remember the mentaiko being delicious at Haruki's place. I think these dishes would go well with either sake or shochu. The myoga tempura has an irresistible flavor. The chicken and vegetable salad is moist and delicious. This would probably go well with shochu too. I didn't take a photo, but the white wine-like sake was delicious too. Next time, I want to challenge myself with the Sui Niku on an empty stomach.

This is Kitami, just the two of us. After a long time, we decided to go out drinking at night. It's Friday, so we're meeting at a hotel in the evening. I invited my wife, who unusually has Saturdays off, to join me for a night out in Kitami, and she agreed. I thought my wife would choose the restaurant, but the note she showed me had places that I had also written down. Surprisingly, there wasn't a single yakiniku restaurant in the list, and I was craving meat. Despite being a loyal regular customer at some places, I never miss out on new restaurants. The saving grace is that some night-time establishments tend to slip through the cracks. This place seemed like one of those. I couldn't figure out what kind of place it used to be. We climbed the stairs and entered the restaurant, which had a stylish, traditional Japanese feel. The interior was decorated with hanafuda cards instead of playing cards. The staff, consisting of two men and one woman, had a good vibe. We sat at the counter, and the previous customer, a lone woman, seemed to know the people behind the counter. We ordered beer, and today we're having it in a glass, which I prefer because it tastes better, but it can get expensive since I drink a lot. The appetizer consisted of spinach, okra, cucumber, and pickles. My wife seemed happy looking at me, probably because there was cucumber on the plate. The staff, dressed in white coats, were creating an atmosphere that suggested the food would be stylish but lacking in taste. My wife ordered a sashimi platter, while I, as usual, left it up to the chef. My wife is not used to that, but she didn't seem to mind today. The chef informed us that they had run out of tuna, which was good news for us as we weren't particularly fond of it. The tai snapper was enjoyable, and we both liked it. The salmon and other sashimi served at restaurants like this one are not to be trusted, but it seems to be a trend that people enjoy. My wife happily ate it, but I declined as I only eat salmon when there's nothing else left to eat in the world. I do eat shime saba, which is not particularly special but is decent. Scallop is not something that I'm inclined to eat, even though my wife likes it. We ordered a second round of drinks, sake this time, and received two different types which were delicious. When I took a horizontal photo, I was scolded and told to take a vertical one, which has now become a fond memory. It was a fun restaurant, and I would consider revisiting, but they might need to expand their food menu a bit. It seems like the restaurant is not focused on food, but it's a good place for parties as they have connections with other establishments that can provide food. I felt that the menu was a bit lacking for someone like me who doesn't eat much.