I went out for a night out alone for the first time in a long time. I headed to this place because I had talked about it with a friend a while ago. The appetizer was... some kind of fried chicken pieces, I think? There was also shrimp tempura, so I had that, and the croquette was a new menu item which I found quite tasty. But the main attraction here is definitely the fried skewers!! I didn't take a picture of the lotus root and pickled ginger ones (I forgot), but I also had shiitake mushrooms and shrimp. The fried skewers here are the real deal, made by people from Osaka. I personally like the breadcrumbs they use, the fine ones! And the sauce where double dipping is not allowed. Yes, I think I'll always come back here for the fried skewers.

The other day, I went to a yakitori restaurant for the first time, and this time I went to a kushikatsu restaurant for the first time. I had decided a while ago that I wanted to go to this particular place. It's called Kitarou, located in a slightly hard-to-find place in Hanazono. The owner is from Osaka and has adapted authentic Kansai-style kushikatsu to suit the tastes of the locals. Just hearing that made me curious! I ordered rice, and beef, pork, chicken, Osaka red pickled ginger, and lotus root. I also got a cola. It was my first time at a kushikatsu restaurant, so I was wondering how to eat it, but the owner's wife kindly explained it to me. I learned that you shouldn't dip your chopsticks in the sauce. The kushikatsu was crispy but not greasy at all, with a fine bread crumb texture that was very pleasant. The sauce was light and easy to eat, not too heavy! I felt like I could eat as much as I wanted. The meat was crispy and tender, but I especially liked the lotus root and red pickled ginger. I always thought red pickled ginger was just for yakisoba, but it's delicious fried too. I didn't know that. I want to try various other items next time. It's something to look forward to. The owner and his wife were both kind and made the atmosphere very pleasant. The bill was 1850 yen. It was very delicious, thank you for the meal~. Finally, I was allowed to draw a lottery. The prizes were discount coupons for the next visit, with the first prize being a whopping 3000 yen off, the second prize 2000 yen off, the third prize 1000 yen off, and the fourth prize 500 yen off, with no losing tickets. It's so generous that it almost makes you worry, right? I was worried about winning 3000 yen off because I wouldn't be able to eat that much even if I did, and I drew with a lot of ulterior motives, but I ended up winning the fourth prize of 500 yen off, which was a relief (maybe). It was a great restaurant in the heart of Otaru, like a little Osaka. (I also corrected the operating hours, regular holidays, and information on Tabelog as it seemed to have changed.)

Double dipping of tempura is not allowed.

"The food was really good and enjoyable!"

After returning from a business trip, I decided to treat my partner to dinner at a restaurant called Kitarou. I chose this place because I felt like having some delicious kushikatsu, which is deep-fried skewers with a fine, crispy coating. The kushikatsu here is coated in a light sauce and is so crispy that you can keep eating them without getting tired. The restaurant also serves a dish called horupon, which is a type of hormone (offal) marinated in ponzu sauce and spicy seasoning. Both dishes go well with alcohol, but they also pair nicely with rice. The owner, who has a strong Osaka accent, is working on bringing a bit of Osaka's lively atmosphere to Otaru by setting up a kushikatsu stall at a local shrine festival. The stall is located near the intersection of Ryugu Shrine and Yanagawa Street. The owner hopes to share the fun and energetic vibe of Osaka with the children of Otaru. The kushikatsu at this restaurant has received high praise from reviewers in Osaka, who are even asking for a branch to be opened there. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience.

Overtime continued, and by the time I got home, it was already late at night... But today, I was really hungry and couldn't wait until I got home! I got off the train at Otaru Station and my feet were heading in the opposite direction of my home on their own... I thought about searching for something at the newly opened "Romance Street" I visited before, but it was mostly groups enjoying themselves and getting drunk, and being the only one having a meal after work didn't feel right... So my feet continued towards Hanazono... My choice: "A restaurant that accepts customers for meals even if they don't drink alcohol" - Kitaro-san. I had been there before with my partner, and the "Miso-marinated pork bowl" I had was delicious. In the middle of the night, with this hunger situation, I couldn't afford to be picky. I arrived at the restaurant. Owner: Welcome. The owner greeted the man sitting at the counter with proper manners. Owner: What would you like to drink? Man: I can't drink alcohol, but is it okay if I just have a meal? Sorry. Owner: ???? Huh? Who are you? The owner stood upright and saluted the man... Man: Nothing, nothing... Sorry for being such a low-spending customer. I'll have the Miso-marinated pork bowl, please. The owner smiled and agreed. It seemed that he remembered the man who had visited a year ago. Thank you. The sound of the frying pan in the kitchen was comforting. My hunger accelerated. Miso-marinated pork bowl♪ The miso-marinated pork was savory♪ The crispy burnt parts were even more savory♪ The miso soaked into the rice♪ Mixing with mayonnaise, the umami flavor increased♪ Oh, this is good. There's a lot of pork. So the balance with the rice is... If it were me, I'd like a large serving of rice. It's nice to have miso soup too. Miso-marinated pork. Even though I'm not good with alcohol (I shouldn't say that), things that go well with rice definitely go well with alcohol too. (Pretending to know) The skewers of the other customers look delicious too. Oh, this is an authentic Osaka-style fried skewer restaurant. Owner: (Sauce) If you double-dip, I'll scold you later. The owner, originally from Osaka and a self-made chef, has a strong commitment to quality, and a reviewer from Osaka, Richard 1958 (https://tabelog.com/rvwr/ukiwa1958/), said, "There's no other restaurant in Osaka that pays such attention to detail! Except for those high-end places that charge high prices. Why did this owner open a restaurant in Otaru? Please open a branch in Osaka!!" It was highly praised. Next time, I'll bring my partner for the skewers. With alcohol this time. After the meal, I chatted with the owner for a while. When I looked at the clock, the date had changed... I have to wake up at 5 am... But I had a delicious end to the day, so, oh well, it's fine (laughs). I walked home, made excuses to my partner, took a bath, and... Oh, it's already 2 o'clock. Good night. Well, thanks for the meal.

Every 21st of the month is Kitaro Day! All items are 50 yen off. It's amazing. Today, I tried the new menu item "Ham Cheese," my favorite "Crab Cream Croquette," and the main dish of fried skewers. Both the Ham Cheese and Croquette are delicious even without sauce. They are crispy and tasty. Of course, the skewers need sauce. It's not allowed to dip them twice. They go well with beer. You can only eat pickled ginger like this around here. The owner and his wife are friendly and fun people. The conversation flows easily. It's a great restaurant.

It's been so long since I had kushikatsu. And to have it in Otaru, of all places! At first, we ordered one of each item from the 200 yen menu, except for the quail eggs, but the owner somehow misunderstood and brought out everything except the quail eggs. When we arrived, there were no other customers and the owner seemed relaxed, but soon other customers came in and things got a bit chaotic. Since the owner was running the place alone, we didn't feel like we could place another order. We decided to just eat what was served to us, and it was delicious. The first time I tried kushikatsu was in Ashiya City, Hyogo Prefecture, and I've had it a couple more times in Sapporo. In those places, the kushikatsu was bite-sized and I could easily eat 10 skewers and still want rice. But here, some skewers were quite large, so I was satisfied without rice this time. By the way, the raised seating area in the restaurant has electric kotatsu tables, which is great in the winter, especially for women. Thank you for the meal.

In June 2012, in Otaru Hanazono, my children were away on a training camp, so my partner and I decided to enjoy a day off together. We had sushi at "Kanetomo" for lunch, and then had kushikatsu at a restaurant called "Kitarou" in Otaru Hanazono for dinner. The restaurant was recommended by a reviewer named "Tonda Kimatta." The kushikatsu made by the owner, who is from Osaka, was coated with fine breadcrumbs that made it crispy and delicious. Each skewer was crunchy and full of freshly fried flavor. Although double-dipping in the sauce was not allowed, they provided extra sauce just in case. The cabbage appetizer served with miso sauce was surprisingly tasty, and we couldn't get enough of it. We also tried the "Tebayaki," a beef tendon stew, which was rich in collagen and served with homemade chili pepper that added a deep spicy flavor. The owner also offered us a special dish called "Butamiso" made with stir-fried pork belly and red miso on a bed of shredded cabbage, which was delicious. We also ordered the "Nikumiso Don," a bowl of rice topped with the pork miso mixture. The miso soup served with it was made with white miso, which was a nice contrast to the red miso flavors. I ordered a glass of sake to complement the meal, which turned out to be a refreshing choice. Although I don't drink alcohol, I wanted to experience the atmosphere of the restaurant fully. Overall, we enjoyed the food and the hospitality of the owner, who was humorous and attentive to details in his dishes. My partner, who is usually picky about dining out, was very pleased with this restaurant, and we both left satisfied.

On March 3, 2012, I decided to visit this restaurant after having a light meal at a izakaya for the first time. I thought I had a rough idea of the location, but I couldn't find it easily. This area near Hanagin is a place I rarely visit, even though I live locally. I ended up calling the restaurant for directions, and the owner kindly offered to come and pick me up from where I was. Eventually, I found out that I had passed by the restaurant earlier without realizing it. The interior of the restaurant is mostly counter seating, with a few small tables for two, but it felt a bit cramped. This place is a rare authentic Kansai-style kushikatsu restaurant in Otaru. The owner is also from Kansai. The prices are reasonable, starting from 100 yen per skewer. I ordered sagari and pork skewers (each 150 yen) as I wasn't very hungry. When I looked at the alcohol menu, I was surprised to see the name "Kitanokatsu"! I wondered if it was the same Kitanokatsu that was highly praised by the reviewer Kamisorihikku for its sake from Nemuro. The owner confirmed that the label did indeed say Kitanokatsu! Although it wasn't freshly pressed, it was a junmai sake. I had always wanted to try this sake, so I ordered it. As for the taste, I'm sorry, I was a bit tipsy, so all I remember is that it tasted like ordinary sake. Moving on to the kushikatsu review, the meat was thinly sliced for easy eating, the batter was finely textured, and the sauce was the restaurant's original blend, giving a light and not overwhelming flavor. It's important to note that in Kansai, double-dipping the skewers in the sauce is a no-no! The raw cabbage served on the side was also memorable. I also tried the tsudedaki, a classic dish with well-cooked beef tendons that would be appreciated by women for its collagen content (maybe it was a service from the owner!). The owner, who seems to have a strong sense of hospitality, also brought out another recommended dish (*^_^*). I feel bad that my memory is a bit hazy about what else I ordered (>_<). Overall, this Kansai-style kushikatsu restaurant in Otaru is still not well-known, but I hope the young owner can make it work. However, Otaru is a difficult place, and people tend to not show much interest in things they are not familiar with, so it might be challenging. Personally, I like it though. Everyone, there is a Kansai-style kushikatsu restaurant in Otaru with wallet-friendly prices, so please visit and support them! I walked back home from the restaurant, which took about 20 minutes, but I don't remember anything after arriving home (T_T).

Introduced by my wife's friend, I visited this restaurant with hidden gem potential that I had never heard of before. The dishes we had included sand liver, egg omelette, fried skewers, cabbage, menma, and a complimentary dish called "horupon," among others. The cabbage and menma were surprisingly delicious and paired well with the drinks. The sand liver and horupon were the highlights of the night, incredibly tasty! The horupon, which may be unfamiliar to many, is a unique way of eating hormone with ponzu sauce that left me impressed with its deliciousness. The flavor is Kansai-style, soy sauce-based, catering to the soy sauce lovers in Otaru. The master, who hails from Kansai, has excellent conversational skills, making the dining experience enjoyable. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay long on this visit, but I look forward to returning early next time to savor the flavors again!