merkabah
I accompany my wife on her hometown visits and we visit this place once a year, sometimes twice. As I have become more accustomed to the taste of this restaurant, I can't help but notice that the menu is somewhat limited. I understand that with personal ownership, the chef is often limited to just the owner. However, I'm not criticizing the lack of creativity in the menu. It's just that there are limitations to what can be prepared, and in that sense, it can't compete with chain restaurants. As I become more familiar, I realize that there is not much variation in the flavors. The menu often reflects the taste preferences of the chef. Does this lead to a certain level of monotony...? It's not a major issue, but something that has been on my mind lately.
Oh my, to think that there is a restaurant like this in the outskirts of Sapporo, close to the city center and near the foot of Moiwa Mountain! To put it bluntly, this place is so good that it could thrive in Susukino, Odori, or even in front of Sapporo Station. In my nearly 20 years of coming to Sapporo, I have never encountered a restaurant that serves such high-quality dishes. I can't mention the name of other restaurants, but this place is far superior to those with double the customer spending around Nishi Ichijo. It's a top-ranking restaurant in Sapporo without a doubt! We went as a group of three and the bill came to just over 9000 yen! We ate to our heart's content, yet it only cost around 3000 yen per person. It's surprisingly affordable. Despite the affordability, the quality of the dishes is top-notch! The pasta for the finale is better than what specialty stores offer. There's really nothing to complain about... the couple who seem to run the place must be doing a great job. However, during peak hours, do they hire part-time staff? The floor space is decent for a personal business. With just one chef and one staff member on the floor, can they handle the rush during busy times? The restaurant opens at 5 pm as it's an izakaya. Even on weekends, it starts to get crowded after 7 pm, so I recommend going before that if you plan to visit. We ordered a total of seven dishes, including those not shown in the photos, and all of them were perfect, with a completion rate of 100%! For me, four and a half stars is almost a perfect score, so there's really nothing to complain about. The lower rating for service is due to the aforementioned concern about the slowness in serving the dishes during busy times. Even this time, I felt a bit impatient as the customers increased. As for the sake and drinks, I was impressed by the selection of Japanese sake, but due to the limited quantity, I have to deduct points. Still...! To think that there's a restaurant like this in this location. It's near my wife's parents' place, so I'll be coming to eat here every time we visit. I wish I could retire soon and live near my wife's parents' place because of this restaurant.