On this day, most of the surrounding shops were closed due to the Obon festival, so I visited this restaurant. I wanted to try grilled chicken or seafood cooked over an open flame, but it seemed like everything except squid, hokke (Okhotsk atka mackerel), and shishamo (willow leaf fish) was sold out. I was hoping for some Hokkaido specialties, so it was a little disappointing. However, the beer was ice cold and refreshing, which was just what I needed after unloading my luggage in Wakkanai.

I arrived in Wakkanai on a romantic trip in early autumn 2022 in Hokkaido. Tonight, I will take the night bus from Wakkanai Station at 11:00 PM to Sapporo Station. But before that, I'll have a drink. I was politely turned away from the izakaya near the station where I had been drinking before, so I walked to the next destination, the Robatayaki Magojiro. I could see the red sign, lanterns, and straw curtain hanging at the shop. It seems they have recently moved, as there are no reviews yet. The restaurant has 5 counter seats, 2 small raised tatami tables, and 1 table with a raised floor style where you can keep your shoes on. - Appetizer... 300 yen (excluding tax) - Deer meat chashu... 750 yen (excluding tax) - Assorted grilled skewers (6 pieces)... 980 yen (including tax) - New potato with salted sea urchin... 580 yen (excluding tax) - Tomato cheese (1 piece)... 180 yen (including tax) - Green onion (1 piece)... 170 yen (including tax) - Ginger-wrapped meat skewers (2 pieces, same price for 1 piece)... 430 yen (excluding tax) - Raw tsukune skewers (2 pieces, same price for 1 piece)... 460 yen (excluding tax) - Sapporo Classic bottled beer (medium)... 600 yen (including tax) - Hot sake (1 cup)... 550 yen (including tax) - Niseko cold sake (glass)... 650 yen (including tax) - Hokuto Suison cold sake (glass)... 650 yen (including tax) - Saikoku Kouro cold sake (300ml)... 900 yen (including tax) I visited the restaurant for the first time at 6:00 PM, right after it opened. There were no other customers. I got permission to take photos inside the restaurant. I was seated at the end of the counter. There were two male staff members, one of whom was the owner. I started with a bottled beer. The appetizer was strips of yam. I ordered the deer meat chashu from the hanging menu strips on the counter. It's a game meat menu. The seven pieces, with white sesame sprinkled on top, had a rich flavor that you wouldn't recognize as deer meat in taste and texture. It was too much for one person. It also had a good texture. The default sake brand was unknown. It's not a local sake. The assorted grilled skewers took a while to cook, and they included chicken tenderloin, chicken thigh, chicken skin, pork belly, and two pork tongues. It was seasoned with salt and pepper, not sauce. To be honest, it was delicious. The slightly firm pork tongue also had a good taste. I had Niseko cold sake and new potato with salted sea urchin. The Hokkaido taste of the fluffy new potatoes was excellent. The luxurious version with salted sea urchin, using new potatoes of the variety "Meekin," was a hit. I also had Hokuto Suison cold sake and the Wakkanai limited Saikoku Kouro. The fruity Hokuto Suison seems to be popular. I ordered more grilled skewers, including tomato cheese, green onion, and 2 pieces each of ginger-wrapped meat skewers and raw tsukune skewers. They were all delicious, but the ginger-wrapped meat skewers with a spicy kick on the tongue were particularly tasty. However, it seems that I was charged the price for two pieces for the ginger-wrapped meat skewers and raw tsukune skewers, even though they said "one piece is fine." Hmm... The pricing seems quite strict. The restaurant has been in business for 14 years. They moved to their current location this spring. The owner, Izumi Shuni, also sells T-shirts from FT (Tokyo). The BGM was American pop music, and the TV was playing with the sound turned down. Later, a few local customers arrived. The owner, who had been quiet until then, started talking a lot. It seems to be an izakaya bustling with local customers, despite being close to the station. It was a delicious meal.