On Sunday, August 13, 2023 at 7:15 PM, my wife, our three daughters, and I went for a walk on the embankment behind Omachi Elementary School. We could hear the sounds of children's Bon dance in the distance towards the Kinsei Bridge. We hurried back home and drove to the Kinsei Park where we found a tower. The three of us joined the circle and participated for about 15 minutes. Our eldest daughter, who was debuting in the Bon dance, was thrilled to receive snacks as a participation prize. On our way back, we were lured by the sign of Matsuoka Omachi Store. We arrived at 7:50 PM and had to wait for 40 minutes before being seated. We ordered Upper Mutton for 1,270 yen, Special Lamb for 1,470 yen, Udon for 180 yen, and Highball for 480 yen. The meat and udon were delicious, satisfying our Hokkaido DNA. The flavors were rich and never-ending. As a consideration for the long wait, the landlady treated us to a rotating sausage. Upon closer examination, the sausage was lightly seasoned, perhaps to balance the strong flavor of Genghis Khan. Whether intentional or not, the thought put into the taste impressed us. My wife and daughter had Chocolate Soft Serve for dessert for 260 yen. The total bill came to 3,660 yen. Despite the 40-minute wait, it was a great page in our Bon memories. Thank you for the feast. ♡

Roadside restaurant on the outskirts of town. It's a small shop, but there seems to be a steady stream of customers coming in and out. Tried the sampler set and a single portion of lamb. When it comes to classic marinated Genghis Khan, Matsuo Genghis Khan is the best. The sauce has just the right amount of sweetness, making it hard to stop eating. The staff recommended the udon noodles for a satisfying finish, and it's definitely worth a try!

On a holiday evening, I dined alone at the famous Matsuo Jingisukan, known for its seasoned Genghis Khan dish. I've eaten it countless times since I was a child, but I had never experienced dining at the actual restaurant before. As a resident of Hokkaido, I felt a strange sense of duty to try it out. Excuse me, dining alone here. "Please follow me," the staff guided me to a table and quickly changed the Jingisukan pot. They set up a smokeless roaster and a small individual pot for me. I ordered lamb meat, rice, and oolong tea. While waiting for the meat to arrive, I carefully read the "delicious way to eat" instructions on the table. I see. You cook the meat on the dome part. Vegetables and udon are simmered in the sauce collected on the side. With over fifty years of being a Hokkaido resident, I embarrassingly learned this for the first time (^_^;) When the meat and rice arrived, the game began. I cooked it according to the instructions. Mmm, delicious. The secret sauce made with soy sauce, apple, ginger, and other ingredients thoroughly soaked into the lamb meat. It's the comforting taste I've known since childhood. Truly Hokkaido's soul food! Feeling confident, I ordered an additional serving of lamb meat and udon. I cooked the meat and simmered the udon on the side. It's starting to look good. Is it ready? The udon is amazing! The perfectly blended sauce and the essence of the lamb meat coating the udon. It's a level of deliciousness that ordinary stir-fried udon can't compete with. The true charm of seasoned Genghis Khan, right here. I might have eaten too many carbs, but in the end, I finished two servings of lamb meat, rice, and udon. Along with oolong tea, the total came to 3120 yen. A truly luxurious solo meal. But the fact that I didn't have to deal with the hassle of cleaning up is appealing. If I have the chance, I'll definitely visit again.

The staff were very friendly and provided warm and welcoming service, making us feel like we were visiting a relative. The Genghis Khan dish was delicious, and the freshly cooked white rice was also very tasty. I think I'm hooked on Genghis Khan now.

The company-sponsored party was decided to be Genghis Khan BBQ just based on momentum and excitement. When I was a child, Genghis Khan BBQ meant only Mats◯, coming from a rural background. As an adult who now goes to various places, I have had the opportunity to try different Genghis Khan BBQ and yakiniku. Today, I found myself back at Mats◯ for all-you-can-eat and drink, mostly rotating between Genghis Khan BBQ, bean sprouts, and beer. I tried Mats◯ for the first time in a while, but the cheap imported lamb meat was disappointing. They used to cover up the smell by making it salty, but even though it's cheap imported meat, they charge a decent price for all-you-can-eat. Nowadays, people say lamb meat smells bad... And to make matters worse, they expect you to get your own beer refill since there's no one around. I only came because it was a company event, but I definitely won't be coming back. I still want to try other delicious meats.

On the way back from Wakkanai, I stopped by Matsuo Jingisukan. I was somewhat satisfied with the reliable taste and atmosphere. I'm not sure where it originated, but Matsuo Jingisukan in Hokkaido is a classic choice, a shop that everyone in the region knows. It wasn't too crowded, but it took a bit of time for the food to come out, which was a little disappointing. I find Jingisukan more relaxing to eat alone than yakiniku. Asahikawa has many shops that stay open relatively late, so it's good for tourists to visit.

The service was great and the food was delicious.

The food is delicious, and the atmosphere is warm and cozy.

First meal of the Asahikawa trip. Arrived at the airport around 8 o'clock and headed to Matsuo's Jingisukan, a male who specializes in marinated lamb, by rental car. There seem to be two branches in Asahikawa, and we chose the newer one where we could easily park our car. We entered right at the opening at 11 o'clock. It seems like there is a special lunch deal on Saturdays. We ordered the Special Lamb Lunch Set for 1,080 yen and the Mutton Lunch Set for 800 yen, both come with vegetables, rice, miso soup, pickles, and a choice of soft drink or mini soft serve ice cream. We also ordered the salted hormone, which is said to be a new specialty in Asahikawa, and a side of udon for the finish. The special lamb was tender and refreshing, made from young lamb. The mutton, made from mature sheep with some fat, had a bit of a unique taste which I enjoyed as a Jingisukan lover. The salted hormone had a strong flavor, but it was surprisingly tasty when chewed thoroughly. The udon as the last course was decent. However, the mini soft serve for dessert was poorly made, almost amateurish! It would have been better if they remade it instead of serving it with such embarrassment (laughs). I wish I had gone to the main branch in Takikawa since I had time after the airport. I'll consider that option for next time.

After the Asahikawa Half Marathon, I came with my friends and of course, we ordered the great value all-you-can-eat and drink for 4000 yen. We enjoyed Genghis Khan, salted hormone, sausages, kimchi, pickled herring, udon, rice balls, ice cream, and more. Of course, we could also have beer. I had three extra-large jugs of beer (1080 yen each) and finished with one medium jug (480 yen), which left me satisfied. In total, I spent 3720 yen. Each of us also had a plate of the Genghis Khan shown in the photo. The marinated meat at Matsuo Genghis Khan is tender and delicious. It's a really great deal for all-you-can-eat and drink.

[May 2015 - First Visit] Due to road expansion, the Matsuo Genghis Khan restaurant has been renovated. I've been wanting to come here for a while, but the feeling of being able to come anytime has delayed my visit until now. I think the last time I had Matsuo Genghis Khan was probably about 10 years ago at the main store. Looking at Matsuo's group website, it seems to be a franchise store, but the franchise stores are not listed on the website. Maybe there are too many (although not that many) to keep track of? They should definitely list them. On the way to the restaurant, the weather was nice, and I could smell and hear people grilling meat in front of their houses. I thought the restaurant might be empty since people were grilling at home, but I was wrong. The first floor of the restaurant was almost full, with 7-8 groups dining. We were able to sit right after the previous group left. The restaurant was bustling, although we couldn't see inside from the outside. The staff, probably used to tourists, still gave us a lecture on lamb and mutton, even though we are locals (lol). They had a trial set and a comparison set on the menu, and we decided on the comparison set to try the top-grade lamb and mutton. Grilled vegetables were served to prevent splattering oil. The vegetables soaked in the sauce were delicious. The meat was tender and not too fatty for the top-grade cuts. The sauce effectively masked any gamey taste. We tried the top-grade lamb first, followed by the top-grade mutton. The mutton had a slightly gamey taste. We preferred the mutton. We then ordered regular lamb and mutton. The menu mentioned fatty cuts, but the sauce was developed to complement the cheap sheep meat, so some fattiness and gamey taste were expected. The meat had a good texture and was enjoyable to eat. The mutton was the most exciting for us. We were almost full, so it was a good stopping point. Oh, we forgot to order udon (lol). For first-timers with sauce, be careful not to overcook the meat! [December 2016] As the end of the year approached, I didn't have the energy or time to cook dinner from scratch, so I decided to eat out. It was early evening, and the restaurant seemed empty. I impulsively went in. There were plenty of seats available. Families and elderly friends' groups gathered. This time, we skipped the grilled vegetables and ordered just the meat (with bean sprouts). We ordered lamb and top-grade mutton for two servings each. We still preferred the mutton sauce. The food arrived quickly. I made sure not to overcook the meat this time. I arranged the bean sprouts in the Genghis Khan pot and lined the meat on top. The regular lamb (shoulder) was tender enough, and the top-grade mutton (loin) had a bit more chew. We added regular mutton (shoulder) to compare, and it was also easy to eat. In the past, Genghis Khan used to have tough, stringy meat, even when thinly sliced, but that's not the case anymore. Everything was delicious. We had a large serving of rice and were fully satisfied. And once again, we forgot to order udon (lol).

My favorite spot, Matsuo-san! When it comes to Genghis Khan in Asahikawa, it's Matsuo-san, right? A few years ago, it was renovated and it looks really nice now! Well, Asahikawa is very hot, so let's start with a beer! Beer on a hot day is the best. I ordered the special lamb meat. I also ordered onigiri, vegetables, udon, and kimchi. The seasoning is simple but somehow it just feels right, with meat that is tender and not too gamey. The vegetables and udon simmered slowly in the sauce. This style really suits me. I ate and drank so much, I wonder how many servings I had? I was completely satisfied! The manager is as friendly as ever. It's great!

I went to Matsuo Jingisukan FC store, Matsuo Jingisukan Asahikawa Omachi store recently, which has been renovated recently and caught my attention. The store is located at 2-2 Omachi 2-jo, Asahikawa City. The opening hours are from 11:00 to 23:00, they have parking available and smoking is allowed. The store has a very elegant appearance now, similar to the main store. The interior has also changed a lot, it's new and clean, making it a pleasant atmosphere. The meat is the same as the main store, but the side orders are slightly different. The udon is also cheap. This time, I ordered the lamb shoulder meat for 800 yen (back in the photo) and the premium lamb for 880 yen (front in the photo). Oh, it's delicious. The lamb shoulder meat has a smoother texture compared to the lamb I had at the main store last time. It has even less odor. The premium lamb doesn't have that fatty taste at all, more like beef sagari. This might be considered high-quality by most people, but personally, I prefer the slight fatty taste of the regular lamb I had last time. The meat is probably the same as the main store, but maybe it's the atmosphere of the store that made the main store taste better. It might be just my imagination, but even here, Matsuo's Jingisukan was delicious, just like at the main store.

I climbed Mt. Kurodake and soaked in a hot spring, which took me until 2:00 PM. It was too early for lunch and my flight was at 8:30 PM, so I decided to head to Asahikawa and have Genghis Khan as my final meal. I chose this restaurant because they had a parking lot for my rental car. The navigation led me to a construction zone, but I eventually found the restaurant, which was clean and unexpectedly nice. It seemed like they had recently renovated. It was 5:30 PM and the menu was not displayed outside yet. I was worried if they were open, but they were. I ordered a trial set which included top lamb and regular lamb with vegetables. The staff asked if it was my first time at their restaurant, and when I said yes, they kindly explained everything from the menu to how to cook the meat to the deliciousness of the snow wasabi. The 3-4 floor staff were all friendly and helpful. The top lamb and regular lamb were different in terms of fat content. Both were tender and flavorful. I personally preferred the regular lamb because it had a richer taste. The snow wasabi added a nice touch to the meat. I ordered extra meat because it was so good. They also served locally grown corn, which was delicious. We boiled udon noodles in the broth from the meat and vegetables for the finishing touch. The combination of delicious meat and cozy atmosphere made my Hokkaido trip complete. I really wanted a beer though. Thank you for the meal. PS. I couldn't resist and had a Sapporo Classic 500ml at the airport. Oh, and I also bought some snow wasabi. It's been great to use at home.