ににすけ
Located on the B1F of a building on the corner of Minami 2 Nishi 7 in Sapporo. I visited during lunchtime and found the place quite busy with a decent number of customers. There are quite a few small raised seating areas for 4 people. I sat at the counter near the kitchen. The restaurant has a chic, dark-toned decor more reminiscent of an izakaya than a traditional sushi restaurant. The somewhat unfriendly owner informed me politely that the service might be a bit slow due to the busy time. They offer 5 types of nigiri sets, and I chose the "Sakura" set, priced at 1620 yen. The cheapest set, "Momo," costs 1080 yen, while the most expensive set, "Fuji," is 3240 yen, making it quite reasonable. I chose a set that didn't include the types of sushi I don't particularly enjoy. I waited for my order while leisurely sipping tea. As the owner had mentioned, the service was a bit slow. On Saturdays, all sushi dishes are 20% off, making it quite a good deal. They have a good selection of Japanese sake and shochu, including local Hokkaido sake like Kitayama's Hokutozuusou and nationwide brands like Kudoki Jouzu from Yamagata. They also offer various types of shochu such as sweet potato, barley, rice, awamori, and brown sugar. The wall displayed the daily sashimi menu, including fresh clams, which I wanted to try but ultimately didn't order. My order arrived after about 25 minutes, consisting of maguro, hotate, amaebi, hirame, ika, sanma, uni, ikura, umeshiso maki, tamagoyaki, totaling 10 pieces. The sanma nigiri, a seasonal delicacy, was particularly delicious this year. The ikura was also a favorite of mine. I heard from a knowledgeable source that it's more affordable this year, so it might be worth making at home in large quantities. There were other well-aged sushi items that were also tasty. Overall, I enjoyed my meal. Coming on a Saturday offers great value, and their lunch sets priced at 865 yen each are also enticing. I'd like to visit again on a Saturday if possible. Despite seeming a bit aloof, the owner was overall friendly. Thank you for the meal.