It was convenient to meet up at Choi Maruyama store in front of Ninozakura and have a drink without ordering food. The highball was tasty with a good concentration. I appreciated the affordability and quick service of this place. Location: 1F, Daiju-son Building, 24-1-30 Odori Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo. Close to Tozai Line Maruyama Station Exit 5, 2 minutes on foot. Tel: 011-215-7737. Open from 17:00 to 24:00, Fridays and Saturdays until 25:00. Closed on Sundays.

Sapporo, Hokkaido, Chuo-ku, Odori Nishi 24-1-30, 5th Choshoan Building 1F. Located in the Chuo-ku area of Sapporo, near Maruyama. Along Odori Street, there is a supermarket food center, next to it is Burg Bakery. Across the street on the ground floor is a standing bar. While waiting for a reservation at a sushi restaurant in Maruyama, decided to wander around Maruyama. It's Monday, so not many places are open and it's hard to find a casual spot to enter. In the midst of light snowfall, stumbled upon this place. A street-level store on the first floor, where you can see inside from the entrance. There is an ashtray at the entrance, does that mean it's non-smoking inside? Wonderful. Sliding door next to the entrance. The first customer was a solo female, and when she left, another solo female came in. There is a U-shaped standing counter, as well as enclosed spaces for 4 people and round tables. - Highball 450 yen: A standard highball, not too strong. Just the right amount. - Assorted appetizers (3 types) 500 yen: The daily appetizer options are written on a blackboard menu. All very reasonably priced, easy for solo customers to order a few types. They also offer a small assorted plate with 3 types for 500 yen, 4 types for 650 yen, and 5 types for 800 yen. Normally, I would go for 5 types, but since I was going for sushi later, I opted for 3 types. As shown in the photo, the assorted appetizers were served in small dishes. Quail simmered egg, chicken and cabbage stir-fry with black pepper - delicious. Enoki namul - nice sesame oil flavor. Choi - light and easy to enjoy. Choi has multiple branches in Sapporo, making it convenient for a quick drink. Paid the bill after 30 minutes with one drink and headed to the sushi restaurant.

A clean and tidy standing bar with a female staff. The menu is not extensive, but they have unique items like grilled octopus. Personally, I loved the octopus sausage! There are several locations of Choisan in the city, each with its own distinctive charm!

Weekend stroll series. Choi's new store has opened in Maruyama ☆ I went during the pre-opening, but I visited again as they started regular business from 3/7. The location is at the former site of Le Mitron. The kitchen area is gone and a U-shaped counter has been set up. It was a Saturday, so it was bustling with regular customers from other Choi stores from early on. I happened to see some acquaintances, so we toasted with highballs ☆ The menu is perfect for nibbling while drinking. I ordered the squid ring fry during the pre-opening. The pickled ginger tartar was just right ◎ I wanted more tartar sauce (laughs). This time, I tried the flavored egg zangi, which caught my eye. It's like a zangi version of flavored eggs. They have a variety of drinks available. There's a liquor store nearby, and I saw on Instagram that they have good sake there. The cute store owner and staff provide cheerful service ☆ It would be nice if they were open a bit earlier on Saturdays. It's close to Maruyama Koen Station, so it's a great place for a drink after work or on weekends. Another temptation for Chiisuke to resist (laughs) Thank you for the meal ♪

Contrary to my expectations, the stay turned out to be longer than I had planned, and my schedule for the rest of the day got messed up. Unfortunately, I couldn't have a quick drink in just over 30 minutes. The staff consisted of two young and friendly girls, one handling the hall and the other delivering dishes. They seemed to be managing the restaurant well. I ordered a Lemon Sour, Tomato Highball, and a mixed trio. I expected the drinks to be served quickly, but they took more than 10 minutes to arrive, even though the place wasn't too busy. After finishing my first drink, I ordered a second one, and it arrived promptly. However, I couldn't finish the mixed trio, as it was more than I could consume. The quality of the trio was a bit disappointing. I had planned to order another dish, but considering the wait time, I decided against it. The drinks were too salty and not to my taste, especially the one in the middle. I may not order a Lemon Highball again. Overall, I don't plan on returning anytime soon. The atmosphere in the restaurant was a bit concerning, with people talking loudly across the U-shaped counter without masks. This made me anxious about the Omicron variant. However, if you have about 30 minutes to spare, this place is convenient for a quick drink. The appeal of standing and drinking is definitely there, despite the drawbacks. Just be careful not to spill when eating at the low counter.

There is a standing bar in Maruyama. There are several other bars nearby.

Today is the pre-opening day, but who are these people who registered for the opening? Well, it doesn't matter, but when I entered the store, I heard a familiar voice... It was Chiisuke (nickname) haha. He was talking loudly to the awkward guy next to him. I kept my distance because of the current situation. The store has about 14 seats at the counter. The counter is low, so it's a bit uncomfortable. I ordered the assorted appetizers for 500 yen, which included potato salad, vegetable pickles, sweet potatoes, and beans with mascarpone. They were all delicious. I also ordered the octopus zangi for 450 yen, but it turned out to be chicken zangi. It was crispy and surprisingly tasty. I then tried the mini beef curry for 600 yen. It was cute and not too spicy. It was just right as I needed to visit another restaurant afterwards. One thing that bothered me was that they didn't seem very attentive to first-time customers.