I went on a business trip to Hokkaido in March 2022, and on the first day, I had dinner at a place I hadn't been to in 3 years. I wanted to go to an izakaya due to the stay-at-home orders during the pandemic, and even though there were many options, this particular place was the only one that came to mind. I really like it. When I went to the main store on the B2 floor, it was closed, so I visited this branch a little before 7 pm. It was important to arrive early. Mambo was just opening, so it was about half full. The lady in the hall was handling orders all by herself, just like the last time I was here. Ah, this feeling is nostalgic. You could tell that all the customers were regulars. I ordered a large bottle of beer for 610 yen at 18:51. I remembered there was a special set until 7 pm, but for some reason, I didn't check properly and ended up ordering without it. However, I quickly drank it once it was poured into the glass. But when I looked at the wall again, I saw that the special set was indeed available. I ordered the evening drink set at 19:03, which included 2 drinks and 2 dishes. I couldn't remember what the dishes were, but when asked, I chose the motsu stew. The drinks were beer and Japan, which I drank quickly. The additional dish I ordered was Takozangi for 350 yen at 19:54. It was different from the typical fried octopus, with less batter and a nice texture. The oden (with fish cakes and daikon) for 200 yen each at 19:55 is a staple at this place. I also ordered a glass of Kuniyoshi Hokkai Onikoroshi for 550 yen at 20:19 because I wanted to drink a little more. It was refreshing. By the time I was halfway through my drink, two middle-aged women who seemed a bit tipsy sat next to me. They were cheerful and engaging, adding to the lively atmosphere. This is the charm of a good old-fashioned tavern. The lady in the hall was working hard all alone. I really love the atmosphere of this place. I had a great time today. The total bill at this restaurant was 3,010 yen!

2023/04/21 Revisited. I came out to Susukino on a Friday evening. It was still before 7 pm. I revisited Manekiya Hanare, which is open at this time. I was hoping to order the evening set, but unfortunately, it had ended. A bit disappointing, but I decided to order individual items instead. - Sapporo Black Label Draft Beer 451 yen: Nicely chilled and delicious. The first beer is exceptionally tasty. - Pork skewer cutlet 217 yen: Crispy fried and goes well with beer. Delicious. - Potato salad 319 yen: Simply tasty. - Firefly squid marinated in vinegar 374 yen: Small portion but rich in flavor and delicious. - Mackerel simmered in miso 594 yen: Excellent balance of miso. Very tasty, the best dish today. - Sake Kubota Senju 759 yen: Perfect match with firefly squid and mackerel simmered in miso. Dry taste that complements the dishes well. Delicious. A reasonably priced and delicious restaurant even without the evening set. It's understandable why there are many regular customers. Thank you for the meal. I will come again.

Had a great time with my close colleagues and former coworkers at Susukino. We found this senbero (cheap drinking) place and decided to go here. It's conveniently located right next to Susukino Station, so it's easy to find and someone can quickly come pick you up if you get lost. The evening set includes two drinks and a large kushikatsu. I chose oden or motsu-ni, and went with oden. All of this for 1100 yen ( ﾟ∀ ﾟ) We sat at the counter in a U-shape and caught up after a long time. We chatted away in no time. It's time to head to the next place. The staff were friendly and we'll definitely come back again.

Susukino station is directly connected to the underground first floor of Susukino Building, where a popular izakaya is located. I visited around 4:30 pm, and the place was about 70-80% full. The menu offers reasonably priced snacks and drinks, but the best deal is the evening drink set available from 3 pm to 7 pm. There are two options: the "Regular Evening Drink Set" (2 dishes and 2 drinks for 1,100 yen) and the "Premium Evening Drink Set" (3 dishes and 3 drinks for 2,000 yen). Since it was still early evening, I opted for the "Regular Evening Drink Set" for 1,100 yen. I started with a glass of draft beer and enjoyed some delicious oden. The oden pot was filled with daikon radish and ganmodoki, and the flavors were excellent. This made me crave some sake, so I ordered a hot sake for my second drink. The second snack was kushikatsu, which was crispy and satisfying. For the price of 1,100 yen, the quality and quantity of food and drinks were impressive. The place quickly filled up with more customers, showing its consistent popularity. It's a great spot to enjoy casual drinks and snacks!

11/11/2022 Revisited after 3 years due to a long business trip and the impact of the new coronavirus. It's been a while! It seems that the sister store has closed down, so Manekiya has only one location now, specializing in tempura. Starting with the evening drink set, which has gone up by about 100 yen since three years ago. It includes 2 dishes and 2 drinks. I chose the skewers and simmered offal (you can choose from 3 types of simmered dishes: offal, beef tendon, or oden) with a highball and beer. The evening drink set costs 1,100 yen. The simmered offal is richly flavored and goes well with alcohol. Delicious as always! The skewers are large and tasty. The potato salad is small but well-balanced and tasty. The meat dumplings are large and delicious. The shochu with water is flavorful. The total bill was 2,250 yen, which is quite affordable for this quality. I'll definitely come back again.

Vegetable sticks with crab miso, mountain wasabi miso, and salt koji mayo are really good! I entered the restaurant before 5 pm on Thursday. Strangely, all the customers were elderly. A lady older than me was managing the floor by herself. She seemed a bit flustered but it was heartwarming to watch. For those in a hurry, I suggest coming a bit later when more staff are on duty. I tried the recommended kushikatsu and takozanki, both delicious! I had a chat with the lady during the break, and she was quite interesting. Lastly, she gave me a complimentary pickled purple chrysanthemum, which was refreshing and tasty. Thank you for the meal.

(Visited on August 24, 2022) I came to Hanare for a drink after a bad experience, and I just couldn't bring myself to go straight home! Anyway, what happened to the main store on the 1st floor? Is this also due to the effects of the pandemic? • Draft beer 420 yen • Kushi katsu (skewered cutlets) 230 yen • Grilled mackerel 600 yen • Highball 390 yen It feels like a proper place for a casual drink. Even ordering individual items doesn't differ much in cost from the casual drink set! Have you ever had grilled mackerel cut into chunks before? It's quite a lot, very satisfying! The kushi katsu is, of course, delicious! There was a similar solo female diner next to me who switched to sake! Well then, I should too... no, no, today is dangerous. I feel like I'm sinking deep! Time to head home. Thank you for the meal! (^o^)

"Manekiya Hanare" afternoon drink, second stop. I walked from Odori to Susukino and arrived at the opening time of 3:00 PM, so I was the first one there! The weather was good and hot that day, so I started with a "Lemon Sour @ 390 yen"! I sipped on it while looking at the menu. Even though I wasn't very hungry, I decided to order a few dishes. I got the "◇◆ Miso-stewed mackerel @ 550 yen ◆◇", which had a rich sweet miso flavor and was homey. It was well-prepared and easy to eat without bones. I always order this because it's consistently delicious! I also got the "◇◆ Shredded long potato with vinegar @ 350 yen ◆◇", which had a nice crunchy texture and was refreshing with vinegar! Both dishes were simple home-cooked meals, but they were comforting and tasty! After that, I had a "Highball @ 420 yen" for a refill and paid the bill. I only stayed for about 30 minutes, but it was a nice place for a casual drink. The customers were mostly older and the atmosphere was calm and relaxed. However, personally, I didn't like that smoking was allowed... If it was non-smoking, I would visit more often... Thank you for the meal!

There are 30 minutes until the appointment time. I peek inside and see that there are empty seats, so I decide to go in. I am strongly encouraged to sanitize my hands. There is an acrylic board in place. I order a drinking set for 1,000 yen with a highball. I choose one dish from motsu-ni, oden, and beef tendon, and I go with the motsu-ni. They inform me that they only have chicken cutlet instead of pork cutlet, which is not a problem for me. The well-cooked motsu-ni and crispy chicken cutlet are delicious.

This izakaya is new to me. I wondered if I had reviewed the wrong place, but when I checked, the sign said "Hanare." Phew, this is the Hanare place. The interior is almost full, with a counter surrounding the kitchen in a U-shape. There are solo female customers who seem like they're having a pre-drink. I ordered the usual drinking set for 1100 yen, which includes motsu stew and kushikatsu. The motsu stew had tender motsu and vegetables, not overcooked. It goes well with beer. The kushikatsu was also quite filling. Eventually, regular customers sat on the counter facing the kitchen and chatted. It used to be a place where strangers could become friends. It's sad that we can't do that anymore in this situation. Thank you for the meal.

Visited for a daytime drink before 4pm in winter 2022. Seating is only at the counter, with each seat separated by acrylic panels for COVID-19 measures. The evening set for 2000 yen includes 3 alcoholic drinks, including local sake, and 3 dishes, making it a great deal. I enjoyed Kasube simmered dish, 2 types of sashimi, and Komai. The food was delicious, and the staff was friendly, creating a cozy atmosphere.

It has an atmosphere that makes you think it's a station building in Osaka. Although it only has a counter, it was quite crowded. I visited the branch because the main store was full. If you want to drink cheaply as indicated on the menu, this is a very good place. Time passed slowly and the alcohol menu was also extensive! It's the perfect place for the third stop in Susukino, haha.

Has the menu changed since the beginning of this year? It seems like the variety has decreased. Even the evening drink set has a different content now. Could it be due to the impact of the pandemic? I didn't order the evening drink set this time, so I'm not sure, but it now says two dishes and it's a bit vague. It seems like anything goes now. Also, you can have two beers now! It used to be limited to one beer. I don't drink much beer myself, but beer lovers must be happy about this change. The sashimi platter now has five pieces, one slice each (laughs). I think it used to be three slices each. It's probably for infection prevention, for single servings. How will restaurants that serve hot pot or yakiniku handle infection prevention measures? Individual hot pots or individual shichirin grills? It must be tough. Thank you for the meal.

Recently, I've been going home quickly after having a drink set (laughs). The drink set is a great deal available until 7pm, which includes two alcoholic drinks, pickles, kushikatsu, oden, and a choice of one of three dishes: beef tendon stew, or motsu stew. They are all delicious. You can have one beer, and for the second drink, you can choose from sake, shochu, or sour. Both drinks can also be sake or shochu. And all of this is only 1100 yen (tax included)! It's very wallet-friendly. The drink set is enough to satisfy your hunger.

- Oden Even though it's already April and still cold in Sapporo, oden is still a great choice! You can choose your favorite items for only 150 yen each, so I chose hanpen (fish cake), chikuwa (fish cake), ganmodoki (fried tofu), and rolled cabbage! The dashi broth made with bonito and kelp is not too sweet and soaks into the ingredients perfectly, making it delicious! - Beef tendon stew, 400 yen The beef tendons stewed until soft are definitely a perfect match for alcohol! Especially beer! Thank you for the meal!

I was thinking about what to have next and decided to go to Yomonya for a drink. They have a set menu, but I wanted to have sashimi, so I chose the 3 kinds of sashimi assortment. It includes tuna, white fish, and sea bream. It's perfect for drinking alone.

Last time, I mistakenly went into Tempura Manekiya thinking it was Manekiya. This time, I managed to enter the actual Manekiya next door. But later, I realized I was actually at a different branch when I saw the sign... The way to the main store of Manekiya is far. But this place is also quite popular and crowded, almost full at first glance. I found a seat and ordered the evening drinking set. It came with beer, oden, kushikatsu, and pickles. The oden was light in color and had a nice dashi flavor. The freshly fried kushikatsu was delicious and not too greasy. I finished the beer and ordered a shochu highball. The evening drinking set actually comes with two drinks! After finishing the oden and kushikatsu, I felt good and decided to leave. And all of this for only 1100 yen, which is amazing. If I lived in Sapporo, I would probably stop by here every day. The rumors were true, it's a great place. Next time, I definitely want to visit the main store properly (laughs).

When I tried to brush off the accumulated dirt in my heart, it was already getting dark. Pushing through the crowd at Susukino Station, I sought solace for my soul. Led by the gently swaying noren curtains on the stairs, I found myself at a large counter in the shape of a "コ". The lack of table seating in the restaurant made it noticeably quiet. The clientele and staff seemed to have a deep understanding of life's struggles. I enjoyed the famous "deep-fried kushikatsu" and the flavorful "miso-stewed mackerel". I couldn't resist ordering a tasting set of three Niigata sake and giving in to the temptation of "oden". The atmosphere in the restaurant, with only the sound of the TV, allowed for a peaceful time to pass. Perhaps this serene ambiance is the secret to transforming the dirt in our hearts into nourishment. I simply let myself be carried away by the gentle waves of that moment.

I had a dinner set (kushikatsu, motsu-nabe, pickles), beer, and sake at a restaurant near Susukino Station. They offer a dinner set which includes kushikatsu, motsu-nabe, or oden, along with pickles and 2 drinks (draft beer + sake or shochu) for only 1000 yen. The kushikatsu was quite large, so I ended up ordering more drinks. It's a convenient place for a casual drink.

"Manekiya Hanare" is the third bar I visited for daytime drinking. I walked from the main street to Susukino and took a little break (*´▽｀*). I have been to the main store on the second basement floor many times, so this time I decided to try "Hanare" one floor up. I visited on a Friday around 4:00 PM. It was still early, so the place was only about half full, but the average age of the customers was quite high, probably in their late 70s... Japanese elderly people are lively and energetic. I started with my usual "Highball for 350 yen"! For food, I ordered "Simmered Pork Intestines for 300 yen", "Mackerel Miso Stew for 250 yen", and "Dashimaki Tamago for 350 yen". The "Simmered Pork Intestines" was relatively light, so I added some spice to it. The "Mackerel Miso Stew" and "Dashimaki Tamago" had a homemade taste that was comforting and delicious. There was a large oden pot simmering in front of me, and it made me think that it would be nice to have some hot sake and oden during this season. The staff consisted of older ladies, and the nostalgic atmosphere was calming and nice. It's just a simple neighborhood bar, but it's a good place to drop by for a little while. The convenience of this place makes me want to come back again. Thank you for the meal~!

This is a popular izakaya located in the basement of a building right in the middle of Susukino, adjacent to the Susukino intersection. Despite being a casual izakaya, the atmosphere is more suited for quietly enjoying sake, with a TV playing softly while the friendly staff manage the place. Regular customers were seen enjoying drinks while watching sumo wrestling. On this particular day, we ordered a selection of oden with eggs, tofu, and tsubugai (whelk) which had a strong umami flavor, thanks to the small and skewered tsubugai. Another dish we ordered was sliced herring marinated in salted koji, which was not too salty and paired well with sake. If I were to visit again, I would like to try their sake selection.