First Northern Restaurant Poker-san. It seems to be a specialty restaurant in Hokkaido called "Hamakan Hoiten". The atmosphere of the restaurant is very good (^o^) First, I had a classic large beer mug ᐠ( ᐛ )ᐟ It's been a while since I drank from a large beer mug! The first sip is always the best, right? ദദദ ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ ) After that, I had a Hoegaarden White. It goes down smoothly without any strong taste. ⊂( ⊂・ω・) The orders were as follows (all prices include tax): 1. Cheese platter ¥748 → Simply delicious. 2. Schweinehaxe ¥1,760 (we had it cut for 2 people) → It was described as crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, but I didn't feel the crispiness... It's like authentic German cuisine, but it felt more like tender braised pork. The taste was okay =͟͟͞͞(꒪ỏ꒪) 3. Rotisserie chicken ¥1,430 → Well-seasoned and delicious. 4. Sausage platter ¥946 → They are homemade sausages, salty and go well with beer. 5. Dip salad ¥385 6. Caprese salad ¥726 → It was decently tasty, but the price and portion size didn't match. 7. Spicy pork zangi ¥968 → As you can see, it has a slightly burnt smell. Zangi is better with chicken. And it's still quite expensive... Maybe because it's "Hamakan Hoiten". ₍˄•͈⚇•͈˄₎ 8. Carbonara ¥858 → It became a bit mushy as some time passed before eating. The taste was okay. By the way, they served pork skewers as a complimentary appetizer. The fatty pork was sweet and delicious (*´༥`*) That might have been the best part of the meal ꉂꉂ(ᵔᗜᵔ*)

In March 2021, my partner and I continued our celebration with a drink. The first place we tried was not what we expected, so we decided to try another place. We entered a certain restaurant and saw one person at the counter and two people in a booth. When we mentioned that we were a party of two, the waitress immediately said, "We are fully booked for today." We realized that it was a polite way of refusing entry, as there were no other customers in the restaurant. It was the first time we had been rejected like that. We accepted that it wasn't meant to be and moved on to our next option. We then arrived at "Poker-san," a place I had been curious about since 2016. The restaurant was empty, with no other customers. The waitress brought us menus and explained that we could view them using a QR code, likely as a COVID-19 precaution. We ordered Sapporo Classic for a toast and enjoyed the complimentary dish that was served. We ordered the roast pork, fried potatoes, and rillette toast. The rillette toast was incredibly delicious, and I would love to have it again. The spicy potatoes were also very tasty. I usually don't like Western-style restaurants, but I really enjoyed the atmosphere here. I felt comfortable and relaxed. I also ordered a red wine and anchovy pasta, which was delicious. It was interesting to watch the chefs preparing the dishes from our seats. The menu had changed since my last visit, with a wider variety of dishes including chicken in addition to pork. The restaurant left a good impression on me, and I would definitely like to come back again. Thank you for the wonderful meal. Additional note: I also got a takeout menu on my way out, and I have attached photos of it. Please scan the QR code to view the restaurant's menu for reference.

Visited with friends at night. While Hokkaido is known for delicious seafood, the pork here is also amazing! The restaurant raises its own pigs and serves a brand of pork called Whey Pork. The meat is sweet, tender, and has no odor, with a rich umami flavor. Highly recommended for meat lovers. They also offer seafood dishes featuring Hokkaido's famous Kakiemon oysters, and use local brand chicken for their rotisserie chicken. The menu includes German-style dishes, paella, and a variety of other options. The atmosphere is stylish and inviting, making it a place you'd want to visit again. The staff is friendly and attentive, making it a great choice for gatherings. If you're looking for something hearty, don't miss the Poker Bowl - it's delicious! The Belgian Hoegaarden beer was delightful with its floral aroma. The original cocktail, Chrispe, made with yogurt liqueur, was refreshing and easy to drink. I heard it was created by the owner. I might visit again and chat with the staff at the counter next time.

This is a steak restaurant located in the heart of the bustling district of Kushiro. The location is convenient and the steak, sausages, and beer that I ordered were delicious. The meat was juicy and the sausages were firm and tasty. They have a wide variety of alcohol options which is perfect. I would like to continue using this restaurant in the future.

This restaurant offers pork from Hamanaka Town. The Eisbein (pork knuckle stew), sausage platter, steak, salad, and umu are all delicious. We ordered a bottle of red wine after the beer. The red wine was served in proper wine glasses, which made me a bit nervous as I usually drink from Duralex glasses at home. Croissants and pretzel-like snacks were free for refills. The pointed knife provided had excellent sharpness. There were four of us and we ate a lot. The sausage platter could use some pickled cabbage, but since it's not a German restaurant, we had to do without. This kind of restaurant is quite rare! I had eaten Whey Pork in a shabu-shabu style before, and the meat was not too fatty and had a nice chewy texture. The Pork Saute was around 300g, I think... or maybe the Pork Chop was 250g... either way, it was very satisfying. I usually go to izakayas or robatayaki for a drink, but dining at a pork-focused restaurant for a delicious meal is also a great choice.

Average

This is a shop that specializes in pork dishes using Hamanaka whey-fed pork. The interior is stylish with a Western atmosphere and spacious. The menu is like a pop-up picture book and very stylish. The dishes are also Western-style, stylish, and delicious. Bread is served and refills are free. The staff are quick and the sales activities are excellent. However, since they mainly serve pork, sometimes I feel like eating chicken too. (laughs)