On this day, my friend and I visited a restaurant that was full, so we decided to kill time by going to another nearby restaurant. It was during the busy Golden Week period, and we wanted to avoid crowded places. We saw that this restaurant was not too crowded, so we decided to go in. We ordered a few skewers and some chilled liver. We started off with some beer and checked out the drink menu, which was pretty standard for a chain restaurant with nothing special. As we were snacking and drinking, more and more young people who seemed to be locals started coming in. The restaurant quickly became full. There was no social distancing measures in place, so we decided to leave early. I understand that they need to make money, but I won't be going back to a restaurant that doesn't consider the well-being of their customers.

Today's third stop is Yonmaya. I'm drinking alone again, feeling carefree. The Gatsukimchi is always amazing - it goes well with any drink and it's cheap. And the Kajio Age Maru, I always order half. I top it with green onions, ginger, and a little soy sauce. It takes a while to cook, so I order it first and by the time my second drink arrives, it's ready - perfect timing. After a Highball, I move on to the Ume-wari Shochu, which packs a punch. And I can't resist ending with the simmered rice. Thank you for another delicious meal.

I came here to drink with my friends. It was the weekend, so the restaurant was almost full. This place is a rare yakitori restaurant in Hakodate with cheap prices! The staff were friendly, but because there were few of them, things were a bit slow. Other than that, it was a passable experience. Thank you for the meal.

One-coin beef bowl is popular at this izakaya for lunch. I came to Hakodate after a long time. I had lunch nearby to prepare for a meeting in the afternoon. Although this izakaya is also popular at night, it was crowded during lunchtime with a wait time of about 15 minutes. However, as customers started leaving after eating, I decided to stay and ended up waiting for over 30 minutes. I felt anxious, but I understand that the staff are working hard. Thank you. I had the roast beef bowl with extra rice for 700 yen. The meat was tender, the sauce was light soy glaze which made it easy to eat, and the egg yolk, green onions, and wasabi added a nice touch. The extra rice portion wasn't much different from the regular size. The meal came with miso soup and pickles, all at a reasonable price. It's understandable why this place is so popular. Thank you for the meal.

On December 12, 2019, with a busy schedule filled with various events related to ski instructor certifications I obtained last year, I had to visit my hometown earlier than planned. Being a big fan of Atsuko Maeda, I had to quickly prepare for the trip, including a visit to the hospital, packing, and cleaning my room. After a long day of preparations, I decided to have lunch at a restaurant in Goryokaku that serves "Whey-fed pork" bowl, which was exactly what I was craving for - meat! The pork belly bowl was delicious, with a perfect balance of fat and seasoning of salt and pepper. It was a satisfying meal that helped me relax and recharge. Next, I was looking forward to having some dessert...

On August 29, 2019, after grabbing a quick bite at a tapioca shop, I decided to visit this restaurant next. I had only been here for lunch before, so this was a great opportunity to try a drink. I started with a beer, enjoying a Sapporo Classic. I also ordered their simmered offal dish, which had various cuts like tender beef and chewy hormone, cooked to perfection in a light miso broth. It was so delicious that I could have had multiple servings. Next, I tried their skewers, including pork belly, skirt steak, pig's ear, and pork cheek, paired with a Fourmeya original highball. The pork belly was flavorful, while the skirt steak was juicy. The highball was refreshing and went well with the skewers. I also ordered a Fourmeya salad for balance, which had a good amount of fresh vegetables with a light dressing. To finish off, I had their simmered rice dish, which was similar to what I had during lunch, and a Garabi cocktail made with Guarana and beer. It was a satisfying meal, and I was impressed by the reasonable prices. I will definitely be coming back to Fourmeya for more delicious food and drinks.

Nephew and I had a pre-dinner drink together. We toasted with highballs. The mugs are ice-cold. The appetizers were also cold and delicious. The pork skewers, liver, heart skewers, and marinated hormone were all served quickly and tasted great. It's nice for a pre-dinner drink. (March 2019)

When I have an empty stomach and can't decide on a restaurant at night, I usually go to a simple izakaya, have a quick meal, and then head back to my accommodation to sleep early. I ordered Red Eye with a pork cold dish trio, fresh cabbage and cucumbers. As I nibbled on the food, suddenly my stomach started growling. I quickly ordered various skewers, side dishes, and palate cleansers. Before I knew it, I had eaten too much. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

On January 15, 2019, I had a busy day with appointments at three different hospitals. In addition, I needed to pick up my mother from Sapporo the next day, so I decided to stay at my home in Hakodate for the day to make things more efficient. After finishing two appointments in the morning and picking up some ordered items, it was already past 1:00 pm. I thought about where to have lunch and decided to stop by a restaurant near Goryokaku that served meat bowls, thinking it would be good for my cold. However, when I arrived and looked at the menu, the pork belly bowl I wanted was sold out. So, I decided to try another menu item that had caught my eye before - the "simmered pork guts rice bowl". Since I was quite hungry, I also ordered extra meat and extra rice. The restaurant was filled with customers, mostly students who seemed to be on a break from their clubs. Everyone was enjoying their bowl dishes. When my "simmered pork guts rice bowl with extra meat and extra rice" arrived, I dug in right away. The simmered pork guts were flavorful but not too heavy. However, the sauce at the bottom of the bowl made the rice a bit salty towards the end. I decided to add some shichimi chili pepper to add a spicy kick, which turned out to be a good idea. I mixed the rice at the bottom with the top layer, and the flavors blended perfectly. I enjoyed the meal, finishing every last bite. I heard that pork guts are nutritious, so I like to think that this meal was also good for fighting off my cold. It was delicious!

In the midst of busy days, I was also caught up in preparing for a photo and painting exhibition for the club I belong to. Although this report is a bit late, the exhibition took place from December 5th to 10th. Unlike usual, this time the venue required at least one person to be present at the exhibition, so we took turns with the members to be present during opening hours. I was in charge of the morning shift this day, and after spending time explaining the photos and paintings to visitors, I decided to grab lunch before heading home. I passed by the Goryokaku area on my way back, and remembered a restaurant called "Shimonoya Hakodate Goryokaku Branch" that I had planned to visit before but couldn't due to unexpected circumstances. I had some time to spare this time, so I decided to visit the restaurant. The lunch menu offered five options for only 500 yen each, so I chose the "Whey Pork Bowl." After ordering, I asked the staff for permission to take photos for my food blog and waited for my meal. The bowl was ready in about 10 minutes, and it was delicious with a savory soy-based sauce and tender pork. I added some chili pepper for a spicy kick, which complemented the flavors well. The meal was so good that I now want to visit the restaurant for drinks as well. I'm especially curious about the "Garabi (Guarana & Beer)" drink on the menu. I look forward to my next visit.

"Yonmon-ya" started as an izakaya in the western area of Tokyo and has now also become popular in Goryokaku. They offer economic pricing with beer for 350 yen, skewers starting at 100 yen, and dishes like whey pork steak and grilled beef tongue for 350 yen. They also have limited sake and plum shochu for 350 yen. The seating fee is only 100 yen. It's a popular spot that gets crowded on weekends, but they also serve lunch. I tried the whey pork bowl for 500 yen during lunchtime and was satisfied with the generous amount of meat compared to beef bowl chain restaurants.

It was crowded because it was Goryokaku Bar Day. The stewed tripe was different from other stores. The taste varies depending on the store. I tried "oppai" for the first time in my life, and it was quite good. The texture is like beef liver, with a meaty and fatty taste. Give it a try once. When ordering, let the guys order! Cabbage is only 100 yen! 100 yen! They serve endless spicy miso for you to enjoy.

[Record]: Skewers (head, tongue, guts) x 110 each, Cold liver x 275, Potato salad x 275, Braised pork trotters x 495, Grilled rice balls x 275, Beer x 385 x 2, Seating fee x 110 Total 2530.

Beef intestines simmered in broth 385, skewers (liver 2, pig 2) 440, marinated hormone 165, pickled long yam 220, beer 385 × 2, seating fee 110. Total 2090. I prefer the liver and green onion to be more raw.

- Tan (beef tongue) cold dish: recommended - Tan (beef tongue) skewers with salt: recommended - Liver with sauce: not recommended - Tsukune (chicken meatballs) with sauce: recommended - Hormone (offal) miso grilled dish: highly recommended - Potato salad: not recommended - Guts kimchi: highly recommended - Chin (jaw meat) with sauce: highly recommended - Kashira (cheek meat) with sauce: highly recommended

The Hormone Donburi set meal and Char Siu Donburi set meal were very filling in portion size, tasted just right, and had good levels of oil.

You can get a variety of skewers starting from 100 yen each at this restaurant, and they also recommend the cold appetizer platter.