Hiroshima cuisine izakaya. They offer 6 lunch options for 1,000 yen each during the day. Many nearby office workers flock to the restaurant, with some even waiting outside. When in Hiroshima, you can't miss the Kaki Fry. I ordered the "Kaki Fry & Aji Fry for 1,000 yen", which comes with a generous serving of miso soup with a choice of raw egg or natto. I chose natto. I was surprised to find only one piece of Kaki Fry and one Aji Fry, as I had expected more. The menu photo accurately depicted the meal. The Kaki Fry seemed frozen, and overall the meal was a bit lackluster. The miso soup, however, was delicious and comforting. The Kaki Fry, Aji Fry, and cabbage were all meant to be eaten with the "Otafuku Okonomiyaki Sauce". There was no Worcestershire sauce or regular sauce on the table. It seems to be the Hiroshima way. Nevertheless, the simple set meal was a hit among the nearby office workers, who kept coming in one after another.

Hiroshima Sakagura Kansuitei is located behind the Tully's at the Awajimachi intersection on Yasukuni Street. As the name suggests, it is an izakaya where you can enjoy Hiroshima sake and cuisine. The owner is originally from Hiroshima City and the restaurant used to be a direct store of Chugoku Brewing Co., Ltd. * The company changed its name to Sakura Brewery and Distillery Co., Ltd. in March 2021. After closing in April 2020, the store manager, who was an employee of Chugoku Brewing, established Kansuitei Co., Ltd. in July 2020 and started his own business. However, the sake served is mainly from Chugoku Brewing. The restaurant seems to be quite popular, as there is often a "full" sign hanging in front of the store at night. I decided to stop by alone before 6:00 pm on this day. The restaurant has 50 table seats and a counter with 4 seats at the back, making it friendly for solo diners. I started with a draft beer (580 yen) at the counter! It was a slim Kirin Ichiban Shibori glass. The menu offers various specialties from different regions of Hiroshima Prefecture. I tried the Komochi Konnyaku Sashimi, a 450 yen dish. The store manager kindly offered to serve a half portion, which was great! The Komochi Konnyaku Sashimi is a specialty of Yuki Town, Hiroshima City. It is konnyaku with shishamo eggs mixed in, served with ponzu sauce. The store manager also served me a glass of Ichidayama Tokubetsu Junmai Sake Fresh & Juicy 14 as a complimentary drink. This sake, as the name suggests, is fresh and juicy, making it a refreshing and delicious choice. I also tried the Gasuten (400 yen) in a half portion (price unknown). Gasuten is made by grinding seasonal small fish with bones and deep-frying them, a specialty of Tomonoura. I also had the Sanemachi Menchikatsu, a specialty of Miyoshi City, which was served as a single piece for 600 yen. Since I received a complimentary delicious sake, I decided to try the Ichidayama Tokujou Ginzen (500 yen) next. This sake is dry and has a strong flavor, different from the refreshing sake I had before. I also enjoyed the Deberakarei Aburiyaki, a grilled dried fish from Onomichi, topped with mayonnaise and shichimi pepper. It was a perfect snack to accompany the sake. I appreciated that they served the dishes in half portions, allowing me to try a variety of items. The total bill came to 2,700 yen.

I have been a passionate Carp fan, as I have mentioned in my reviews on Tabelog, so some of you may already know. But the origin of my Carp fandom dates back to my elementary school days. Back when we were in elementary school, baseball and sumo wrestling were the main sports, and in terms of baseball, there was a Little League team called "Meguro Clippers" (now: Meguro Higashi Little Senior), and many of my friends were part of it. Although I did not join the team, we formed our own team within our group of friends and enjoyed playing baseball. I remember wearing the number 12 on my back. So, at the time, I was influenced by players like Shigeo Nagashima and later Takayoshi Takashina from the Giants, and sometimes I would say things like "I'm the fast Shigeo Nagashima." But before I knew it, I found myself developing a slight rebellious spirit against the fact that everyone around me was a Giants fan. One day, when I mentioned that I was not a Giants fan, I was asked, "Then, which team are you a fan of?" and I spontaneously said, "I'm a Hiroshima Carp fan," even though there were hardly any fans around me. Once I made that declaration, there was no turning back, and I began to study about the Carp at the time and started watching their games diligently, which eventually turned me into a true Carp fan. It may sound like a story that came out of nowhere, but since then, I have been a Carp fan for over 50 years, so sometimes the trigger for something is unknown. On this day, the temperature exceeded 24 degrees in March, which was warmer than expected, so I decided to have lunch at this izakaya that has a connection to Hiroshima. According to the information on Tabelog, this restaurant opened in April 2010 and originally started as a directly operated store of Chugoku Brewing Co., Ltd. in Hatsukaichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture. The company was established in 1918 and is known for producing and selling sake "Ichidai," shochu, mirin, liqueurs, etc. In Akiota Town, Hiroshima, there is the "Tokawachi Kura Okisyo," which was a tunnel excavation site of the abandoned Hiroshima Hamakaido Railway Imabuku Line (a railway line that was planned twice during the Showa era but was never completed due to reasons such as war). The site was used for storage and aging of sake, shochu, and whiskey. In March 2021, the company changed its name to Sakura Brewery and Distillery Co., Ltd. with the determination to continue its operations in the same location in Imabuku, Hatsukaichi City. As for the management of this restaurant, as mentioned earlier, it was originally a directly operated store, so it was managed by an employee of Chugoku Brewing Co., Ltd. who served as the store manager. However, the store manager later decided to become independent along with the store, and now it seems to be a purely individually operated store. The location of the restaurant is along a back alley off Yasukuni Street, between the Ogawa-cho intersection and the Awaji-cho intersection. Although there are a few scattered eateries along this street, there are some pretty cool dining establishments. The only one I have visited so far is "Tea Dining," which serves tonkatsu and pork dishes. It's an area I would like to explore more in the future. The restaurant is located on the ground floor of the Kanda Crest Building, slightly tucked away. The lunch menu was also posted at the entrance, so I quickly glanced at it before entering. Since I arrived around 11:50 am, the restaurant was not crowded. There are counter seats in the back and two large table seatings separated into two areas, giving the impression that the restaurant has a surprisingly large capacity. According to Tabelog, the restaurant has 54 seats. I was guided to a table near the entrance by a female staff member. The lunch menu placed on the table was the same as the one displayed outside. The restaurant's lunch menu ==========

Kankuutei @ Awajimachi Intersection (Kanda Awajicho 1-chome) Enjoying Hiroshima oysters. Last month, towards the end, I was craving some fried oysters and came across a sign for Hiroshima sake brewery. Since Hiroshima is known for its oysters, I decided to go in. The restaurant was spacious and quite popular, even close to last order time. I ordered a set of mixed fried horse mackerel and oysters with pork miso soup, and added two extra oysters. The oysters were plump and delicious, with a crispy coating and a tender inside. The miso soup was hearty and flavorful. Overall, it was a satisfying meal and a pleasant surprise to find such a great place to enjoy fried oysters.

Just a short walk from Awajimachi, you'll find a restaurant that may seem like any other izakaya at first glance. However, once you step inside, you'll realize it's a whole different world. The interior is adorned with Hiroshima Carp jerseys and local Hiroshima sake, making you feel the essence of Hiroshima. The menu offers simple home-style dishes with exceptional quality ingredients. The sashimi is thick and delicious, and all other dishes showcase the skill of the chef. The floor staff are also impressively efficient. This is definitely a must-visit restaurant that you shouldn't miss.

The restaurant is always crowded during lunchtime, but on this day there was no wait so I decided to go in. The 850 yen lunch set comes with a main dish of meat and fish, along with vegetables and delicious side dishes. I suddenly noticed the bottles of Okonomi sauce and oyster sauce on the table, and when I looked around, I saw that the chairs were in Carp colors and there were many Carp pictures on the walls. It finally dawned on me that this was a restaurant from Hiroshima, with the name "Hiroshima Shuzo". The food was delicious, the cost performance was good, so I would like to visit this restaurant again. They also offer rice bowls and tsukemen. Thank you for the meal.

I visited around 12 pm on a regular day. There was only one empty table available, so I was seated right away. I ordered the "Oyster Fry Set (4 servings)" for 1,100 yen including tax. It's funny how they use "servings" to indicate quantity. There was also a 3-serving set available (lol). Despite being busy, the food was served promptly. The set came with four large oyster fritters. The batter was thick and well fried. It wasn't exceptionally delicious, but it was of good quality and you could eat it with peace of mind. Perhaps because it's run by a comprehensive sake manufacturer in Hiroshima, they had Otafuku sauce on the table. I was a bit hesitant about the strong-flavored Otafuku sauce with the oyster fritters. I feel like a slightly lighter sauce would be better with the oyster fritters. The set also included simmered hijiki seaweed, pickled cabbage, miso soup, and citrus jelly. You can have seconds of rice. Thank you for the meal. The staff was energetic and efficient. The cleanliness was not an issue.

The 6000 yen course for the banquet overall has good value for money. It would be a bit better if the ending was not just tea pickles, but something like oyster rice. The fresh oysters and oyster fry are delicious. The thick fried tofu has a good taste. The paste products are so-so.

A shop owned by a sake brewery. You can enjoy sake and whiskey from Hiroshima Prefecture. <Atmosphere> Hiroshima-style shop with many Carp goods displayed inside. It has a lively izakaya atmosphere, perfect for having a fun time drinking. <Dishes> You can enjoy Hiroshima's fresh fish, local dishes, and creative cuisine. The food is generally delicious. The "Komochi Konbu" (kelp with fish roe), grilled pork and spinach dish, and "Oyster soy sauce yakisoba" were especially tasty. <Drinks> With the shop being owned by a sake brewery, there is a wide variety of sake available. If you ask the staff, they will serve one glass of sake per person as a service! I tried a sake called "Mizan," which was fruity and had a refreshing aftertaste, making it easy to drink. There was also Hiroshima-made whiskey, but it had a strong grain aroma and taste rather than malt, so it wasn't to my liking. <Service> The staff were all very cheerful and friendly. They explained the menu and recommendations in detail when we sat down, and were happy to help with our orders, making the whole experience comfortable and enjoyable.

181116 Hirosima Sakurazou Kansuitei @ Kanda Awajicho Mixed Fry Set Meal 900 yen

120207 Kansuitei @ Awajimachi Grilled Fish Set C 800 yen

111110 Kansuitei @ Awajimachi Shimahokke 800 yen

110915 Kansuitei @ Awajimachi - Sashimi bowl for 950 yen.