I was drinking in Akasaka and most regular izakayas were already closed. After searching around, I finally found a place. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very nice and the staff were friendly, making it a very comfortable place to be. I thought they were probably close to closing time, but I didn't feel rushed and was able to relax. Despite being in Akasaka, the staff made it feel like a cozy and welcoming space. I plan to go back and take my time next time.

I have been going to this Kyushu cuisine restaurant for nearly 30 years. The staff are all friendly and nice. The pickled lotus root with mustard and mentaiko lotus root were delicious! I ordered motsunabe as the final dish, which had the classic soy sauce flavor. Lastly, we finished with champon. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I visited "Izakaya Sanzoku" in the basement of a building about 3-4 minutes walk from Akasaka Station after 6 pm on a certain day in August 2020. It's been a while since I visited this izakaya in Akasaka. The restaurant, with a moderate size, was about 40% full. I sat at a table for two and first ordered a "Sapporo Black Label" for ¥480. The appetizer was simmered hijiki seaweed and dried daikon radish, a taste reminiscent of home-cooked meals. Satsuma-age (fried fish cake) for ¥700: Although I don't think it's homemade, it's of quite good quality. It's lightly seared, giving it a slightly fragrant taste. Horse mackerel tataki for ¥800: Horse mackerel tataki of decent freshness. Enjoy it with plenty of grated ginger. It goes well as a beer snack. It also pairs nicely with the refreshing "Sudachi Sour" for ¥400. Fried eggplant for ¥600: Enjoy fried eggplant during eggplant season. The light seasoning is nice. It has a gentle flavor that is pleasing to the middle-aged palate. Sardine and mentaiko (spicy cod roe) for ¥600: It seems to be sardines stuffed with raw mentaiko. I didn't feel any frozen texture. It's best enjoyed with shochu. The original barley shochu for ¥350 with soda goes well with the sardine and mentaiko. Chicken sesame tempura for ¥700: Chicken tempura with a nice black sesame flavor. It's best enjoyed with grated daikon radish and tempura dipping sauce. It has a strong aroma, and the chicken is juicy. A recommended dish. The taste of the dishes is just right. What's even better is the pleasant customer service at this izakaya. With no foreign tourists staying, dining establishments in the Akasaka area are struggling, but I really want this restaurant to do well. I left the restaurant feeling energized and headed to the next spot.

On this day, as usual, I was drinking in Akasaka. I left the first bar around 9 pm. It was a bit of an awkward time, but let's go to another bar for the second round. Hmm, I can't find a good place... But then, I stumbled upon a bar that offers a small drinking set! The name of the place is "Izakaya Bandit". It's located in a mixed-use building a little off the main street. Alright, the second bar is decided here! I went down the stairs into the restaurant. The interior has a counter and long narrow tables at the back. It's a cozy and homey atmosphere. So, I ordered the small drinking set. 2 draft beers and 2 appetizers for 1,500 yen, which is quite reasonable! I'm happy about this! I placed my order right away! By the way, there's a 300 yen cover charge. The taste is okay. (laughs) For appetizers, you can choose from 9 options including mentaiko, homemade char siu, chicken karaage, homemade spring rolls, menchi katsu, spicy lotus root, bandit gyoza, fried mackerel, and today's sashimi. - Today's sashimi First up, sashimi. Horse mackerel. It's refreshing with ginger and lemon. - Bandit Gyoza Next, hearty gyoza! The skin is crispy. It's perfect as a beer snack! - Homemade Spring Rolls Fried food is a must with beer. The crispy texture of the spring rolls is irresistible. - Menchi Katsu More fried food. The rich sauce is heavenly for those who like strong flavors. - Chicken Karaage More fried food! When you come to an izakaya, you just crave karaage, right? It's human nature. - Spicy Lotus Root The spicy mustard is packed into the lotus root, creating a addictive dish. In the end, I feel like I really enjoyed it for 1,500 yen. I had 2 beers, and all the appetizers were perfect for beer. By the way, for those who don't like beer, you can apparently switch to sour drinks. It's perfect for a second bar, or when you just want to have a little drink. Normally, they serve Kyushu cuisine at this izakaya, so I'd like to try their regular menu next time.

I visited this restaurant located slightly north of the densely packed area of Akasaka Mitsuke for lunch. I ordered the Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen lunch set (650 yen). It came with a small bowl of rice and one free extra noodle refill. The ramen had roasted sesame seeds in it, which I liked from the appearance. Of course, there was also pickled ginger available on the table. When I tasted it, it was a light tonkotsu flavor with a sesame aroma and it was very delicious. The price was also very reasonable and perfect for lunch! Thank you for the meal.

After enjoying a hearty meal at "Yamaimo Teppan" and "Mentama Tameike-Sanno," our second stop is at "Sanzoku" in Akasaka-Mitsuke. It's been a while since I last drank in this area, and there are quite a few unfamiliar places. Since we've had plenty of meat, we focus on drinking this time. I start with a strong highball. Wine is nice, but highball just feels more enjoyable. Despite being full, we order a light snack - starting with "Kuromame," roasted black soybeans until the skin turns black. The thin skin inside the pod is also delicious. It feels like spring. Next up is the popular "Yamaimo Teppan," grated yam roasted on a hot plate with plenty of bonito flakes and green onions sprinkled on top. It's light and delicious. They also recommended a Kyushu dish - "Mentama," a dashimaki tamago with spicy cod roe inside. The grated daikon is a nice touch. The sweet tamago and spicy cod roe complement each other well. Overall, it's a fantastic Kyushu cuisine izakaya with great hospitality. After enjoying 5-6 highballs, it's time to wrap up. The staff's hospitality is excellent - even on the first visit, they make you feel comfortable and remember your name quickly (laughs). It's a very cozy place. They also have Hakata ramen for a finishing touch, and I'd love to try their motsunabe and other Kyushu dishes next time. Maybe I'll visit this place as the first stop next time. I found a great restaurant in Akasaka-Mitsuke after a long time.

I visited "Izakaya Yanzoku" around 7 pm on a certain day in October 2019. It is located in a building basement about 4-5 minutes walk from Akasaka Station. This izakaya specializes in Kyushu cuisine. The restaurant was about 70% full when I arrived. I sat at a table with my companion and ordered a "draft beer (Sapporo Black Label)" for ¥480. I personally prefer Black Label beer, and the price of ¥480 was very reasonable. The appetizer was dried daikon radish, with a slightly strong seasoning typical of izakaya appetizers. The hospitality at this restaurant was excellent, with the staff casually engaging in conversation and recommending various dishes. Personally, I found the atmosphere of the restaurant so comfortable that I could easily spend a lot of time there. We ordered the following dishes: Deep-fried onions from Awaji Island for ¥600, which were large-sized and served with a Worcestershire sauce and ketchup combination. The onions from Awaji Island were fresh and sweet. Spicy lotus root (karashi) for ¥800, which had a nice spicy kick to it. We also enjoyed a 300ml bottle of Japanese sake "Tsubaki Bodan" for ¥800. We also ordered two servings of Motsunabe (soy sauce flavor) for ¥900 each. The tripe in the Motsunabe had been marinated, and it was served with plenty of cabbage and garlic chives. The cooking on an IH stove raised some concerns for me due to the electromagnetic waves exposure. The Motsunabe was easy to eat without any strong flavors, but it was slightly on the salty side. We finished the meal with "Chanpon-dama" for ¥300, which also had a slightly strong flavor. Personally, I prefer Motsunabe with chewy tripe. The only downside was that the flavors of the dishes were a bit inconsistent. However, the cheerful and friendly service from the staff was very comforting. The restaurant seemed to be popular, as it became fully booked while we were dining. It is a good izakaya that can also satisfy foreign customers.

Today was a business trip to Tokyo. A friend who lives in Tokyo but is originally from Kyushu made a reservation for this restaurant. The restaurant offers a variety of Kyushu flavors. My friend has been coming to this restaurant since his college days in search of the tastes of his hometown. We enjoyed recommended dishes such as spicy lotus root and mentaiko, savoring the flavors of Kyushu. And we even had Hakata ramen for dessert (^o^)/

When I entered the shop, the friendly staff recommended the spicy lotus root with mentaiko (spicy cod roe). It was the mentaiko version of spicy lotus root with mentaiko stuffed inside the holes. The outer layer was crispy and crunchy, while the mentaiko added a delicious flavor. It was really tasty!

On my way back to Akasaka-Mitsuke Station at night, I found a restaurant with a staff calling out to passersby on the roadside and decided to enter. I ordered dishes and highballs. The taste was neither particularly delicious nor bad, but I was quite bothered by the service and the cleanliness of the restaurant. Especially the service - it felt like they completely misunderstood "friendly and approachable" and honestly, it made me feel uncomfortable. It was like a mix of a "telemarketer who only talks about what they want to say on the phone" and "that annoying uncle you have in the family". I regret not realizing this from the strong pushy invitation. There are plenty of good izakayas in Akasaka, so I don't think I will visit this place again.

Favorite store. The store I want to become a regular at the most. The best thing about this store is the customer service. They are very friendly and easy to talk to. Today's recommendation is sesame-dressed green beans and gizzard. Red wiener. Both are around 540 yen, which is a good price. There are appetizers starting from around 350 yen, and the portion size is just right, making it a comfortable place to be.

The snacks and ramen are delicious, but the customer service at the restaurant is exceptional.

The restaurant is pretty good and easy to enter for Akasaka standards!

Invited by the catchy catchphrase. Even just a few words and it's already up on the timeline...lol

A really great restaurant. Highly recommend the spicy lotus root on the menu. Unlike other Kyushu cuisine restaurants where they serve frozen ones, this place stuffs and fries them with spicy mustard after you order, making them incredibly delicious. The atmosphere is casual and not too fancy, and it's a bit away from the station so it's surprisingly not too crowded, which is nice. While there are many photos of ramen in other reviews, I didn't try the ramen. I'll have to try it next time. There are probably other ramen specialty shops in Miyazu, right?

The post-launch party. 2500 yen for two hours, excluding tax. A bit expensive, isn't it?

It was a shop I happened to stop by, but it was a great choice! The prices are reasonable, the food is delicious, and the staff are friendly, creating a lively and comfortable atmosphere. I always look forward to the daily recommendations.

When I first visited, I wandered around not sure which shop to go to, but then a guy called me into a shop. It seemed a bit sketchy going underground, but all the staff were really nice. This fried chicken is so delicious! I ended up getting seconds a few times, oops! They even helped me with directions for sightseeing and how to take the subway. I went back when I was nearby again. This time, a regular customer sitting next to me saw me getting more fried chicken and gave me some of theirs because they couldn't finish it alone. But man, what was up with the shochu in their oolong highball? It had a legendary, unique taste (^^;; Well, the fried chicken was so good, so it's all good!

Cloudy with light rain on 8/29. Had a party in Akasaka at night. Arrived early for a pre-party alone. Visited a restaurant in Akasaka that used to be new but now seems like an old-timer due to the rapid changes in the area. The atmosphere inside was unexpectedly calm, more like a traditional cuisine place than an izakaya. It seemed to be a Kyushu cuisine-based izakaya, with a Kyushu cuisine section on the menu and Kyushu ramen available. The food was all homemade, including dishes like spicy lotus root, homemade char siu, and stir-fried pickled mustard greens with lotus root. The char siu was similar to braised meat with some fat, and it was served with mustard for dipping. The spicy lotus root was very hot, but could be milder with soy sauce or mayonnaise. Overall, the dishes were flavorful and well-cooked, showing a homemade touch.