Visited a small counter-only restaurant in Akabane today. The atmosphere was relaxed and the food was simple but made with warmth. I started with a Hoppy drink, which was served separately from the glass, allowing me to adjust the flavor to my liking. It's a bit far from the station, but overall, I think it's an interesting place worth checking out.

I had made a reservation at Nomka for 18:10 during my visit in October of the first year of Reiwa era. However, I arrived early at Loop-kan B1, which turned out to be the information center for Kokusai Kogyo Bus, where the former bar Walchy used to be located. I stood there and started to recall about starting my food blog on Tabelog about 7-8 years ago. Suddenly, I noticed a new unfamiliar restaurant had opened next to me. It was a reversed version of Nomka, run by a husband and wife. Since I had some time to spare, I decided to have a quick drink there. The owners mentioned that they had opened the restaurant in August of this year. There was only one customer before me and no one came in after. They mentioned that many customers prefer the quiet atmosphere away from the hustle and bustle of Akabane Higashi-guchi 1st Street (smoking is allowed throughout the restaurant). Although there is a charge of ¥500, both dishes served were substantial. The Premium Malt beer in a medium bottle for ¥500 was reasonably priced. On that day, I had a dish of lightly flavored daikon simmered in miso and another dish, as well as a Premium Malt beer. Since I had room for more, I ordered the "Deep-fried whole squid" for ¥500. It was a version of fried chicken with squid, seasoned with garlic and served hot and delicious. One challenge is the unfavorable location of Loop-kan, which is a difficult place to attract customers. Unlike the unique Nomka next door, this restaurant may need some creative menu ideas to succeed. The bill was straightforward and came to exactly ¥2000. Overall, I think it's a good place for relaxing alone.