I visited the restaurant because I wanted to eat Japanese food. I ordered potato salad, ham cutlet, grilled silver salmon belly with miso paste, deep-fried eggplant and camembert cheese, grilled asparagus and shiitake mushrooms, and meat miso-stuffed bell peppers. The grilled silver salmon belly with miso paste was really delicious. The fat was delicate and the seasoning was just right. The deep-fried eggplant and camembert cheese was very tasty. The eggplant was soft and the flavor was rich, perfect with alcohol. The meat miso-stuffed bell peppers were a good match with the peppers. The meat miso was delicious. It was a great meal! Thank you!

The entrance of this shop has a ninja house-like atmosphere that is very appealing. The alcohol and food were delicious, and the cost performance was very good! They have a wide variety of plum wine and fruit wine, which is a nice touch for women. It was enjoyable to drink there! And the food, from the appetizers to the main dishes, was all delicious! No matter what we ordered, it was tasty and there was plenty of it, so we left with full stomachs. The atmosphere was calm and nice, so I would like to visit again. Thank you very much.

Dinner on May 8, 2022 (Sunday) with my partner. We worked together in the afternoon in Murayama. For dinner, we decided to go to a restaurant in Kokubunji. The restaurant had a stylish facade with no visible name, and we were led to a counter seat at the back. The table seats were lively with groups of women chatting away. It was quite noisy, but I found it heartwarming to see such a lively atmosphere, which made me smile. I ordered a Sapporo Black Label draft beer (500 yen) and we were served pot-au-feu and glass noodles as appetizers, which were quite delicious. We also ordered Firefly squid and spring chrysanthemum in vinegar miso (780 yen), New potato meat gratin (780 yen), and Kujo green onion and whitebait with scrambled eggs (780 yen). My partner had an orange sour (500 yen) as a refill, while I had another draft beer and then a bottle of Kirishima Red (550 yen) on the rocks. Instead of dessert, we ordered Jumbo!! Grilled dumplings (580 yen) to finish the meal. When we asked for the bill, they served us miso soup. The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice, with a considerable cost invested in the interior. However, the dishes were quite ordinary. The most delicious dish was actually the pot-au-feu appetizer. I expected more from the other dishes. The Kujo green onion and whitebait with scrambled eggs and the New potato meat gratin could have had a richer flavor. It felt like they were holding back on showcasing their full culinary skills. The total bill came to 5,890 yen. I personally think that the restaurant name should be "Oku Kokubunji" instead of "Ura Kokubunji." The prefix "Ura" has negative connotations attached to it, whereas "Oku" sounds more positive. Today's new COVID-19 cases in Tokyo were 4,711, surpassing the previous week's numbers for the second consecutive day. The week-on-week average for the past 7 days was 75.1%, marking the 24th consecutive day below 100%. Osaka had 3,324 cases, Hokkaido had 3,115 cases, and Okinawa exceeded 2,000 cases with 2,060. Kagawa had a record high of 510 cases. The nationwide total was 42,415 cases.

Just a 1-2 minute walk from Kokubunji Station, "Ura Kokubunji Usagitei" is located in a slightly hidden location, as the name suggests. The entrance is a bit hard to find, making it easy to get lost. The dimly lit interior is lively and bustling. There are counter seats, sunken kotatsu seats, and private rooms available. The dishes ordered include: - Cold creamy white liver ¥750 - Deer sashimi from Miyazaki Prefecture ¥1,200 - Corn tempura ¥600 - Adult seaweed cheese ¥450 - French fries ¥500 - Pacific saury and sudachi hot pot rice ¥1,300 And other skewers of your choice. Starting with the "Cold creamy white liver," the soft white liver is soaked in sesame oil. When eaten with green onions and garlic, it pairs perfectly with beer. There is no smell, and the creamy texture melts in your mouth. The "Deer sashimi" also has no gamey taste and is tender with a slight chewiness. The unique texture is enjoyable. "Corn tempura" and "Adult seaweed cheese" are perfect for drinking with beer. The rich flavor makes you want more beer, and the cycle continues. The abundant skewers include a variety of options, but we chose chicken meatballs, yam and mentaiko, ginkgo nuts, quail bacon, cartilage, shiitake mushrooms, and asparagus. Honestly, there isn't much difference from skewers served at other izakayas. Snack-like dishes go well with alcohol. For the finale, we had the "Pacific saury and sudachi hot pot rice." Mixing plenty of Pacific saury and sudachi gives a taste of autumn in your mouth. The slightly firm rice texture is just right. Some may prefer a bit of burnt rice, but that's a personal preference. The hot pot rice also comes with matsutake mushrooms. Since it takes time to cook, it's best to order early. It's rare to find a relaxing restaurant so close to the station. Although drinking openly may require some consideration, it's up to your own judgment.

"Pulpunte," a chain of izakayas featuring animal names in Kunitachi, has a hidden gem called "Usagi-tei." True to its nickname "Ura Kunitachi," this place is a hidden spot with no sign at the entrance, making it a bit tricky to find. We managed to secure a private room and started off with some draft beer, which was delicious. The complimentary appetizers included simmered tripe and cucumber, both of which were excellent. We then enjoyed lettuce-wrapped skewers, pork shiso rolls, asparagus wrapped in pork, quail bacon rolls, mushroom skewers, Caesar salad with whitebait, grilled liver, and demi-glace menchi-katsu. The lettuce wraps were particularly delicious. Overall, it was a great dining experience. Thank you for the meal!

Recently, there is a trendy and rumored "vegetable meat-wrapped skewers" in Fukuoka, abundant in a hidden stylish izakaya. It is located next to the Italian bar "Tiger Bar" in Kokubunji. I was told about it by a staff member from Tiger Bar and visited for the first time a few years ago. Today is about the third time. Honestly, if I hadn't been told, I probably wouldn't have gone in - the exterior is inconspicuous with no apparent sign, and the entrance is very low, requiring you to crouch to enter. However, as soon as you step inside, energetic staff greet you with a warm "Welcome!" The interior is quite lively, with many customers in their 20s. The cuisine is mainly focused on sashimi and vegetable-wrapped skewers, with a creative twist on Japanese cuisine, offering a variety of dishes. I ordered the seasonal recommended menu, which was fresh bamboo shoots sashimi. It was served with sweet soy sauce from Kumamoto, finely shaved bonito flakes, and wasabi on the side. It was soft and delicious! The combination with bamboo shoots was so good that it could only be matched with Kyushu soy sauce. The Caesar salad with whitebait is served by the staff putting the whitebait in a bowl and adding the dressing at the table. I may have added too much dressing, but it was delicious. And from the famous vegetable-wrapped skewers, I ordered the leek, lettuce, shiso combination. The skewer menu has a whole page dedicated to it, but it is assumed that they are wrapped with pork or bacon. It takes time to cook, so it is recommended to order it first. The leek was perfect with beer, the lettuce was tasty, and the most popular shiso was excellent. Even the miso soup brought with the bill was delicious. Everything I ate was delicious, making it a perfect place for a lively group gathering or a casual date. Thank you for the meal!

The second visit had a wide variety of menu options and the staff were friendly. The skewers are delicious, so it's become my favorite restaurant.

The grilled skewers and other dishes were delicious, but I wish there were more varieties of sake available. In terms of value for money, it was okay.

Each dish had a distinct and well-balanced flavor. The clay pot rice, which today featured oysters and scallops, was exceptional with its perfect rice texture and delicious seasoning. This restaurant is great!

Thank you for the delicious teppanyaki from Angus beef to Goya Champuru.

It was beautiful.

A little while ago, we had a New Year's party. It was with my sports club friends, so we chose a local spot. It's near the north exit of Kokubunji, just a short walk away. Kokubunji looked completely different due to ongoing construction, which was surprising. The hot pot was ready from the start. It was a motsunabe. The appetizer was carpaccio. I wish it didn't have tobiko on top. There was also chicken tataki, with tobiko as well. Guess what this is (laughs) - it's a close-up of shiitake mushrooms. And now, the hot pot is ready! I'm not a fan of motsunabe, but surprisingly, I could eat it. No seconds though, because of the garlic. Fried oysters made by someone else are delicious. The roast pork was a bit too salty. The asparagus wrapped in meat was tasty. The salad also had tobiko. Why? Fried shishamo and horse mackerel were good, but I had enough fried food. It felt a bit too young. Lastly, we put rice in the pot for okayu. I was already full by then (laughs). It was interesting to see a different side of the usual New Year's party I don't usually attend. Thank you for the meal.

It's a so-called drinking place, but it has a hidden gem-like atmosphere. First of all, the location is a bit hard to find, tucked away in the back of a narrow alley (with a dead end on the other side). The entrance sign is very small, making it easy to miss if you don't know the place well. And the entrance door is made at a height that makes you think of a tea ceremony room. However, once you enter, it's a slightly stylish drinking place. You take off your shoes at the entrance and sit around a long table in a sunken kotatsu-style area, creating a relatively relaxed mood. There are also small private rooms available, so it seems suitable for quietly drinking with a small group. The food is quite delicious, with the fried dishes being especially outstanding. The grilled dishes are also pretty good. Personally, I feel like they could have a bit more variety in drinks, but they seem to be doing well focusing on the food, so maybe that's the right choice.

I often visit Kokubunji for business, but I haven't really spent money in Kokubunji at night. So, I decided to go out for a drink with some friends. We searched on Tabelog and found a place called the same store that serves various types of deep-fried skewers. The store was a bit hidden, but the website provided clear directions on how to get there, which was great. We entered through a small door that resembled a back entrance, and inside, the lighting was dim with a cozy atmosphere. The counter seating felt like a sunken kotatsu table, and the staff was close by. However, there wasn't much interaction with the staff, which was a bit disappointing. They served black and regular draft beer, as well as a half-and-half option. We were served three small appetizers, some of which were thoughtful choices. The skewers had to be ordered in sets, and they came with crazy salt seasoning. The pickled vegetables were well-balanced with plenty of myoga ginger on top, making it a delightful dish to accompany drinks. The thick fried tofu was deep-fried to perfection, something that's hard to achieve at home. The yakisoba noodles were served on a flat plate, making it look like a larger portion than it actually was. The sauce options were either soy sauce or salt, but they tasted like store-bought sauces, which was a bit disappointing. The staff saw us off until we couldn't see them anymore. Although the restaurant wasn't crowded, the staff seemed a bit rushed, and the voices of larger groups echoed loudly. However, this type of restaurant might still be rare in Kokubunji. The fact that you can see the food being prepared in front of you can provide some sense of relief for those who are worried about the cleanliness and ingredients used in izakayas.

I went to a restaurant in Kokubunji without deciding on a place beforehand. A friend suggested we go to Usagi, so we wandered around and found a place with a unique exterior. The entrance had a traditional low sliding door, giving it a nice atmosphere. We entered and it was a clean and stylish izakaya, almost like a dining room with a Japanese touch. I was hoping for some tempura, but the set menu included yakimono and salad as a starter. The food was delicious, but I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't a standout dish. The milfeuille-style cutlet with tomato sauce was good, but I felt it needed a stronger tonkatsu sauce. The cheese dessert was highly recommended and definitely worth trying. The only downside was the limited selection of soft drinks, which could use more variety and volume. Overall, it's a decent restaurant with a good atmosphere. The total bill came to 8547 yen.