May 17, 2019
We will introduce Orizuru Kaikan. Have you heard about Orizuru Kaikan? There are some restaurants in Orizuru Kakan, which is something like a small pub village nearby Saiin Station. Orizuru Kaikan is not one, but several pubs next to one another.
First, there is a standing pub which is called is Sai.
This is a style of pub where people can enjoy drink and dishes while standing. Standing style pubs have become less common recently so you can feel and enjoy Japanese classical atmosphere there.
The prices tend to be cheaper than most Japanese pubs, that’s why Sai has been familiar to people who are around Saiin Station for long time.
According to ‘Tabelog’, the average budget for dinner is between one thousand yen and two thousand yen. It means Sai is actually easy on your wallet.These are some pictures of Sai’s meals:
These are typical Japanese style BBQ (which is called ‘yakitori’).
From left, liver, heart and next picture is a shrimp.
All of these dishes are priced at 110 yen. Moreover, you can drink a glass of beer for 380 yen. This is very cheap when you compare it with other typical Japanese Izakaya. For example, Yakitori Ichiban, which is one of a most popular chain yakitorirestaurants in Kyoto. In this restaurant, a glass of beer is priced at 450 yen. How about Torikizoku which is also one of the very famous Yakitori restaurants in Japan. In Torikizoku the price of beer is 280 yen which is actually lower than ‘Sai’ but the price for meals are all 280 yen. It’s little bit higher than ‘Sai’. (Of course it depends on your order but totally the price is very cheap. Anyway what I want to say is that people hardly had an oppotunities that you meet such a nostalgic Japanese pub so you should visit and feel the Japanese classical atmosphere like ‘Sai’ at least once.
Second, please let’s you know about Kashio Saketen.
That is also a standing pub adjoining Orizuru Kaizan, and must provide you with ideal food at reasonable prices. When you visit this shop for the first time, you might think it only organizes traditional or old-fashioned Japanese food because of the appearance of the building. You also might think it is a bit fretful to enter this shop, because it is a tiny shop and often popular and crowded. Once you step inside Kashio Saketen, however, you would fall in love with its unique atmosphere. Almost all materials of this shop are wood so you can feel Japanese wah. The space is not so wide, so it is easy to communicate with clerks and other customers. They are usually very friendly and kind, and sometimes they tell you their favorite food or drinks in the menu, so it is one option to find your favorite ones.
Kashio Saketen is a Japanese pub so needless to say, you can have various Japanese dishes there. In addition, this shop adopts some ways of cooking (such as smoking, low-temperature cooking) and prepares other countries’ dishes (such as curry or pasta) into Japanese food. These efforts make Kashio Saketen so unique and popular among people. Saketenmeans alcohol drinks shop in English, so the assortment of alcoholic drinks is plentiful. They prepare a lot of sake and shochufrom many Japanese prefectures, and beer, wine and Scotch as well. I often visit this shop and to have food and drink some, but I guess there are so many food and drinks in the menu I have never tried. You might be bewildered the first time you visit this shop because of the abundance of menu items, so I recommend you asking clerks’ suggestions.
I promise all food cooked in Kashio Saketen will satisfy. Some favorite ones are odenand chicken liver cooked in low-temperature. Price is cheap rather than normal, so why don’t you choose Kashio Saketen for your dinner?
Third, we want you to know about “HU” which is one of popular Japanese Izakayas, that we cannot enter without reservations, is open as a second shop around Saiin Station of Hankyu-Kyoto line.
The head shop is also located at Saiin. Those, the head shop and a second shop, are nearby. It takes in 5minutes to get to the head shop from the second shop.
There is a strict atmosphere at Orizuru Hall, and “HU” is located on a bottom of Orizuru Hall. These are causes that people who have never been to Orizuru hall and tourists refrain from entering shops in Orizuru Hall.
But, foods are very high quality like the head office, and inexpensive. Drinks are also inexpensive. In other words, all drinks are offered for not more than 500 yen. Food prices range is approximately from 500-900 yen.If you want to have a good time at HU, you need 2,000 yen at least. This is a pretty good price for food and drink at Saiin, because there are a lot of izakaya at Saiin area but others set a more expensive price.
In HU, there are elaborate and unusual dishes different from the the standard menu items, such as potato salad with blue cheese and fried quail. In my opinion, the customer’s curiosity is aroused by the dishes and I want to try all foods.
HU is often filled with people, so it is best to go there as soon as HU opens. Incidentally, HU is open from 19:00 to 23:00.
Finally, there some other good restaurant in Orizuru Kaikan, so it is worth to visit there. When you go to Saiin Station, why don’t you enter that such a great Sake Villege.