If you love yakiniku (Japanese BBQ), you MUST visit my hometown, Kitami. Kitami has the highest number of yakiniku restaurants per capita in Hokkaido, and we are very proud of our yakiniku culture. We even have an annual festival where thousands of people gather to have outdoor yakiniku at minus 15 degrees Celsius in the middle of winter (well, this might be too much).

(Photo Source: http://kitamikanko.jp/event/event15.html)

What defines Kitami Yakiniku?

Use charcoal grills called Shichirin
Grill fresh unseasoned meat and eat with a signature thick sauce using fresh fruits and onions.
Lots of offals!

There are as many as 60 yakiniku restaurants in Kitami, and you might wonder how you should choose where to go. No worries, here are top 5 yakiniku restaurants my family and locals love in Kitami! I have been to all these places and keep going back! I guarantee that they serve high quality meat at a reasonable price :)

1. YOjo Horumon

Yojo Horumon (四条ホルモン) has been one of the most popular yakiniku restaurants in Kitami for more than 40 years, and always crowded with local people. It is easily accessible from Kitami Station and there are many bars and restaurants around as well. Smokeless grills are installed in all the tables, so you won’t be bothered with smoke getting into your eyes. The restaurant’s recommendations are beef short rib (牛カルビ), beef hanging tender (牛サガリ), pork offal (豚ホルモン), pork neck (豚トロ).

Yojo HORUMON

Hours: 5PM-11PM (Closed on Mondays)
Access: 5 min walk from Kitami Station

2. Yakiniku Horiguchi

Yakiniku Horiguchi is a family-owned restaurant. The family also runs a butcher, so they serve really fresh meat at their restaurant straight from the butcher. Most of the customers are locals, and the owner family is very friendly. This is the best place if you want to have a local yakiniku experience in a livery and cozy restaurant! I would recommend their pork offal (豚ホルモン), beef hanging tender (牛サガリ) and beef liver (牛レバー).

YAKINIKU HORIGUCHI

Hours: 5PM-9PM (Closed on Mondays)
Access: 20 min walk from Kitami Station, or take a bus “11 Koizumi Hikarino Sono Line” or “3 Toryo Undo Koen Line” from Kitami Station and get off at “Hokumoken Bunka Senta,” 10 min ride.

3. Mikakuen, Ginza Brunch

Mikakuen is a popular yakiniku restaurant chain in Kitami. Its Ginza branch offers great deals on all you can eat! You shouldn't underestimate yakiniku in Kitami. The quality of meat is surprisingly good even for all you can eat. You can choose as many as 150 kinds of dishes from their menu, including a wide variety of meat of course, seafood, vegetables, noodles, rice dishes and desserts. All you can eat for food only is just 2,300 yen (21 USD) with 90 min time limit. If you want to add all you can drink, it will be 2,500 yen (23 USD) with non-alcoholic drinks and 3,500 yen (33 USD) with alcohol in total.

MIKAKUEN, GINZA BRUNCH

Hours: 5PM - 11.30PM
Access: 10 min walk from Kitami Station

4. Mikakuen, sohonten brunch

This is the flagship branch of Mikakuen. They have fancier menu than the Ginza brunch and serve many kinds of cuts that are difficult to find. Their meat is all delicious, as well as side dishes. I'm especially a big fan of their cold noodles (冷麺) - it's a must-try! This restaurant is quite crowded on weekends, so you might want to make a reservation beforehand.

MIKAKUEN, SOHONTEN BRUNCH

Hours: 5PM - 11PM
Access: 10 min walk from Kitami Station

5. Akatombo

I was wondering if I should put this restaurant on the list, because it is an absolute favorite of my family for the last couple of years that I kind of wanted to keep secret... but here it is! Akatombo is a small cozy restaurant run by two ladies. The meat they serve is very fresh and comes in a large portion at a reasonable price. My family's favorite dishes here are beef hanging tender(牛サガリ), pork neck (豚トロ), beef liver (牛レバー) and daikon radish salad!

Akatombo

Hours: 5.30PM - 9PM (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Access: 10 min by car from Kitami Station, or take a bus “2 Miyama Line” from Kitami Station and get off at “Miyama Daini Danchi” (15 min-20min)

A BonuS!

It’s not in Kitami, but I really wanted to include one more restaurant here. Niku no Kappo Tamura in Bihoro, which is just 30 min drive away from Kitami and 15 min from Memambetsu Airport, is another favorite restaurant of my family for more than a decade. They use gas stoves here unlike the restaurants in Kitami, but the quality of meat is guaranteed. They have a variety of high-end fatty and tender beef cuts, so if you want to go a little fancy, here is a good choice. It is also convenient to drop by on the way to the airport.