Aizu Inakaya — Restaurant in Kitakata

Found this place after eating a bowl of Kitakata Ramen nearby, and decided to check it out of curiosity over regional Aizu cuisine. They had ala carte items as well as lunch sets during lunch hours so I was fortunate enough to order some regional items for lunch. I had the Sesame Konnyaku, Pickled Herring and Horse Heart. Each dish was flavorful and unique in their own right, and pairs well with alcohol. Glad to have sampled a glimpse of Aizu cuisine on my...

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2025年の年明けに訪問。

風情たっぷりの古民家で、まさに“馬づくし”の贅沢コースをいただきました。馬刺し、桜ユッケ、馬モツ鍋、馬肉の握りなどの馬肉オンパレードに加え、サラダ、キムチやメンマの創作小鉢、せせり串、〆のソースカツ丼までついてくる充実っぷり。これでこのお値段!?と思わず心の中でガッツポーズ。

どれも美味でしたが、特に馬肉の握りは悶絶レベル。つい「もう一貫だけ…」とおかわりしてしまいました。具だくさんのこづゆも体にしみました。

しかも、売り切れのはずの飲み比べセットを出していただいたりと、サービス精神も満点。お店の方、仏の化身では？

ちなみにカウンター席を予約していましたが、案内されたのは畳の広間。最初は「おや？」となりましたが、料理をズラッと並べるにはちょうどよく、結果オーライ。ちょっとだけ腰には効きましたけどね（笑）

Visited at the very beginning of 2025.

We enjoyed a full-on horse meat feast in a charming traditional Japanese house. The course included basashi (horse sashimi), sakura yukke (horse tartare), horse offal hotpot, horse meat nigiri — basically horse everything — along with salad, creative small plates like kimchi and menma, grilled chicken neck skewers, and a sauce-covered katsudon to finish. For that price? I was doing a silent fist pump inside.

Everything was delicious, but the horse meat nigiri? Absolutely divine. So good I had to go back for another piece. The hearty kozuyu soup, packed with ingredients, was soul-warming.

Even though the sake tasting set was supposedly sold out, the staff still brought one out for us — hospitality level: saintly.

We had originally reserved counter seats, but were shown to a spacious tatami room instead. At first I thought, “Huh?” but once the dishes started piling up, the extra space made perfect sense. My back wasn’t thrilled, but...

Honestly the best katsu I have ever tried. Super crispy, sauce was really good and picked + cabbage worked super well with it. The horse meat as well as high quality and tasteful. Definitely recommend this place. It was also really interesting how high tech this place was with QR code menu and you can also tap to pay via VISA. Vibes were nice with some jazz and it’s really...