We Tried Sumibi-yaki and Kiln-grilled Sanaka Near Nishinomiya-kitaguchi Station for a 3000 Yen Izakaya Night

On the northwest side of Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi Station, there’s an izakaya called “最中（さなか）” (Sanaka).

There used to be a yakitori restaurant with the same name near Hanshin Koroen Station, and apparently this is the same restaurant (the Koroen location is no longer there).

The name “最中（さなか）” comes from the fact that the restaurant opened in the midst (“sanaka”) of the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Today, they also have locations in Naruo, Ashiya, and Settsu-Motoyama.

This time, I visited “最中（サナカ） Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi.”

Challenge Start!

First, I started with the “otoshi” appetizer and a draft beer (299 yen).

This restaurant has standing-drink seats, and if you drink standing, draft beer is 199 yen.

Standing seats are limited to one hour, so this time I chose a table seat.

I ordered the “teba gyoza” (430 yen), which was listed as a Sanaka specialty.

It’s a chicken wing filled with gyoza filling.

Here’s what the inside looks like.

The juicy filling is wrapped in the umami and aroma of the chicken, creating a delicious synergy.

Second beer.

This is the “stone-oven vegetables” (390 yen), made by roasting whole vegetables just as they are in a stone oven.

There are several types of vegetables to choose from, but this time I went with “tomato × mozzarella cheese.”

Roasting the tomato concentrates its sweetness, and it pairs beautifully with the mild mozzarella cheese.

Third beer.

And then, they announced last orders…

Apparently, they were closing early due to the impact of the novel coronavirus.

Oops… my calculations…

For now, I ordered one more beer…

And ordered the dessert “ice cream (with chocolate sauce)” (290 yen).

Since I couldn’t calculate properly, I feel like I might be a little short again this time, but how much did the bill come to…?

Now for the announcement!

This time, the bill was!!

2,597 yen!!!

That was it!

As expected, I was a little short.

I could have had one more beer.

If you use the standing-drink seats, it gets even cheaper, so I think this place offers excellent value.

This time I ordered: draft beer × 4, teba gyoza, stone-oven vegetables (tomato × mozzarella cheese), and ice cream (with chocolate sauce).

That’s what I had～

Charcoal Grill and Kiln-Baked “最中（サナカ） Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi” Menu

Here is the menu.

Their ramen is also apparently a specialty.

Inside Charcoal Grill and Kiln-Baked “最中（サナカ） Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi”

Inside, there are standing-drink seats and table seats.

These standing-drink seats are near the entrance.

The table seats look like this.

Exterior of Charcoal Grill and Kiln-Baked “最中（サナカ） Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi”

The restaurant is on the northwest side of Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi Station.

This is the exterior of the restaurant.

Charcoal Grill and Kiln-Baked “最中（サナカ） Hankyu Nishinomiya-kitaguchi” Store Information

★Hours: 17:00～24:00（L.O.23:00）
★Closed　Irregular holidays
★Phone number　0798-56-7332
★Address　Hyogo PrefectureNishinomiya CityKofuen1-7-5
★Seats　58 seats
★Smoking　Allowed
★Credit cards　Not accepted
★Related links
HP/Tabelog
(*Prices, menu items, business hours, etc. are as of the time of coverage. Please check directly with the restaurant for the latest information.)