Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suisui Day ~ A Tavern Where Everyone Laughs and Enjoys Bitchu’s Seasonal Local Sake and Carefully Prepared Dishes

On a night when you don’t really feel like going home.
On a night when you want a warm meal someone else has made.
On a night when you want to talk with friends.

Whatever the night brings, there’s a place that welcomes customers with “Come on in!” and serves local sake from Bitchu and carefully prepared dishes.

It’s Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suiyobi, located at the entrance to the Bikan Historical Area, close to Geibunkan Hall.

We visited to find out how to enjoy Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suiyobi and the secret behind why its customers’ smiles never fade.

About Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suiyobi

Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suiyobi (hereafter “Suiyobi”) is an izakaya in Chuo, Kurashiki City.

Since opening as a local sake bar in late October 2013, it has served only “local sake from Bitchu.”

Owner and chef Nakahara Kazuo began his career at an inn in Kurashiki, then trained at a Kyoto restaurant and various other restaurants in Okayama Prefecture. Many regulars come to Suiyobi not only for local sake from Bitchu, but also to enjoy Nakahara’s cooking.

Sake served at Suiyobi

At Suiyobi, you can enjoy local sake made at breweries in Bitchu.

There is a menu, but the sake available varies depending on that day’s deliveries, so it’s best to ask Nakahara. Whenever I visit, I ask, “What do you recommend today?” and try his pick of the day.

Suiyobi is a place often visited by people in the sake-brewing industry, so it also stocks limited-edition sake made in batches of just a few bottles, as well as sake that is mostly exported and rarely available in Japan.

For updates on that day’s selection, check Suiyobi’s Instagram and Facebook.

Dishes served at Suiyobi

At Suiyobi, chef Nakahara, who trained at a Kyoto restaurant and kaiseki restaurants in Okayama Prefecture, serves dishes rich in dashi flavor.

All the dishes look simple, like home cooking, but they are carefully prepared, with some taking several days to make.

Before heading to the restaurant, I tell myself, “I’ll try something I haven’t had before!” But once I sit at the counter and see other customers eating their usual dishes, my mouth starts watering, and I end up ordering the same things every time.

Here are some of Suiyobi’s delicious dishes that always make me nod and think, “That’s exactly it!”

Tsukune with Green Pepper

One of Suiyobi’s popular dishes, tsukune with green pepper pairs a thick green pepper with a chunky chicken meatball.

Since green peppers are a summer vegetable, I thought this might be a summer-only dish, but it’s a regular menu item. I’m always amazed that the peppers stay crisp no matter what time of year you eat them.

The tsukune served alongside the green pepper releases a burst of spice aroma in your mouth with the first bite.

The green pepper and tsukune are both large and satisfying, and apparently Nakahara came up with the dish after being inspired by the manga Solitary Gourmet.

Miso-Marinated Cheese

This may look like a simple block of cheese, but it’s cheese marinated in miso.

It has the milky-white color typical of cheese, but when you taste it, the aroma of miso fills your mouth. Miso and sake each pair well with sake, so miso-marinated cheese, which brings them together, is naturally a perfect match for sake.

It’s a dish I always order when I’m getting full but want to enjoy just a little more sake.

Dashi Rolled Omelet

A simple rolled omelet with dashi, without any fillings or toppings.

It’s a dish that lets you savor the pure flavors of egg and dashi.

It’s a little large to eat by yourself, but the rolled omelet tastes exceptional when you share half with a regular as the sake starts to go to your head.

Many customers come to Suiyobi on their own, but owner Nakahara makes a point of connecting with each customer. Before you know it, customers are getting to know one another and sharing dishes—a common sight here.

Deep-Fried Taro in Dashi

One dish I personally can’t do without is deep-fried taro in dashi.

The carefully seasoned taro is fried until crisp and served with plenty of dashi.

The taro is delicious, of course, but the rich dashi, which fills more than half the bowl, is so good that I end up drinking every last drop.

We asked Suiyobi owner Nakahara, who continually brings in seasonal sake from breweries in Bitchu and serves carefully prepared dishes, how to enjoy Suiyobi.

Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suiyobi Information

Name	Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suiyobi
Address	1-13-3 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Ikeda Building, 1st Floor
Contact	086‐434‐3142
Parking	None
Hours	6:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m.
Closed	Monday
Payment methods	Cash Credit cards
Reservations	Accepted
Seating	14 seats
Smoking	Entirely non-smoking
Restroom	Western-style toilet
Website	Bitchu Local Sake Bar Suiyobi Facebook

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