LIONSotetsu

A chance craving for bibimbap as we espied the picture on the outside of the restaurant led us into this location and we are glad it did. It really tries to be what the restaurant owners believe a German beer hall to be; and what they got right is beer - lots of it at very locally reasonable prices.... The staff are all young, enthusiastic and eager to please. We couldn't help but be put in a good mood. Because this chain is run by a beer brand, that what's on tap but you can get it in sizes up to 1L! The food, although not stellar is quite serviceable to go along with the theme of the place and (besides the bibimbap) we were able to find several items on the menu that turned out to be tasty and well prepared. We didn't try the wasabi flavored octopus carpaccio though. Would you? :) Probably the coolest thing about the place was the wireless doorbell on the table you used to bring over a server. I'd never ever seen the like before and one quick press brought someone instantly to your table as if by magic. It was tempting to just try it over and over! Another interesting innovation was that each table had a set of laminated bookmarks, once of which you brought up to the front counter when you were ready to pay. There you were presented with your bill for inspection and payment. It certainly helped table turnover! We liked this place so much we went back on our last night in Japan because we were simply in the mood for a beer and nibbles. And we enjoyed it just as much. I'm sure you will too.

Visited May 2015