倩é
Founded in 1937, Tenkin is the izakaya that locals in Asahikawa point to first, a celebrated spot they return to again and again. Live seafood swims in the tank right in front of the counter and is cooked to order, giving the kitchen an uncommon commitment to freshness and quality ingredients. Favorites include piping-hot, meltingly tender tachi tempura (deep-fried cod milt), ikagoro ruibe (thin-sliced frozen squid with its innards) that pairs beautifully with Asahikawa sake, pickled Chinese cabbage sharpened with yama-wasabi (Japanese horseradish), and fluffy sohachi-garei (a local flounder). Even as more tourists discover it, the prices stay refreshingly reasonable, the sake selection runs deep, and regulars love that even the sushi here is delicious.