Joshua Tree’s a song by U2 and I guess the owner of a bar down the street from my apartment liked the song enough that he decided to name his bar with that name.
The bar is roughly a five minute walk from my apartment and it’s the perfect place for a few quick drinks or a long evening. The bar’s size is average. It’s got a long bar counter with around eight seats and by the window side, there are two tables with eight seats in total.
One reason why I go to this bar is the price. Good quality drinks for a reasonable price and no charge.
Depending on the bar in Japan, you’re usually forced to pay a charge for some peanuts or whatever. I guess it’s a way for establishments to make a tiny bit more profit. It’s understandable if customers only come in for one or two drinks... the place just won’t be able to make enough cash to keep it running.
I figure the other reason for the charge system is to keep out certain customers that won’t fit in. Everyone chooses a bar for a certain reason and if you’ve got to pay a charge, there’s got to be a reason for that, be it, you like the bartender, the mood of the place or the theme of the bar.
Joshua Tree opened for business about two years ago and I’ve been a regular since then.
The beer tastes good here since the bartender makes sure to wash the pipes everyday. There’s also a good selection of beer from around the world, particularly Belgium beer. Other drinks that I can recommend here are the many bottles of shochu and Japanese sake. Supposedly, some of the Japanese sake they have here cost double at other places, so drink up the good stuff!
My regular habit is to drink a couple of beers and then switch to a glass of Japanese sake. The sake sure gets you drunk in no time.
Then there’s also food. The most popular food that people order here is probably the kushi-age. Basically, it’s various vegetables or meat stuck into a skewer. It’s dipped in batter and deep-fried. Before eating you can cover it with the shop’s original sauce. Quite tasty and who says Japanese food is always healthy.
With the support of many regular customers the bar seems to be doing strong, compared to other bars in the neighborhood. The main reason for the number of regulars is probably because the hard work of the owner, M-kun, and the main bartender, N-san.
N-san, is a native of Horokanai, a small town a bit north of the center of Hokkaido. He likes fishing and seems to know a lot about old Nintendo games. Since working at the bar, he’s always keen on recommending something to drink and is always willing to keep you company if there aren’t too many customers in the place.
M-kun, the owner, is sometimes around if he’s not working next door at Bar Heaven (yeah, what a name). He seems to have a lot of knowledge of video games and comics. He can also make a pretty mean martini.
This combination, plus the new part-time worker, S, has made Joshua Tree a decent place to drop by.
I think I’ll be heading there in a little while (present time -- 10:30 p.m.).
札幌 バー ビール 北２４条 串揚げ ヨシュアツリー
