Iwakuni Foodie

I guess if you are new to the area, you are not sure what I mean by “Sako’s is back!” Sako’s is a world famous restaurant that is located just a few minutes from the Main Gate. It has been around for as long as I can remember (and that’s a LONG time) and it has always been operated by a very nice couple. As they got older, they cut back on their hours until they were only open for a couple of hours each day and they had a limit on how much they would make. Oops. I guess I should mention what it is they are known for. They make amazing BLT’s. I also love their onion rings. Now, back to my story. Since they had cut back on their hours and placed a limit on how much they would make per day, I started to think about the possibility that Sako’s would shut down for good. And it was really just a matter of time. Then I started seeing posts on Facebook asking if anyone knew why Sako’s was closed and whether they were ever going to open again. My heart sank. I couldn’t help but wonder if one of them had gotten sick. Were they okay? Maybe they were on vacation? I thought about a lot of possibilities for why they were closed, but none of them had to do with the couple selling the place! I thought, “It’s never going to be the same” I patiently waited along with everyone else and I heard that the new owners wanted to keep the food the same and so the previous owners were showing them how to make everything the exact same way they did. Once I heard that, I was excited about going again.

Last Friday, Sako’s reopened under new ownership. I went for lunch on Monday and when I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised. The new owners had been very busy. Not only were they learning how to cook the food the same way, but they had also done a little remodeling.

The wall that had all of the business cards on it was completely changed. The business cards were gone (that kind of made me sad) and replaced with a very nice wall. I liked the business cards on the wall because it was kind of cool to see names I recognized from 10 years ago or before. It kind of gave the place character. But I do like the new wall too.

They also got new tables

The amount of space they have didn’t change. There are still only three tables in the restaurant and a few seats at the counter, but the new tables give it an updated look.

Now for the good part. The food!

I ordered a BLT and onion rings. I wasn’t too worried about the BLT, but the onion rings were going to be the test.

First, the BLT was brought out. It looks the same! Now, I have to remind you that this is a mom and pop joint so it takes a little while for your food to come out. Please be patient. It’s really worth the wait!

Someone at our table ordered a fish sandwich and was nice enough to let me take a picture of it before he bit into it.

I love that everyone is so supportive of my crazy food taking habits! He said the fish sandwich was good too!

Then came the onion rings….

Mmmmmm…they look exactly the same! I couldn’t wait to dig in! And when I did……yes, they tasted the same!

The food tasted the same. I was so happy about that! It was kind of strange though to walk in and not see the obasan (what we call older ladies) behind the counter. I really hope they enjoy their retirement, but they are going to be missed. The new couple seem very nice. She even gave us some free zucchini soup that she had made. It was YUMMY! AND she also speaks very good English.

While we were eating, a delivery guy showed up with these beautiful flowers for the new owners –

In Japan, it is customary to send flowers to celebrate the opening of a new business. These were just gorgeous!

To get to Sako’s, go out main gate and just go straight. Continue over the railroad tracks. Sako’s is on the left corner at the 4-way intersection (4 corners). It’s a small doorway that some people completely miss. They do have a chalkboard sign outside now.

And according to their sign, they even have parking now.

I do love the new hours!

If you are not a fan of BLT’s they also offer fried rice (which is yummy too!). It’s also close enough to walk to. Not sure what to do for dinner tonight? Head on over to Sako’s and have one of their world famous BLT’s! And don’t forget to get some onion rings with that!