Written by Mothy
The other day, I went to Hop Trip (モロッコ料理とクラフトビール ホップとリップ ) in Yono. At least I think that would be the English of its name. It doesn’t have any English signage and is lacking in online presence. But their Instagram URL is labeled as Hop Trip so I’ll go with that, though that hiragana と is confusing me. Anyway, you’ll probably want to use the Japanese in any internet search for the place since under the name Hop Trip they’re pretty hard to find. But once you find where they are located, it’s easy to get to. About a 5 minute walk from Yono station. As I led with, I went there the other day. It was actually the second time I’d visited, but the first time was with a friend and I ended up paying attention to our conversation rather than the details needed for a write up. So this time I made sure to go alone so I could focus on the task at hand. So without further ado, here’s my thoughts on the place.
It has a nice layout, small, but feels open and not overcrowded. There are five tables and between them can sit 18-20. There’s also a small counter that can seat four. Since I was alone that’s where I sat. This allowed for some conversation with the guy running the place that day. If I had been really on my A game I’d have gotten information about if he was just a manager or the owner. But, I was not. (For clarity I mean not on my A game, though it’s also true I was not the manager or owner). Before I get to the beer I’d better talk about the food, after all craft beer and Moroccan cuisine is not a combination I’m aware of existing elsewhere so this could be a draw for people, even if they don’t live in Saitama. It’s a little hard for me to judge, because my experience with Moroccan is limited. I’ve never been to Morocco and have had Moroccan exactly twice, both times in Japan: once at a place in Kyoto and the other time this place. Of the two I’d rate the Kyoto place as better but they didn’t serve craft beer, and it doesn’t mean I didn’t like the food, I certainly did. My wallet regretted how much I liked the food because it was pricey. But I guess when you have a Moroccan food in Saitama monopoly you can charge whatever you like. Not only that, but I’d say they have the best vegetarian food served with craft beer in Saitama as well. (Presumably, I didn’t check an ingredients list since I’m not vegetarian and just ordered them to “be healthy” while eating and drinking too much.) Anyway, in conclusion on the food, with the reminder that I’m about as far from an expert on Moroccan food as you can get, it’s pretty tasty and as long as you don’t mind dropping some real cash on it, worth ordering.
Anyway, I’ve waited long enough. “What about the beer?” you scream while shaking me angrily. So here I’m going to draw on my first visit a little bit and say, though I don’t exactly remember which breweries they had last time, I remember being decently impressed. This time I was less impressed, but I assume that’s just luck of the draw. The sizes, I didn’t get the measurements for. They called them, creatively, S, M, and L. I’d say the L is probably a little short of a pint but it’s in a goblet shaped glass and I’m horrible at estimating amounts when they are in that shape. The reduction in sizes would be what you imagine. Prices, as is increasingly popular, varied widely depending on the beer. But that day’s beers went S: ¥650-¥950 M: ¥800-¥1200 L: ¥1100-¥1600. They have eight taps, but one was spent when I arrived and they didn’t replace it. So how many you’ll actually have available to you will depend on the day I guess.
My conclusion is: I liked the place quite a bit. But the prices will keep me from being a regular. But they had a decent sized crowd both the times I went so they probably will survive without my frequent business.
Japanese breweries on tap when I visited:
Hideji
Iwatekura
Ise Kadoya
Shiga Kogen
Chichibu
Camado
Opening Hours:
Monday-Friday, 11:30-14:30, 17:30-23:00
Saturday, 11:30-14:30, 17:30-22:00
Closed Sunday
Location/map:
下落合 1711 シティマークタワ 21, Chuo-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama-ken
Telephone:
048-767-5401
Links:
Instagram