Japanese Gold Diggers Lose Home: Heartland to Close

[gaijinpunch]

It is with a heavy heart that we announce today that BAR HEARTLAND will be closing as of January 6, 2014.
BAR HEARTLAND opened its doors here in Roppongi in 2003, with the hopes of becoming a “neighborhood bar” where customers could casually enjoy a drink, and would want to come daily.
Over the course of almost 11 years, together with our many customers, we were able to create a place for people to enjoy great beer. On behalf of our entire staff we would like to extend our sincere and deep gratitude to our valued customers for the countless warm smiles and friendly words of encouragement over the years.
Moving forward, the HEARTLAND brand hopes to continue to create “a place of relaxation” in the hearts of our consumers by holding true to our brand concept of “genuineness and simplicity.”
The BAR HEARTLAND staff hopes that one day we may have the opportunity to meet our beloved customers once again.

http://jrockerstar21.blogspot.jp/2014/0 ... pongi.html

[matsuki]

No worries, they'll find a new place to chase foreigners that they think are rich soon enough.

[IparryU]

No worries, they'll find a new place to chase foreigners that they think are rich soon enough.

like the tequila bar across the street... all the google, goldman, and barclays guys go there.

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

Maybe if the beer wasn't gut rot it would be popular.

[Screwed-down Hairdo]

You guys are absolutely wrong...these gorgeous young women chasing after fat, balding, aging, grotesque foreigners are all doing it for love.

[kurogane]

Maybe if the beer wasn't gut rot it would be popular.

I didn't realise the bar was connected to the little green bottles of beer, but I have always found it a nice light lager that goes well with the Tonkatsu. I do like the middle sized bottle, too. Has the bottled beer also gone Dodo? That would be a shame.

FTR, I despise 98% of beer that isn't just a proper crisp lager, especially froofy micro sludge, and quite like Japanese beer as long as it isn't Asahi or Suntory, so this could play to tastes and such.

[gaijinpunch]

I didn't realise the bar was connected to the little green bottles of beer, but I have always found it a nice light lager that goes well with the Tonkatsu. I do like the middle sized bottle, too. Has the bottled beer also gone Dodo? That would be a shame.

I guess it's befitting that such an awful beer go well with a food that smell's like week-old diarrhea in a kitchen sink for a 2-block radius.

[kurogane]

I guess it's befitting that such an awful beer go well with a food that smell's like week-old diarrhea in a kitchen sink for a 2-block radius.

BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BTW, you're the first FG I can remember that doesn't consider Tonkatsu a lifesaving spiritual reaffirmation. Unless you've been eating it at the places that smell like a kitchen sink full of poo. Still, bad Tonkatsu is like bad sex.

As a point of reference, what sort of beer do you like???

[gaijinpunch]

BTW, you're the first FG I can remember that doesn't consider Tonkatsu a lifesaving spiritual reaffirmation.

Haha -- just yesterday I lambasted a real life friend on a forum when he said his Japanese bucket list was to eat Tonkotsu ramen on an infinite loop.

Unless you've been eating it at the places that smell like a kitchen sink full of poo. Still, bad Tonkatsu is like bad sex.

I've never understood what made that god awful smell, but I remember a few places that had said smell, and still had a line of mother fuckers queued up like that shit was last food... ever.

As a point of reference, what sort of beer do you like???

I like the J-lagers just fine, but don't crave them per se. I guess I like ale the best...especially in the winter. Towards the warmers times I'm all about white beers. Japan's Kinga Kougen is quite nice. For the record though, I drink whiskey far more often. In fact, maybe too much. I'm generally having a few each night alone. :-/ While I like Scotch, the Japanese whiskies are great for the most part.

[kurogane]

Just to clarify, I meant TonkAtsu (schnitzel), but you got my retchometer going on the Tonkotsu noodle shops smell there. I once had a really nice and non-stinky Tonkotsu ramen at a nice non-stinky Tonkotsu ramen place. When I told my Tonkotsu ramen nutso friends about it, to a one they rejected the idea that it was even possible for Tonkotsu ramen to be good if it and the shop didn't reek of a sewer. All these years later I still laugh at those lines of rubes outside those filthy, reeking shops serving utter crap and raking it in.

There is a famous street front late night ramen shop in Kyoto called Nagahama; I would have to be at starvation's door to ever eat there again. The smell is so ungodly it defies all cliches about Japanese being a clean people, and the ramen is complete crap. The Eikaiwa crowd still swear it is the best ramen ever.

BTW, I wish I liked whiskey. It would make my professional social life so much easier. Unfortunately, I'm almost allergic I dislike it so much. Less so with better Japanese stuff, strangely.

[matsuki]

Maybe if the beer wasn't gut rot it would be popular.

I didn't realise the bar was connected to the little green bottles of beer, but I have always found it a nice light lager that goes well with the Tonkatsu. I do like the middle sized bottle, too. Has the bottled beer also gone Dodo? That would be a shame.

FTR, I despise 98% of beer that isn't just a proper crisp lager, especially froofy micro sludge, and quite like Japanese beer as long as it isn't Asahi or Suntory, so this could play to tastes and such.

I love me some Kirin but place Asahi, Suntory, and Sapporo in the same basket as watered down American beers. It's like drinking non-fat milk vs. milk.

...and for the record, also not a fan of Heartland beer.

[gaijinpunch]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

[IparryU]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

i love whiskey... drink it everyday almost and not as bad as tekillya hangovers. whiskey gets interesting cause your liver wont last long enough to enjoy all the different types of whiskey out there.

a really good whiskey bar out in Mito... really far but worth it 1000000% to go out there.

[JAVGOD]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

i love whiskey... drink it everyday almost and not as bad as tekillya hangovers. whiskey gets interesting cause your liver wont last long enough to enjoy all the different types of whiskey out there.

a really good whiskey bar out in Mito... really far but worth it 1000000% to go out there.

Whats your favorite Japanese whiskey? I'm interested in giving it a shot.

[sublight]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

i love whiskey... drink it everyday almost and not as bad as tekillya hangovers. whiskey gets interesting cause your liver wont last long enough to enjoy all the different types of whiskey out there.

a really good whiskey bar out in Mito... really far but worth it 1000000% to go out there.

Whats your favorite Japanese whiskey? I'm interested in giving it a shot.

If you like smoky ones, Hakushu 10-yr is pretty good and reasonably priced.

[J.A.F.O]

I love me some Kirin but place Asahi, Suntory, and Sapporo in the same basket as watered down American beers. It's like drinking non-fat milk vs. milk.

...and for the record, also not a fan of Heartland beer.

Suntory Stout isn't too bad. I like micro brews personally, especially with the higher % ones. Helios makes a seasonal beer here called santa beer, pretty damned good as far as japanese micro brews.

[J.A.F.O]

If you like smoky ones, Hakushu 10-yr is pretty good and reasonably priced.

You wouldn't happen to know if any japanese brewer makes a decent rye would you?

[Mike Oxlong]

If you like smoky ones, Hakushu 10-yr is pretty good and reasonably priced.

You wouldn't happen to know if any japanese brewer makes a decent rye would you?

You might like Nikka Rye Base.

[J.A.F.O]

Thanks for the suggestion on the rye. I'll have to look into it.

Whats keeping you up this late on this little rock?

[yanpa]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

i love whiskey... drink it everyday almost and not as bad as tekillya hangovers. whiskey gets interesting cause your liver wont last long enough to enjoy all the different types of whiskey out there.

a really good whiskey bar out in Mito... really far but worth it 1000000% to go out there.

Whats your favorite Japanese whiskey? I'm interested in giving it a shot.

If you like smoky ones, Hakushu 10-yr is pretty good and reasonably priced.

The 12-yr must be good, as we bought a bottle while in the general area and the Mrs. was sipping away at it.

[IparryU]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

i love whiskey... drink it everyday almost and not as bad as tekillya hangovers. whiskey gets interesting cause your liver wont last long enough to enjoy all the different types of whiskey out there.

a really good whiskey bar out in Mito... really far but worth it 1000000% to go out there.

Whats your favorite Japanese whiskey? I'm interested in giving it a shot.

Ever since I won a bottle of 18 year... McAllen has been my fav Japanese whiskey. Yamazaki is also very good.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

[Dreamy_Peach]

This bar was the greatest place ten years ago. Sure, the beer was awful, but me and my mates had so many great times there. We'd be in there at least one or two nights a week, and each night would leave us smiling happily and full of merry tales the next day.

I read about the closure on Bloomberg and someone posted a comment below the article saying "so what?". I think for a generation of Tokyo expats this was one of the bars for a while and for me it was kind of synonymous with a kind of optimism and new money flooding in as the stock market boomed; new buildings by the likes of Mori emerged, and some big Japanese start ups like LiveDoor were coming up. It felt good at the time and was something I'd never seen or experienced before. All shattered from 2008, but the bar had been in decline already from about 2007.

Nowadays I rarely go to the Pong, but if I do I sense that Rigolletto has some of the old Heartland type crowd, and at least serve beer you can enjoyably drink. Not sure where else - A971, if it still exists, never really took off to the same degree.

[IparryU]

This bar was the greatest place ten years ago. Sure, the beer was awful, but me and my mates had so many great times there. We'd be in there at least one or two nights a week, and each night would leave us smiling happily and full of merry tales the next day.

I read about the closure on Bloomberg and someone posted a comment below the article saying "so what?". I think for a generation of Tokyo expats this was one of the bars for a while and for me it was kind of synonymous with a kind of optimism and new money flooding in as the stock market boomed; new buildings by the likes of Mori emerged, and some big Japanese start ups like LiveDoor were coming up. It felt good at the time and was something I'd never seen or experienced before. All shattered from 2008, but the bar had been in decline already from about 2007.

Nowadays I rarely go to the Pong, but if I do I sense that Rigolletto has some of the old Heartland type crowd, and at least serve beer you can enjoyably drink. Not sure where else - A971, if it still exists, never really took off to the same degree.

Same beer as any other place despite bottled Heartland beer...

I brought a few girls there and it always made the night wet.

Sent from my SC-03E using Tapatalk.

[kurogane]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
.

Apparently. I was dumbfounded to hear there was a humanoid that didn't like at least a bit of Japanese schnitzel, and laughed when I figgered out what you meant. Because as you noted, most TonkOtsu is just Ramen gone wrong big time stylie.

Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

I wish I could even learn to like it, but I have gibben appu. Apparently some people have an enzyme reaction thingy, and I seem to be one of those. It just isn't my thing. Professionally, it can be a real burden and leads to lots of morning gut rot runs to the toilets after late night strongarm whiskey sessions with the OyaJeez.

[JAVGOD]

Ah, okay -- one vowel makes all the difference in the world!
Being a whiskey lover isn't bad (I'm kinda new to it actually, other than Jack & Cokes through my younger years). It can definitely mean a few bad hangovers here and there though.

i love whiskey... drink it everyday almost and not as bad as tekillya hangovers. whiskey gets interesting cause your liver wont last long enough to enjoy all the different types of whiskey out there.

a really good whiskey bar out in Mito... really far but worth it 1000000% to go out there.

Whats your favorite Japanese whiskey? I'm interested in giving it a shot.

Ever since I won a bottle of 18 year... McAllen has been my fav Japanese whiskey. Yamazaki is also very good.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

Hey
Thanks for that tip. I have been scanning the markets. I have my fill of beer to last a lifetime. That may change in August, lol, but I will check the Yamazaki.
Price wise the suntory reminds me of jim beam, cheap and awful... i have a misty eye for johnny walker red or black. now I know what I am bringing back with me next time out.

Dunno know if its the same but a bar is opening down the street from me. they are calling it "heartland." Maybe above owners sold out to a franchiser?