In October 2022, I visited the "Ikoi no Ie" hot springs in Lake Toya and stopped by for lunch at the "Miyuki Shokudo" in front of JR Date Monbetsu Station. It has been four years since I last visited this place during my previous job's fieldwork. I ordered my favorite dish, omurice, and as always, it was delicious! I love the omurice at "Miyamoto Shokudo" in Muroran and here, the classic Showa-style omurice.

"At the front of Date Monbetsu Station, about 30 minutes before the JR departure, it's a bit early for lunch but since I am scheduled to arrive in Sapporo after 2 PM, I want to eat here. Just a minute walk from the station is "Miki Shokudo" where I haven't visited before. Upon opening the sliding door and entering the restaurant, I was greeted by a man in his 40s or 50s in charge of the dining area, and a woman who seemed to be in charge of the kitchen. The dining area only had table seats with a capacity of 50 seats, surprisingly spacious. The shelves on the wall were filled with manga books, and the TV was showing a commercial for a rejuvenating cream that restores youth and glossiness, from 5,500 yen to 1,980 yen, quite a discount... There was one customer already seated and two more came in after me. Shortly after, tea and water were brought to the table. After a brief look at the menu, I ordered the "Oyakodon @690". In 8 minutes, the dish was placed on the table, along with miso soup and pickled radish. The ingredients in the Oyakodon were chicken breast, leeks, onions, and shiitake mushrooms... Personally, I prefer only chicken and onions, with the egg being half-cooked and chicken thigh meat being my preference. The broth was lightly seasoned, lacking in umami flavor, which seemed good for the body but not quite satisfying in taste. The miso soup had tofu, wakame seaweed, and nameko mushrooms, also quite lightly seasoned lacking in flavor. The pickled radish seemed like a store-bought product, with only 4 slices which seemed a bit lacking... Oyakodon is a dish that I rarely find one that I really like, and if I were to aim for a local restaurant, I would consider a chain restaurant like "Nakau" for a more reliable and safe choice. According to reviews, the yakisoba seems to be popular, and there were also customers taking out food to go. Next time, I would like to try the yakisoba. Thank you for the meal."

I had been curious about this place for a while, so it was my first visit. I did some research on Tabelog beforehand, so I ordered the "ginger pork set meal" without hesitation. There were no other customers when I arrived, but it took about 10 minutes for the food to be served. Since the vegetables were not pre-prepared, it might take a little longer. The meat had a good texture and the flavor of ginger was delicious. The side of fried egg was also well done. I was taking my time and ended up missing my express train, but caught a local train 15 minutes later to head home. If I had to say something negative, maybe the cost performance was not the best, probably because it's located near the station. It would have been better if it was priced at a level where you could buy a can of coffee with the change from 1000 yen. Well, I would like to visit again for a casual meal. Thank you for the meal.

It is an old-fashioned diner. It is a rare and valuable place nowadays. The ginger pork was delicious!

Local customer S recommended this place for yakisoba. The street in front of the station is deserted, but the inside of the restaurant is bustling with about 5 regular customers. I enjoyed the friendly atmosphere where customers and the owner chatted. The yakisoba had a good portion size and the seasoning was just right. However, I couldn't help but notice that the owner was wearing Crocs while serving the food. It felt a bit out of place for a restaurant, but I guess it's fine in a rural area. Maybe I'm just being picky. The yakisoba cost 630 yen. Thank you for the meal!

Before going to see the cherry blossoms in Tama, I decided to eat lunch. Since there are many cars in the Date area during Golden Week, it seems better not to get too close to the popular Michi-no-Eki. I remembered the restaurant in front of the station, and I want to visit various station-front restaurants in different towns if possible. The station building in Date Monbetsu has an old and nice feel, but the station front seems to have been renovated a few years ago, and this restaurant also has a new building, but I think it must have been there for a long time. There was an old cigarette shop next door with an old cigarette sign. The station front is quiet, with only three customers ahead, an elderly couple and an old man, enjoying ramen and yakisoba. I thought they must be coming here for the taste that has remained unchanged over the years. The ramen and yakisoba looked delicious, but I had yakisoba for lunch today at home. I told my husband that we would have yakisoba for dinner tonight and ordered katsu curry for the two of us. I was more eager to see the restaurant-like katsu curry than to eat it. And without betraying that feeling, the katsu curry that came out was more restaurant-like than I had imagined. A white curry plate, tightly packed rice, the katsu not standing out but buried in the curry, neatly placed bright red fukujinzuke, a spoon and fork placed on a paper napkin. I felt the seriousness of this restaurant in the fact that the fukujinzuke was placed neatly as the last task, rather than just haphazardly at the end. It was also nice that they brought both water and tea to our table as soon as we sat down, especially during this fluctuating weather. The elderly lady who came after us ordered salt ramen with half the noodles as usual. The taste that the elderly people love continues at this station front, and the elderly customers who faithfully continue to come here also support this restaurant.