It's been a while since I visited Pepe-chan's house. When you ask Otaru residents about their favorite dining spots, many of them would probably mention this place, right? There's a bench in front of the shop with a sign that says, "Not freshly painted," so you can sit there with peace of mind, haha. I've been here a few times, but I've never tried the daily special "Nakayoshi Bento" before, so that's what I'm here for today. There are so many interesting menu items that I always ended up choosing something different before. Today's bento includes pork chop and fried white fish. I chose the pork chop (650 yen) and also ordered hojicha (150 yen), which they said they buy from a tea shop. Mmm, delicious! It tastes different from the others, or maybe that's just my imagination, haha. The teapot was full, and the portion was generous even at this price. The Nakayoshi Bento is only 650 yen, but the contents are luxurious! It even comes with miso soup, and the taste is really good. They also offer free extra rice. It's a homely taste that you can enjoy every day without getting tired of it. The owners, a kind couple, make the atmosphere cozy. I don't get to come here often, but it's my favorite dining spot. The pork chop is delicious! I'll definitely come back. Thank you for the meal~.

March 2021. First visit. I don't usually cook and prefer to eat out, but I believe that the key to cooking is the right balance of salt, heat, and flavors. This time, I decided to visit a nearby restaurant that I had been putting off called "Pepe-chan's House" for lunch. There is no parking lot, but you can park on the street in front of the restaurant (except during the winter season from December 1 to March 31). I had been here once before when it was a Okinawan cuisine restaurant, but the atmosphere inside has completely changed and it feels very cozy now. The owner couple both seem to love fishing, as there were regular customers who also enjoy fishing sitting at the counter. The reason I visited now is because I make it a point to try ramen at restaurants in the city that offer it, and I recently found out that this place serves ramen on their menu. I ordered: - Staff Meal Vegetable Ramen (650 yen) - Half Fried Rice (200 yen) The noodles seemed to be store-bought and slightly overcooked, but surprisingly matched well with the soup (laughs). The toppings included pork belly, bean sprouts, onions, carrots, bell peppers, leeks, and shredded chili pepper. The soup had a slightly mild saltiness and a gentle flavor, with a decent amount of umami, reminiscent of Champon or hot noodles. The half fried rice for an additional 200 yen during lunchtime looked good, but it seemed like they forgot to add salt as it lacked any saltiness (^◇^;) The rice was a bit soft, not exceeding the level of home cooking. Based on the ramen and fried rice I tried, this restaurant seems to be more about enjoying the homely atmosphere rather than focusing on the taste! Thank you for the meal.

Visit date: Monday, March 22, 2021, around 12:00 PM. I decided to sneak into a creative lunch restaurant that I was curious about on a YouTube channel called "Otaru Yoi Toko Meguri." In front of the shop, there is a red mailbox and cute dog paintings all over the wall. Inside the shop, there is a counter and table seats. Even though it was a weekday, about 70-80% of the customers seemed to be local regulars, indicating its popularity. Looking at the menu, they offer dishes such as: - Grilled Zangi Donburi ¥700 - Renkon Rice ¥700 - Pepe Carbonara ¥750 - Asahikawa Pasta ¥750 and more. Additionally, they have items like Hojicha Latte ¥400 and Fry Pan Soft Serve ¥500 in the separate stomach corner. In the evening, they offer a casual izakaya menu and a light drinking set for ¥1100. There are many unique menu items to choose from, but I decided to try the Omurice that Chikako-san from "Miss Otaru" was eating for ¥750. The operation is run by a husband and wife. The wife skillfully shakes the frying pan, while the husband takes orders, serves water, and manages the hall duties. It's a fantastic combination. After placing my order with the husband, I waited for a while. The couple seemed to enjoy fishing as a hobby, as they were talking about fishing with an elderly regular sitting at the counter, and it seemed like they had caught a lot of fish. They even received some fish as gifts. The homely atmosphere and the love from the regular customers were evident. After waiting for about 10 minutes, the awaited Omurice was served. It wasn't much of a surprise since I had seen it in the video, but it looked elegant with soft, half-cooked egg topped with seaweed and bonito flakes. The noodles for the Napolitan were thin and slightly sweet in flavor. I asked the husband for Tabasco halfway through and enjoyed changing the flavor. The menu mentioned that it comes with soup, free rice, and you can get a large serving for an additional ¥100, so I didn't hesitate to ask for extra rice. The husband kindly confirmed the amount of rice I wanted. I asked for a regular serving. In the latter part of the meal, I put the Napolitan on the rice. I apologize for my bad manners. Carbs x carbs, this guilty pleasure is the best! ('∇') I would like to visit again in the evening next time. I'm curious about the "Rentama" for ¥500, which is a gratin-style omelet. The menu naming sense is good, and the cost performance is excellent! Thank you for the meal.

Located near the Central Market, there is a sign that brightly stands out in the darkness as you approach. It reads "Pepe-chan's House" and "Nakayoshi Dining." If it's a food establishment, it's best to check it out first. Gathering up courage, I stepped into the unique entrance and found the interior to have a bar-like atmosphere with figures, objects, and even a Famicom placed haphazardly. I ordered the whimsical fried rice and onion salad. While waiting, I thought about playing the Famicom, but I was afraid of getting too engrossed and not being able to leave. The dishes arrived promptly. The fried rice was a loose type with shrimp, green pepper, egg, onion, and bacon as ingredients, and it was quite delicious! The onion salad, at first glance, seemed to be covered only with bonito flakes, so I wondered if there was a mistake in my order. However, with a generous amount of dressing and mixed well, it turned out to be quite tasty as well! The restaurant is within a 10-minute walk from the station, making it a good option for a warm meal when you have some waiting time. Thank you for the meal!

The atmosphere of the bar is great, and they offer a variety of food options including lunch, so even if you're not a drinker, you can still enjoy it. I had the omurice as my main dish. The creamy eggs and simple ketchup rice were delicious! We also ordered a few other dishes to share, and everything was tasty. The Genghis Khan dish was served with a generous portion, which was a nice surprise. Thank you. The taste, atmosphere, and service were all excellent! Pepe-chan, the Spitz dog, was adorable.

The grilled Zangi bowl with sweet teriyaki sauce similar to yakitori is delicious and fragrant.

I went to a drinking party with my colleagues and visited this cozy and welcoming restaurant. The atmosphere was homely, but the food was of high quality, far beyond regular home-cooked meals. The garlic omelette was outstanding. The all-you-can-drink option was very reasonable, and for around 3,000 yen per person, you can eat and drink to your heart's content. I would love to visit again in the future.

In the morning, after finishing work, I went to the hospital and it was just before 11 o'clock... I was feeling hungry. I decided to go back to Otaru Station to have lunch and took the JR train back. I went to a few places that caught my eye, but it seems like they all start serving lunch at 11:30. It's been a while since I've had trouble finding a place for lunch... As I walked towards my home from the station, the number of restaurants decreased. So, I decided to try this place that I had been curious about. There were about 3 regulars sitting at the counter, so I took a seat by the window. I had been interested in the "Omurice" that someone had reviewed, but the owner brought me water and explained the menu, recommending a dish to me. When someone recommends something, there's no reason to refuse, so I ordered the recommended hamburger. Then, I noticed that the lunch rice was available in a large portion for free... I made a mistake. The dish was served in about 10 minutes. I started eating right away. The hamburger and tomato sauce were delicious. There was also a variety of side dishes. I finished it in no time. I recommend getting the large portion of rice. Thank you for the meal, I will definitely visit again.

After drinking quite a bit of wine, I went to a second party with someone. Yay, my first time at Pepe-chan! I'm feeling pretty full and light after all that drinking. We had two snacks, pork cartilage and grilled zangi, and I had two glasses of kunyan and sweet potato shochu to finish. I'm so happy to be here. Being touched by the kindness of the couple is healing. Of course, the snacks are delicious too. Now I can come here alone next time! Maybe I'll try the light drinking set.

I wanted to try going to the Shirokuma Shokudo in Otaru, but it was crowded and I was turned away. So, I decided to visit this other restaurant that I had been curious about! The facade is so cute ❤️ Inside, there are counter seats and table seats. I sat at a table in the back. From the lunch menu, I ordered the grilled Zangi bowl for 750 yen. The kids had the children's lunch for 600 yen, and my husband had the daily bento for 650 yen. Everything was so affordable! But the most charming thing about this place, for me, was the atmosphere inside! It's cozy and there are lots of toys to play with! There are Rubik's Cubes for solo play, fun games to play with others like Othello and a wobbly game, and even manga to read. And the most exciting part for me was that they had a place where you can play Famicom! I've never seen a place like this before (＊´ㅂ`＊)♥ They had about 30 game cartridges! Some of my favorite games were there too, bringing back so many nostalgic memories!! Games like Dragon Quest, Yoshi's Cookie, Dr. Mario, Tetris, Excitebike, and more! Unfortunately, they didn't have my all-time favorite game, Binary Land (；´Д`). My husband enjoyed playing Famista and reminiscing about the good old days. While we were playing, our food arrived. The children's lunches arrived first. My son said, "I've never had fried rice this delicious before! It's so good!" My daughter said, "The omelette rice is delicious!" The children's lunch allows you to choose between omelette rice and fried rice. It also comes with a juice and after finishing the meal, you can pick a candy from the bag that comes with it. Such a nice touch! Then our adult meals arrived. The grilled Zangi bowl was delicious! The meat was really tasty, tender, and satisfying. It also came with a soup. My husband's bento, which was salmon teriyaki today, was also delicious according to him (´∀｀) I will definitely visit this place again! The only downside was that there were quite a few customers smoking, which was a bit of a concern. It's just luck of the draw, I guess. Thank you for the meal (´∀｀)

The excitement of visiting Pepe-chan's house is the friendly couple and their Nakayoshi Bento (close friends bento). Shortly after opening, the daily Nakayoshi Bento main menu is posted on the entrance bulletin board. It comes with hot miso soup for ¥650. The couple, who love fishing, sometimes use their own catch as ingredients, making it enjoyable to keep coming back.

Welcome! ┌¬o"＊ ＊ ＊ 2015.05 ↓ In the residential area of Shounai, Otaru City, I arrived at a diner I wanted to visit, feeling lost and troubled. The southern wind that I was looking forward to was nowhere to be found, making me feel lonely. |o| °д°)ﾉ|Yuugachon It was quite a calm place. The spacious interior was divided into a large counter and tables, with a big TV and lots of manga, like a dining cafe. It seemed like a couple was running the place. Both of them were warm and had nice smiles. If you sit at the counter, you will be greeted with the menu and explanations of the daily bento. The regular customers were glued to the TV and were being entertained. The top of the menu was a description of the store and two dogs named Pepe and Ren, who seemed to rarely appear at the store. The owner, who seemed shy at first glance, turned out to be a friendly person. The wife was always cooking. The background music seemed to be GACKT's album, which the wife liked. "Can I love you~?!" and "The soy sauce is here♪" The soy sauce... The four colored jars on top were empty. A sweet coffee with a lid slightly open was served to the person next to me, which caused cheers. Metabo-san was eating "Asahikawa Pasta," and the "Pepe Bowl" was said to have a homey taste similar to bibimbap. The daily bento had the main dish of chicken teriyaki. The tender meat was cooked with a mellow sweetness that soaked in the teriyaki flavor. It could have been a bit stronger, but the kindness of the wife was evident in the dish. The tempura was a mix of pumpkin, eringi mushrooms, and vegetables, freshly fried and crispy. The light batter was packed with the umami of the ingredients. The side dish with horenso (spinach) had just the right amount of bitterness to make you feel like you're really eating horenso. The meal was served with furikake-seasoned rice, umeboshi, and fried tofu. The wakame soup had a red dashi flavor. The meal ended with a refreshing cabbage pickles. The conversation led to reminiscing about a bar in Susukino that turned into a loose bar in Saraji due to aging. I would love to have a drink while enjoying some evening menu items. I blackmailed Metabo-san with this idea. Thank you for the warmth and love from the locals. Thank you for the delicious meal!

Today was another day of overtime... Finally able to return home, I realized how hungry I was as I walked. I stumbled upon a restaurant called "Nanakaze," which I thought was a Okinawan cuisine restaurant. It was actually a place called "Nakayoshi Shokudo," where I could have a meal. I entered the restaurant and confirmed that it was okay to just have a meal, not alcohol. Inside, there were many celebratory flowers, so I asked the staff if they had recently opened. "Yes, today is our opening day (April 27, 2015)," they replied. The place was bustling with local customers. I sat at an available table and looked at the menu. They had lunch sets like "Pepe Teishoku" and "Ren Teishoku." Pepe and Ren are the names of the staff's dogs, not related to anything else. They also had dishes like omurice, fried rice, and spaghetti, as well as snacks for alcohol. I spotted something called "Asahikawa Pasta," a wasabi soy sauce soup pasta. The staff explained that it was just named after Asahikawa, with no special connection. Apparently, there were other pasta dishes named after different cities like Sapporo and Hakodate. I wondered what this pasta would be like. It turned out to be properly cooked pasta served fresh. The light soy sauce-based soup had chicken and bonito flakes, creating a Japanese-style spaghetti. The effect of wasabi was... questionable. The restaurant was run by a lovely young couple, and I hope they succeed as a new dining spot. Thank you for the meal.

The main dish was chicken keema curry.