On a holiday morning, I wandered around the Yamabana area looking for a coffee shop that opens early. Lately, I have been moving around by bicycle in hopes of losing weight. I visited "Smile," located right across from the very popular "Kokuichiban Ramen Midoriya." The facade of the shop had a retro Showa era vibe. Inside, there were four counter seats, four four-person tables, and a one-woman operation reminiscent of the Showa era. There was one talkative regular customer. I sat at a window seat where I could see the bustling scene at "Kokuichiban." The shop had just opened at 10:30, and customers who had received their number tickets beforehand were entering the shop one by one. I ordered a "Morning Coffee @300" as I had already eaten breakfast. The coffee was brewed individually and served in a simple white cup and saucer with a delicate design. It had a sharp bitterness, a hint of acidity, and a slight sweetness. I surprisingly enjoyed the coffee. There was also a mahjong game machine in the corner of the shop, although it was turned off. I wonder if it still works. The lunch menu had reasonable prices, which caught my attention. Overall, it was a pleasant experience.

Smile for me, smile for me♪ The kalbi, the kalbi is so dazzling♪ I decided to have the daily special kalbi set meal, which cost 600 yen. It seems like they have been in business here for 35 years. A regular customer kept repeating the same thing over and over, and when I heard it for the third time with just the right timing, I couldn't help but burst out laughing. With a smile on my face, the kalbi set meal was served on a single plate with cold tofu, vegetables, stir-fried kalbi, rice, and miso soup, providing a well-balanced and nutritious meal. The sauce wasn't too strong, the kalbi meat wasn't too tough, and the overall taste exceeded my expectations. The rice was delicious, the homemade potato salad was tasty, and the vegetables were also good. The miso soup had just the right amount of dashi flavor. The daily special for 600 yen was a reasonable and enjoyable lunchtime experience at Coffee House Smile. Location: 3-18 Onodera Daiichi Mansion A Building, Nishi 14-chome, Minami 18-jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. ☆☆☆ Next Episode Preview ☆☆☆ My unstoppable eating heart♪ Dances like popcorn♪ Reference Song: Smile for Me Singer: Naoko Kawai Lyrics: Tomoko Ryu Music: Kouji Makino

There are many elderly people here.

This is my second visit. I came to try the corned beef & bacon menu that caught my attention last time. However, they said they were out of corned beef! I was momentarily shocked, but I regained my composure and ordered the curry spaghetti instead. The curry spaghetti costs 580 yen. Oh, there's no soup included. Unlike the napoletana which came with soup, it's a shame. The spaghetti is still as soft as ever. The curry is delicious with a strong spice flavor, but unfortunately, it's a bit lukewarm. Also, the curry sauce itself is on the watery side and doesn't cling well to the spaghetti. It feels more like soup curry spaghetti. Next time, I definitely want to try the corned beef & bacon. Oh, I completely forgot to bring my card (tears). On 26.11, following Tom's information, I came right away. Oh, so there's a "Kokuichiban" restaurant across the street. And there's no "Smile-san" in the shop (tears). The menu includes daily lunch specials, beef curry, shrimp pilaf, dry curry, fried rice, meat, napoletana, curry, Japanese-style spaghetti, yakisoba, yakisoba, all for 580 yen. I was also interested in the corned beef & bacon spaghetti for 630 yen, hamburger curry, ginger pork set meal, hamburger set meal, beef bowl, Japanese-style bento for 680 yen. Coffee after the meal is also affordable at 100 yen. Drinks, coffee is 370 yen. (I don't drink coffee in general) Today, I ordered the napoletana for 580 yen. It doesn't come on a hot plate, but it comes with soup. The ingredients include ham, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms!? There's a bit of a Japanese twist. The spaghetti is cooked to be quite soft, even if you don't have teeth, you can eat it. The seasoning is heavy on tomato ketchup. You can taste the shiitake mushroom flavor (it might be divisive). There's a good amount so you can be satisfied. The soup is a light consomme soup, which balances well with the rich flavor of the napoletana. Next time, I want to try the curry spaghetti or the corned beef & bacon. I received a stamp card with no expiration date at the checkout. (I wonder if I'll collect enough stamps) On 26.9, I immediately came following Tom's information.

Welcome! In the central district of Yamabana, along the streetcar line, there are two restaurants facing each other, both open early, but the difference in customer traffic is significant. The welcoming smile from the owner of the restaurant, Ga-chan, sets the tone for a pleasant dining experience. The restaurant is cozy, with a maximum capacity of 20 people, and the atmosphere is filled with regular customers and elderly patrons. The owner is friendly and attentive, serving delicious dishes like miso soup and homemade crab omelette. The meal is accompanied by a variety of side dishes like potato salad, salad, and cold tofu. Overall, it is a great place to relax and enjoy a meal, with reasonable prices and a warm atmosphere. Thank you for the great experience!

Thanks to a recommendation from Piitan Piitan, I visited the coffee house "Smile" this time. The interior has a vintage feel but is nicely kept. The owner manages the place alone but everything is well taken care of. Today's daily special lunch is the "Pork Rice Bowl" for 580 yen! I decided to go with that. While waiting for my food, I typed up this review on my old flip phone for about ten minutes. The pork rice bowl arrived, topped with a piece of rolled omelette. It also came with simmered pumpkin, pickled radish, seaweed, and miso soup with fried tofu. The thinly sliced pork cooked in a sweet and savory sauce goes well with the rice mixed with seaweed. The owner mentioned that the sauce was a "gift" of sorts. The plain omelette was delicious even without soy sauce. The pickled radish was crunchy, the pumpkin was soft, and the hot miso soup made me tear up a bit since I have a sensitive tongue. Overall, it had a warm and homely taste. While eating, I chatted with the friendly owner, creating a cozy atmosphere reminiscent of eating a home-cooked meal. Surprisingly, the owner mentioned that they have been getting inquiries from younger people recently. I wondered if it was due to the influence of food review websites like "Tabelog." The owner seemed unaware of such websites and mentioned that the neighboring restaurant, "Kokuichiban," had a presence online but they did not. They did, however, know about famous ramen shops. Oh, and here's a surprise tidbit: this restaurant had a visit from the one and only Seiko Matsuda in the past! I was shown her autographed picture displayed proudly. The vintage charm of the place would have surely complemented Seiko's presence. After the meal, I ordered a coffee for an additional 100 yen during lunchtime. It had a mild bitterness that dissipated smoothly in my mouth. A delightful coffee imported directly from the nearby coffee shop. As I enjoyed my coffee, a taxi driver who seemed to be a regular customer came in, and the owner chatted with him as well. It seems like the owner enjoys conversations. I had a pleasant lunch on a holiday afternoon. Thank you for the meal!

It feels like a traditional coffee shop that has been around for a long time, with no parking lot, so I think many locals frequent it. When I first entered, it felt like a place for regulars only. The owner chats with customers in a friendly but not intrusive way, which I found really nice. They seem to offer a few set meals during the day, but since it was my first time there, I played it safe and ordered the dry curry. It tasted like something you could find in the freezer section, but that was actually a relief given the old-fashioned vibe of the place. For coffee, I went with the classic bitter coffee that old-school coffee shops serve, opting for an Americano. They have a good selection of books, including manga, so it could be a nice way to pass the time for locals on weekends or holidays.