In July 2023, I revisited "RyunoSu Shokudo," where I had the "Zangi Curry Set" last time. It is a cafeteria-like restaurant located in the office building "Arcadia" adjacent to JR Minami Chitose Station. This time, I decided to try the "Shoyu Ramen" from the limited menu. The restaurant operates on a food ticket system, but on this day, the ticket machine was not working, so I paid in cash at the counter. I was called to my seat at the counter by the window, and soon after, the ramen arrived. The ramen had yellow curly noodles in clear soy sauce broth, topped with chashu, menma, chopped green onions, wakame, and it was a typical cafeteria-style ramen. Despite being a single item menu, a spring roll salad was served as a side dish. The soup was decent, as it was probably made from a commercial soup base, following the instructions. However, the noodles were a bit chewy, which may be due to the quality of the noodles or the cooking time. At 630 yen, the quality was a bit underwhelming, but at 580 yen, it would have been more reasonable. To be honest, I feel like this place could become a hidden gem if they expanded their menu a bit.

In the midst of soaring prices, enjoying delicious food as a hobby is one thing, but when it comes to everyday lunch, it's important to keep costs reasonable. "Ryuno Su Shokudo" is a staff cafeteria located in the office building "Chitose Arcadia Plaza" adjacent to JR Minami Chitose Station, where you can have lunch for around 500-700 yen. The location of an office building on the outskirts of town may seem a bit strange, but considering it is right next to a station where all trains, including limited express trains, stop, and just one station away from New Chitose Airport, the gateway to Hokkaido, there may be a certain demand for it. As the name suggests, it is likely that the izakaya "Ryuno Su" in the entertainment district of Chitose City is operating under contract. In the midst of the difficult situation facing the izakaya industry due to the pandemic, operating only during short hours in the daytime and having another source of revenue is probably a welcome opportunity for the restaurant. The menu is very limited, with only ramen, curry, zangi-style set meals, and daily specials. It can be said that the menu is structured with cost savings in mind. This time, I had the "Zangi Curry Set Meal," which includes the main zangi curry, side dishes, mini salad, and miso soup. At 650 yen, this seems like a reasonable evaluation for a salaryman's lunch, doesn't it? By the way, the "Curry Rice Set Meal" without zangi is 580 yen, so adding zangi for 70 yen more seems quite a bargain. However, the taste is also in line with the price, and the rating of 2.5 was due to the issue with the rice. It's not a big deal with curry, but with this rice in a set meal, it might leave a slightly disappointing feeling. The slightly dry and lukewarm rice with a somewhat firm texture didn't warrant a 3.0 rating. However, it's definitely worth revisiting, understanding the nature of the restaurant and accepting it for what it is. I would consider revisiting to try the ramen as well. It's not a place you would travel far to visit, but if you find yourself in the Chitose area during lunchtime on a work trip, it could be a good option.

I had the Zangi set meal as it is. The plain Zangi was delicious. The best part is the price, only 600 yen. It feels like a company cafeteria inside a building. It seems that adding flavor to the Zangi slightly increases the price of the set meal. I believe the daily special set meal was 580 yen. If you happen to be around here, it's worth a try. Thank you for the meal!

JR Minami Chitose Station is about a 3-minute walk away. We visited the "Chitose Arcadia Plaza," which supports corporate activities in various ways. They offer tenant offices, conference rooms, multipurpose halls, training rooms, meeting rooms, telework spaces, and more. It also serves as a social salon and restaurant called "Ryu no Su Shokudo." We looked at the menu in front of the store, and the weekly lunch special was "Autumn Salmon with Saikyo Miso for 550 yen." Other options included "Spicy Ramen for 550 yen, Kakesoba/Udon for 400 yen, Zangi Set Meal, Curry," and more. The number of items was limited, but the cost performance was excellent. I pressed the button for the "Daily Lunch Special (Negi Shio Butadon for 550 yen)" on the ticket vending machine and handed the food ticket to the lady at the serving counter. The seating consisted of 8 counter seats, 2 tables for 4 people, 14 tables for 2 people, and 3 sofa tables, with a total capacity of around 70. Water and miso soup were self-service. It was past 11 o'clock, and there were no other customers. I sat at a table for 4 people and waited to be called. After about 5 minutes, my tray arrived with "Negi Shio Butadon, Macaroni Salad, and a bowl of green onions and wakame." I poured the miso soup myself from the pot on the table with seasonings. The tender pork loin with plenty of sesame oil on top smelled delicious, and the flavor of the green onions was good with just the right amount of saltiness. The only thing I was concerned about was the texture of the rice, which was a bit soft for a donburi. The macaroni salad was also quite soft, which was a bit disappointing. The portion was satisfying for an average adult male, but they also offered free extra-large portions. I was curious about the quality of the fried chicken and noodles. Overall, the cost performance was good, and occasionally having such a lunch was not bad. Thank you for the meal.

There used to be a restaurant called Arcadia that I remember, but it only operated on weekdays. As a fan of the manga artist Leiji Matsumoto, I wanted to visit this restaurant someday, but it had closed down before I could. However, a company that runs an izakaya in Chitose City opened a new restaurant called "Tatsu no Su" in the same location, also operating only on weekdays. I used a paid vacation day to visit. The building where the restaurant is located is next to Chitose Outlet Mall Rera, with a parking lot available. Without even looking at the map of the building's first floor, I could hear the lively atmosphere and easily found it. The menu at the ticket machine wasn't extensive, but they offered daily specials, various set meals, three types of ramen, kake udon, and kake soba, all priced at a maximum of 600 yen, which is quite reasonable. From the shoes the customers were wearing, it was clear they were mostly employees working in this building, as they were wearing indoor shoes. I chose the Zangi Curry, which reminded me of the curry my great-grandmother used to make when I was in nursery school, with its color and mild taste. The amount of rice served was suitable for desk workers, and male laborers would probably need to eat two portions to be satisfied. The Zangi portion was also suited for desk workers (laughs). An interesting aspect was the small bowl of soup with a few ingredients, and on a table nearby were about six pots of condiments. I was curious about what was inside, and it turned out to be Chinese soup. As someone who likes to have soup with their meal, I found this service to be very much appreciated.

I went to Ryu no Su Dining. It was lunchtime but there was no one there. I ordered the grated radish and ponzu sauce Zangi set meal with a meal ticket. The Zangi was a bit bland, but it tasted good after adding soy sauce. It's cheap and a hidden gem, but it's only open until 2 pm. I would like to come back if I have the chance.

kimumiyu-san, who registered this shop, is wonderful! Oh, there are no customers. The staff are friendly. I had the miso ramen and zangi. The soup is a bit so-so, not recommended for ramen enthusiasts, but for 550 yen, it's okay. An office lady came and sat next to me, even though there are plenty of other seats available in the spacious restaurant. Don't you care about social distancing even with the acrylic board? Hurry up and eat and then leave! (laughs) Miso Ramen 550 yen, Ryunosu Zangi 200 yen. Thank you for the meal!

The outlet mall near Chitose Outlet Mall is only open on weekdays. It was previously called "Arcadia," but it seems to have changed. There is a restaurant called Ryunosu, which serves as a dining hall for anyone to use. The parking lot is spacious. You purchase your meal from a ticket machine, receive a number, and pick up your order when called. The menu at Ryunosu is varied, with options like ramen, udon, curry, and daily specials ranging from 550 yen. The zangi set meal I had included six small and crispy zangi pieces with salad instead of tartar sauce. There are more customers now than when it was Arcadia, and everyone seems to eat quietly. Thank you for the meal!