I parked my car in a convenient parking lot and took care of my business. Now, what should I have for lunch... I looked up and saw a huge building towering in front of me in Asahikawa. Oh well, today I'll just eat here. So, I headed towards the Joint Government Building. There are two buildings. I have absolutely no business here. I went here once during tax filing season, but this is not where I live. So, it's a building with almost no purpose for me. There is an entrance in the middle between the two buildings. The side facing Miyashita Street has a restaurant. You can enter from here or from the passage next to it. It's probably better to have multiple entrances since lunchtime is likely to be crowded. I wonder what I should have. The first time I went, I had ramen. It was delicious. The next time, I had the pork cutlet curry which I posted a video of. So, this time... what should I have. By the way, the daily lunch specials are always sold out when I go, but on this day, they had a pepper lunch-style beef rice bowl and Asahikawa's soul food, squid rice bowl, both for 600 yen. I found it amusing that they named it "Pepper Lunch-style". Unfortunately, the squid bowl was not sold out this time. The pork cutlet bowl was 590 yen. In a time of rising prices and a shortage of eggs, this price is incredibly cheap. The pork cutlet bowl for 590 yen is comparable to a chain restaurant. Plus, it comes with miso soup. I placed my order and it took quite some time for it to arrive. So, they probably made the pork cutlet from scratch. The egg was quite firm and cooked thoroughly. The taste was light and not too heavy, which was delicious. However, it might have been cooked a little too much. The onions were also quite tender, but I prefer them to be cooked a bit more. Next time, I'll order the large size. The amount of rice was a bit less than I expected. The cabbage miso soup had cabbage as the main ingredient and was cooked quite well. It was a bit late, so that might be why. Still, it was nice to have miso soup included. On my way out, I greeted Hare Run. I didn't expect to see Hare Run here. Could it be a parent and child? By the way, Hare Run is apparently the mascot character of the Japan Meteorological Agency. I didn't know that. The staff here are all very friendly, making it a pleasant and enjoyable place to have a meal. Thank you for the meal. ⇒◇Next time, I'll try a lunch special and see how it tastes.◇

The menu has a lot of options and is very cheap. I was overwhelmed by what to eat, but when in doubt, I ordered my go-to meal of katsudon and kakesoba. The katsudon was 590 yen and the kakesoba was 360 yen, so together it was only 950 yen, which is super cheap. The portion sizes were decent, and after eating both, I was completely full. The taste was light and seemed to focus more on health. I personally prefer stronger flavors, so I felt a bit unsatisfied.

I rarely have any business at the Asahikawa Regional Government Office Building. I used to come here for tax filing in the past, but since I moved, the jurisdiction has changed. So, I have no reason to come here at all... (;^_^A You can park your car at the back entrance. If you say you're going to the cafeteria, you can park inside or in the large parking lot next to it. Even if you don't work here or have any business, you can still use the cafeteria, which is great. And it's cheap!! Regular ramen for 460 yen. Chashu ramen for 660 yen. Curry rice for 470 yen. Hamburg steak set for 600 yen. Late in the day, they might run out of food, but the daily specials start from 600 yen, which is really reasonable. However, the prices have gone up a bit since last year. I was torn between the curry cutlet for 580 yen and the pork cutlet rice bowl for 590 yen. But I've been looking for cheap curry cutlets since last year, so I decided on that. I might try to find curry cutlets under 1,000 yen occasionally. The cutlet was freshly fried. The cafeteria closes at 2:00 p.m. I arrived a little after 1:30 p.m., and there was only one other customer in the spacious cafeteria, but eventually, I was the only one left. During busy times, they might have pre-fried cutlets, but at this time, it was freshly fried. The meat was quite thick, and for this price, the size was more than satisfactory. The curry sauce was thick and flavorful, but it was on the runny side, which is my personal preference. The taste itself was well-made and didn't feel like it was only 580 yen. If you just have the curry rice for 470 yen, you can have that and the ramen for under 1,000 yen. It's quite a bargain, right? I'm curious about the set meals and the pork cutlet bowl that I didn't try this time, so I might come back again. Thank you for the meal. ⇒◇During busy times, it might be better to avoid it◇

The employee cafeteria on the first floor of the Asahikawa Regional Joint Government Building. Of course, it is also open to the general public. I arrived 10 minutes early to avoid the lunch rush at 12pm. I hadn't studied the menu, so I hesitated before deciding to go for the daily special bento box (570 yen). However, next to the bento box button, there was a daily special set meal for 600 yen. I clicked on it without checking the daily special content. Looking at the photos later, there were options like ramen, soba, udon, curry, and rice bowl dishes, as well as set meals. It seemed like there were not many interesting choices. People who use it daily might be dissatisfied. The menu has variety, but there is no excitement in choosing. I decided to go with the udon. I thought the daily special set meal was just the same as the bento box but without the container. When I handed the meal ticket at the counter, I had to wait for about 5 minutes. It felt a bit long compared to my workplace cafeteria where there is usually no wait. There were multiple women working behind the counter, but I wondered if there was an issue with the operation or if they were focusing on freshly fried items. After a short wait, I received the daily special set meal, which turned out to be beef suki bukkake udon. It wasn't a dish that required a long wait, but still. The cold udon had slices of beef suki on top, along with inari sushi and a soft-boiled egg. The egg was a hot spring egg, which I cracked and placed on top of the udon. The cafeteria had large windows letting in plenty of sunlight. I sat at a spacious table in the back. As I ate, I felt like something was missing. I had expected a rice bowl and fried items, but ended up with udon. The udon was decent, with cold beef suki on top. It was lightly seasoned. There was only one piece of inari sushi, and something felt lacking. I was surprised by the soft-boiled egg, which I cracked and added to the udon. By the time it was past 12pm, the cafeteria started to get crowded. Thank you for the meal.

I had some business at the Joint Government Building, so I decided to have lunch at the cafeteria on the first floor. Even though I had never been there before, I found out that it is open to the general public, not just government employees. The cafeteria was spacious and clean, with a self-service system. I purchased a meal ticket from the vending machine, and there were a variety of menu options to choose from. I decided to go with the "Daily Bento" for 570 yen. The food was served promptly, and I enjoyed dishes like the chicken with yuzu pepper and the miso-glazed eggplant. Overall, it was a satisfying and affordable meal experience. Additionally, a kind gentleman alerted me that I had forgotten my change, which I appreciated.

I have been there. But I have never been inside. I didn't realize there was a place like this so close by. Well, I don't go there more than once a year anyway. Asahikawa Regional Joint Government Office. I pass by this street every day. But do I go in here? I don't. I think people only go there for tax filing. Is there any other reason to go there? By the way, the only time I went there before was when I mistakenly went to the tax filing venue here instead of the Higashi Tax Office. So, I've only been there once in the past. I didn't know there was a cafeteria there. I parked in the parking lot and entered from the back, so I didn't see it. This time, I parked in the front parking lot and walked in through the main entrance. Then, I saw the entrance right away. I didn't know about it. The menu is extensive with various noodle options. They have ramen in miso, salt, and soy sauce flavors, as well as udon, soba, and a summer limited cold noodles. The prices are quite affordable, with shrimp tempura udon for 340 yen, chashu ramen for 610 yen, and regular ramen for 420 yen. ... The prices are quite attractive. For rice dishes, they have daily specials, but on this day, they didn't have anything I liked... so I passed on that. Each item is around 500 yen. Alright, I decided on the 470 yen sweet and sour pork set meal!! When I went to buy the meal ticket... it was sold out. ... ... I had to rethink my choice (;^_^A In the end, I chose this. It's my first time here and the prices are cheap. So, I didn't have high expectations, just soy sauce ramen and a small bowl of rice. 420 yen and 100 yen, so 520 yen. So, I wasn't expecting much. But... the small bowl of rice was priced similar to regular restaurants. Noodles: The noodles were firm curly noodles. The texture was solid and it was just delicious. Oh, this taste at this price... it's not bad. It's a bit tastier than the fresh ramen sold at supermarkets. That's the feeling, but for this price, the taste is more than enough. Hmm... just delicious. Here's today's 10-second video. If this taste is available at this price, there's nothing to complain about. It was my first time, so I tried the ramen. Toppings were also included. The chashu was pork belly. It was tender and flavorful. I was happy to see toppings like green onions, menma, and other ingredients. For 420 yen, this taste and quality are beyond reproach. Oh, I've been in Asahikawa for 15 years, but I didn't know there was a cheap and delicious cafeteria like this. I have no business at the government office, but I might visit occasionally to see what the set meals are like. Thank you for the meal. ⇒ ◇ Basically, it's a cafeteria for the employees, right? ◇

A restaurant I had always wanted to visit. I'm excited. It's a new and beautiful building. The restaurant is located right inside the entrance of the facility on the first floor. It's big and clean. The part facing the street is made of glass, allowing in all the natural light, which feels nice. There is a ticket machine at the entrance. Many customers seem to be ordering ramen, but here, it's a surprising price of 530 yen for a tonkatsu set! I buy the ticket, hand over the half ticket to the staff behind the counter, and then wait at the table for a while. Despite the fairly spacious interior, they call out orders with the staff's raw voices. It was a bit hard to understand, but luckily, when I arrived around 1:30 pm, it wasn't crowded. The tonkatsu set. I see. The tonkatsu is shaped like a round sandal, suggesting that it was pre-prepared and fried. The thickness of the meat is decent, and it has a quite tender texture. Hmm. It lacks a bit of meatiness. But considering the price, it's quite impressive. There's a moderate amount of rice, and for someone like me over 50, it's quite a satisfying portion. It's great value for money. More like, it's worth the price. It's self-service, so you clean up your own dishes, but the friendly staff assist with a smile. Nice. I'd like to visit the staff canteen next time. I've already decided on ramen for next time. Maybe salt... Thank you for the meal!

Today's lunch was at Kitasaito, where I had the pork kalbi grilled set for 530 yen. I had some business at the Joint Government Building, and since it was lunchtime, I decided to check out Kitasaito on the first floor. It was almost full, so I bought a meal ticket from the machine and sat at the counter. The menu is quite affordable overall. The flavor was a bit strong, and the rice was very firm, almost too much so. Maybe they used too little water or it got too hard from being kept warm. A bit softer rice would have gone perfectly with the kalbi grilled dish. Well, I guess that's the trade-off for a budget-friendly set meal.

I went to this dining hall for the first time in a while and had the reassuring Shio Ramen. Then I realized that I hadn't tried the "shio" (salt) ramen yet. So, I took my friend who was a ramen debutant and went to try it out. The Shio Ramen was only 420 yen, which is still cheap! Therefore, it tends to get crowded during lunchtime. You wait for your number to be called and then pick up your order. Oh! It was white... I didn't expect that. And there was a lot of sesame seeds on top. The smell was okay. The soup was hot and thick, similar to the Shoyu Ramen I had before. I was a bit surprised because I thought it would be a different type of soup. The chashu wasn't smelly, and the noodle texture was acceptable. Maybe it would be better if it had the same soup as the Shoyu Ramen? Overall, it was a good meal.

When you're short on time and craving something simple like ramen, this diner is perfect! The daily specials are also popular. The regular soy sauce ramen for 420 yen is always delicious. I've lost count of how many times I've been here, it's just that good. This time, it seemed even tastier than before. The hot soup is probably from a commercial mix, but the flavorful chashu pork adds something extra. The noodles are just the right firmness, not too soft. The chashu pork looked like it might be too fatty at first, but it was actually really tasty and didn't have any unpleasant smell. This magical ramen always hits the spot when I crave it every now and then. Thank you for the meal!

I like the ramen at Nanakamado at Asahikawa Medical University Hospital, and sometimes I crave it out of the blue. This time, I didn't have any reason to go to the hospital, so I remembered that the Autsukai, which runs Nanakamado, also has a branch here. When entering the parking lot, the security guard gave me a ticket. I was told that it's okay to just have lunch. It was a weekday lunchtime, but it was not crowded. There were about 5 people seated around 1 pm. The place is spacious, so there are probably around 100 seats. Now, onto the miso ramen that I came for. It seems they don't have spicy miso here. It's been so long that I ended up getting the large size. Even so, it was only 580 yen. Quite affordable. It arrived in about 7-8 minutes. Ah, it's nostalgic. The soup is slightly lighter in miso flavor compared to the hospital's ramen. Also, the noodles are a bit soft. It's similar to the hospital's miso, but somehow different. Maybe there's no ground meat here instead of sliced pork. Either way, it's a sufficient amount and taste for this price. Thank you for the meal.

This time, I had curry udon. The noodles were a moderate amount, and after eating the noodles, I finished with a rice ball brought in from outside and mixed it with the curry sauce. A black ladle was included with the order. Thanks to that, the rice ball mixed well with the sauce and was cleanly finished.

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has a tradition of eating curry for lunch on weekends. Before the introduction of a two-day weekend, curry was served on Saturdays, but since the introduction of the two-day weekend, it is served on Fridays. It is also known as "JMSDF Curry" or "Friday Curry." The reason for eating curry every weekend is to maintain a sense of the days of the week during long voyages and shift work. By eating the same menu on the same day of the week every week, it helps to keep track of the days. I had curry rice, which had a moderate level of spiciness with chunks of pork, carrots, and a flavorful curry sauce. The curry sauce seemed to be pre-made. It was delicious.

I heard that there is a cafeteria in the Joint Government Building, so I went there for lunch. I arrived a little after 1 pm and found that it was quite spacious, with only about 5 other customers. The atmosphere of the employee cafeteria was great, as expected. I stood in front of the ticket machine, debating between the pork cutlet bowl, curry, and ginger pork... Hmm. Okay! Today, I decided on the ginger pork, and I even upgraded to a large serving of rice! I placed half of the ticket on the tray and handed it to the kitchen. I sat by the window and could see McDonald's, KFC, and a convenience store. Before long, a lovely smiling lady called me over and asked if I wanted more rice, but I already had a decent amount. The ginger pork had a sweet flavor typical of it, and the meat was tender and delicious! The rice was a bit soft, but overall it was a satisfying meal. It only cost 520 yen, plus 100 yen for the large serving. It was quite affordable. The cafeteria is located on the first floor of the Joint Government Building, taking up quite a bit of space at the corner of an intersection, yet you wouldn't even know it from the outside. I wonder why they don't put up any signs. It's a very discreet place. Thank you for the meal. As a side note, I saw pictures of the pork cutlet and pork cutlet curry on the menu, and the thinness of the cutlet caught my attention. I wanted to see the actual dish, but I'll save that for next time.

It's hot every day, but it seems like I caught a cold... I have a runny nose... Anyway, the other day, I went to apply for a reduction in property acquisition tax at the Hokkaido General Promotion Bureau because I purchased land last December and paid the tax in April. I thought I could use the "Residential Building Certificate" issued by the city along with the tax notice and receipt, but they said it was not acceptable... I needed a certificate of registration of the house from the Legal Affairs Bureau... It cost 1,000 yen for a piece of paper. Expensive, right? Even though it's just one sheet... I went to the Legal Affairs Bureau in Miyamaedori East. My kids were with me, so we had lunch at the Kitasato Restaurant in the Joint Government Building. My son had fried rice (400 yen), my daughter had soy sauce ramen (400 yen), and I had soy sauce vegetable ramen (500 yen). These places are cheap and good, right? After eating, I went back to the promotion bureau in Naganuma, and this time the application was okay. I asked how much money I would get back, and they said almost 90% of the amount paid would be refunded... Happy ending. By the way, I will pay the building acquisition tax next year, but it seems like it will be properly reduced and notified...

Public facility staff cafeteria. It's rare not to have "cold ramen" but "hiyashi chuka" instead. The operator seems to be a mainland company? It's neatly put together, and as far as I know, 600 yen is the cheapest in Asahikawa. Thank you for the meal.

Today, I had curry soba and finished with a homemade onigiri. Being able to make a curry bowl with the leftovers is something unique to the employee cafeteria, right? (`･ω･´)b