I was looking for a set meal restaurant. Oh, here is another nice-looking restaurant. The other day I tried to go, but the last order was at 13:30 and I arrived at 13:38. It was already too late. I came back today to try again. Actually, I had been here before. I remember this place from the past. It used to be a ramen shop back then. I had been there before ➨ I can't believe so much time has passed, but the ramen shop at that time must have moved here recently. Closed for the daily special Today, the daily special is closed. But I went on 4/28. So, I thought maybe the daily special is still available. By the way, it was written that they are closed from 3rd to 5th. Going up to the second floor Oh, this is it. I'm sure I've been here before. Now it's a set meal restaurant. I wonder if Akane is here... she's running it alone, according to the sign. Lunch menu I decided to take a look at the lunch menu. But my heart was set on the daily special. As I was looking at what else they had... The most expensive one was the silver cod with Saikyo pickles and 5 shrimp fries for 1100 yen. Other set meals were 880 yen or 990 yen. The rice bowls ranged from 700 yen to 1100 yen. By the way, the pork cutlet bowl was 990 yen. Closed for lunch Oh no! Let me say that again. On this day, 4/28, they are closed for lunch from 4/29 to 5/8. Huh? Closed for lunch? I totally misread that. Hmm... what should I get then? I decided to review the menu again. It seems they also offer dinner for Akane's meal, but it's by membership only. I've never heard of a set meal restaurant that's by membership only. If you've been here before, please speak up and become a member. So, can you become a member by speaking up? Well, I'm the only member of the Yoshio Club, so... By the way... the dinner menu was also displayed. So I took a peek. It seems to be turning into an izakaya. Lunch is set meals, and dinner is an izakaya. That's the feeling I get. Well, there were quite a few items that could be side dishes for rice, though. Miso mackerel set meal The daily special was 800 yen, so I decided to go with that. I haven't had miso mackerel in a long time. You can choose from large, medium, or small rice, so I chose the large one. Two small side dishes with carrots topped with cod roe. The texture was that of cod roe, but the taste was carrots. In front was a salmon salad with mayonnaise. At first, the mayonnaise was too strong, and I couldn't tell what I was eating. Another dish on the upper plate was pickled radish. And another side that came with it was leek and egg. It was slightly warm, so maybe it was made in a big pot and kept warm. It really felt like just a bite... The large rice and miso soup The large rice portion was quite substantial. With this and miso soup and pickled radish, I was satisfied enough. It's really nice that the large rice portion is free. Miso mackerel Now, for the main dish of miso mackerel. It was a bit on the smaller side. But well, for 800 yen, that's what you get. Unlike miso soup, this one was simmered in red miso. I opened the mackerel from the middle. I made sure to remove the bones. It's easier to remove them first so you don't have to do it every time you take a bite. The taste didn't seem to have penetrated deeply, so it's better to let the miso soak in as you eat. I made sure to coat it well with the miso before eating. It wasn't a very strong flavor. Maybe because I grew up with red miso. The mackerel itself may be a matter of preference, but it would have been even more delicious if it had been simmered a little longer to absorb the flavor. But sweet and strong flavors go well with rice, right? I wonder what the miso soup had in it. It was fish, right? Maybe tuna... I couldn't figure it out until the end. By the way, there was someone who looked like Akane, but a young man was managing things during my visit. It's not a one-person operation, but a two-person team, so it's better to go when you have time. The fried chicken was popular and sold out. Thank you for the meal. ⇒◆I'm still curious about the daily special menu◆

Recently, I've been into set meals, and today I'm in the mood for it again. There are several restaurants that I'm interested in, but I decided to try this one. After coming here, I realized that this building used to be where Kazasuna was located. It's an apartment-style building, but inside, it's a mix of snack bars, izakayas (like this one), and other establishments. The set meals have a variety of options that make it hard to choose. There's mayo chicken teriyaki, tonkatsu, zangi, and more. While the meat dishes are tempting, the Japanese set meals focus on fish. There's mackerel miso, salted mackerel, and silver cod marinated in Kyoto-style miso, all of which are equally appealing. After a quick decision, I chose the salted mackerel. Oh, they also have a ramen + mini curry golden set! I'm glad I noticed that after I ordered. Otherwise, I would have been even more indecisive (laughs). Surprisingly, there are quite a few men dining alone here, including myself. After a short wait, my meal arrived. The side dishes are nicely arranged and colorful. There's chikuwa and cucumber mayo salad, pork and bell pepper stir-fry, boiled komatsuna, cabbage pickles, and miso soup. They usually ask about the rice size, but they didn't ask me today (I later noticed it was written on the menu). Maybe it's because there are a lot of men here, they judge based on body type (laughs). The salted mackerel is quite salty. It's not too oily like Norwegian mackerel, but more like a well-dried fish with two slices - one closer to the belly and one closer to the tail. The flesh is thick and satisfying. At first, it looked a bit dry, but it had just the right amount of fat and flavor. The side dishes complement the meal well, adding a touch of variety that enhances the experience of a Japanese set meal. I'll definitely come back here when I crave meat dishes!

There weren't many night reviews for this restaurant, but I was curious because I heard some interesting information. I had visited a favorite restaurant called "Koichi" a few times, and I found out that before it was named Koichi, it used to be called "Nomikui-dokoro Akane." It seems like they had separate restaurants at one point. Anyway, I saw some delicious-looking menu items on social media, so I decided to visit. I ordered a Super Dry beer for 450 yen and an appetizer for 300 yen, which included squid leg salad and something like mapo tofu. I also tried the Sand Liver with Ponzu Sauce for 380 yen and the Nagoya Cochin Chicken Foie Gras Liver Sashimi for 1580 yen. I was surprised to see foie gras on a chicken dish, but I went ahead and ordered it since that's what I came for. It was stored frozen, so it had a slightly crunchy texture, but the flavor was rich and delicious. They recommended a sake called "Akane Sasu Junmai Daiginjo Junda" for around 800-900 yen, which was sweet and exactly to my liking. I tried various dishes and sake, and I noticed that the sake lineup and menu were similar to another place I know. However, I was a bit put off by the fact that the staff always wore rubber gloves for service. I remember seeing something similar at a high-end French restaurant on TV, and it kind of turned me off.

A restaurant located in Higashi-Hikari, Asahikawa City, which serves as a "set meal restaurant" during the day and a "izakaya" at night. It seems to be run solely by women, and the menu includes quite a few home-cooked dishes. The interior is clean and pleasant. Now, what should I eat? "What is today's daily set meal?" "On weekends and holidays, we have a special pork chop set meal and katsudon set meal instead of the daily special." The lunch menu is quite extensive, but since it's a special day, I think I'll go for the holiday limited menu. "Katsudon set meal" (900 yen excluding tax), please. It arrived in about 10 minutes. The thick pork cutlet has a satisfying texture. The egg topping is just right, and I enjoyed eating it as it is or on top of rice! The side dishes include "mapo tofu," "moyashi and wakame salad," and "boiled greens." The pickles are "pickled radish." The side dishes are home-cooked style and having many small dishes in a set meal is a plus! The miso soup contains wakame, onion, and wheat gluten, and I was satisfied with the generous ingredients. On this day, there was a complimentary "apple" on the counter with a sign saying "Feel free to take as many as you want." But bringing too many would be... I just had one piece (laughs). The service from the staff is also pleasant, making it a comfortable place to dine!

I found out about a takeout store information-sharing Facebook page for Asahikawa, and I saw a post from the restaurant itself. As the year-end was approaching and I didn't feel like doing anything, I decided to reserve a bento and pick it up. The place is called "Akaneno Gohan," located at SK-V2F, Higashi-Ko 3-jo 4-chome, Asahikawa City. They are open for lunch from 11:00 to 14:30 (for set meals) and for dinner from 17:00 to 21:30 (as an izakaya), closed on Wednesdays and the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month. They have parking and offer takeout. The store is a bit hard to find at first, located on the 2nd floor of a building that doesn't look like a typical restaurant. It has a cozy atmosphere and has been operating since October 22, 2020. I ordered the tonkatsu bento for 990 yen, which came with various side dishes. The presentation was great, and the taste was well-balanced. The chicken teriyaki mayo bento for 880 yen was also delicious, with a nice texture and flavor. Overall, the bentos were well-prepared, but I wished they had a bit more volume for the price. I would recommend trying out their bento and maybe even visiting their izakaya for dinner in the future.

The restaurant "Akanegohan" was discovered during lunchtime, with a vibrant flag outside. It had just opened on October 22nd, and the menu had a variety of options to choose from. The daily special was a Hokke fry for 700 yen, which was delicious. The owner, who I recognized from a previous visit to a different izakaya, greeted me warmly. I decided to try the Ramen and Mini Chahan set for 900 yen, which had a slightly long wait time. The Hokke fry was crispy and tasty, while the rice was soft and the Chahan had a light flavor. The ramen had a familiar taste, reminiscent of a typical shop style. Overall, I look forward to seeing how the restaurant evolves in the future. The restaurant seemed to be non-smoking during lunchtime, which was a plus.

I went looking forward to having ramen, but they were on break. I had the ginger pork set meal instead, which was delicious, but I was disappointed about the ramen.

The ginger pork set meal for 880 yen comes with three generous slices of pork shoulder, each measuring 12cm in length, with a thickness of 5mm. The miso soup is also delicious. If I had to make a suggestion, I would like to see more cabbage (because it's delicious). Despite being relatively low in salt, I didn't feel like anything was lacking at all. I will definitely visit again.

"I'm in Asahikawa alone, I've been here since yesterday. Today seems to be a takeout day. I should stop soon, or my wife will get mad at me. I need to go home soon to work on sketches and organize photos. Taking pictures of things I bought after returning home is quite a hassle, even though it's a trivial task. I should focus on something else. I called and asked, 'Can I get takeout fried rice?' 'Yes, you can.' 'I'll have one, please.' When I arrived using navigation, I realized I had been here before. It used to be a different store. It's on the second floor. There were customers. The staff were very friendly and humble. The fried rice is light, priced at 610 yen. It's for both men and women. It feels light, but I don't feel satisfied. It's not expensive at 610 yen, but I don't eat much. The fried rice in Kushiro was over 650g. This is just a takeout fried rice. It's fluffy, lightly seasoned, and not greasy, which is nice. But maybe a bit more wouldn't hurt. I usually enjoy fried rice, but this one doesn't leave a lasting impression. I've had many takeout fried rice before, but this one has the worst cost performance and isn't delicious. It's unimaginable for fried rice to not be delicious, but it happened."