When I go on business trips to universities, I try to use the university cafeteria as much as possible because it gives me a sense of the university's atmosphere. The buildings in the engineering department are complex and interconnected like a maze. The professor kindly guided me to the cafeteria. I don't remember the exact price, but I think it was around 500 yen in total. The prices at university cafeterias are always reasonable. I chose the miso-marinated grilled mackerel and miso-marinated dishes because the miso looked delicious. The mackerel was tender and surprisingly tasty. The pork ginger stir-fry had a strong ginger flavor and the onions were well seasoned. The spinach with sesame dressing was a subtly sweet side dish. The miso soup only had seaweed, which was okay. The rice was just average, as is often the case with university cafeterias. Overall, the dishes were delicious. If only the rice and miso soup were a bit better, it would have been perfect. But considering the need to fill the stomachs of students in their early twenties and provide a balanced diet, it's understandable. It's not bad, just typical cafeteria food. Thank you for the meal.

Near Hokkaido University's North 15th Street, there are two cafeterias, the North Cafeteria and the Faculty of Engineering Cafeteria, which are quite close to each other. The North Cafeteria is large and easily accessible from the outside, so it is frequented by tourists. On the other hand, the Faculty of Engineering Cafeteria is small and located in a corner of the engineering building, so tourists rarely visit. At this cafeteria, try the popular Spicy Miso Ramen. The base is miso flavor with spicy vegetables mainly consisting of green onions on top. The thinly sliced chashu is impressive in its own way. The noodles are mediocre, but I think the taste of the soup is well done for a cafeteria!

During lunchtime at Hokkaido University, I was debating between the Central Cafeteria and the Engineering Department Cafeteria. I heard that the location of the Engineering Department Cafeteria had changed, so I decided to go there. It used to be downstairs after entering the main entrance of the Engineering Department, but now it seems they have expanded it to a new location near the south side library courtyard. I ordered soy sauce ramen for 380 yen. Previously, you had to buy a meal ticket and hand it to the serving window, but now you can place your order verbally at the serving window and pay at the register, similar to the Central Cafeteria. The noodle corner had two ladies in charge of boiling noodles and serving. I was surprised to see that the boiling basket of the noodle cooker automatically lifted up when the noodles were done. As for the soy sauce ramen, it was okay for the price, not bad but not particularly delicious either. It was the kind of ramen that most people would probably consider average. The pork cutlet curry looked really good though.

I have arrived in Hokkaido. Hokkaido is huge! I won't say anything cliché like that, but everything here is on a large scale compared to Honshu. As a graduate of a private university, I have mixed feelings of envy and annoyance towards national universities, which are all so spacious. I had a hard time finding my way to the university cafeteria (Engineering Department store) because it's my first visit and I don't know the layout. This year, there seems to be a lot of snow, making it difficult for someone like me who is not used to snow to move around on campus. I arrived at the cafeteria ahead of my appointment time to grab a bite to eat and kill some time. I stood in line with students and teachers, and chose the Pork Cutlet Curry (388 yen), Simmered Hijiki Seaweed (64 yen), and Salad Bar (431 yen: pay by weight) for a total of 883 yen. It's cheap, being a university cafeteria. There are probably around 100 seats, which felt small compared to the size of the campus, but there were also foreigners mixed in with the faculty or visiting researchers. The students were well-behaved and relatively quiet, unlike in our time. Perhaps the fact that it's a non-smoking area plays a big role. It doesn't seem to be used as a hangout spot. Well, maybe the science students are too busy with experiments to waste time in the cafeteria. As I ate the soft rice, the cheap-tasting spicy curry, and the cold pork cutlet, I couldn't help but compare my student days to something about this current experience.

Cheap! The curry rice (medium) is only 259 yen, and it's the kind I love with lots of potatoes in a thick and creamy sauce. It was so cheap that I ended up also ordering cold tofu, Takaoka Daibutsu croquette, and a soft-boiled egg. I may have eaten too much, but now I have to work hard in the afternoon. By the way, the Takaoka Daibutsu croquette (162 yen) is really big and packed with potatoes, but why is it called Takaoka Daibutsu? A mystery. Thank you for the meal.

This is a student cafeteria located in the Faculty of Engineering at Hokkaido University. It was renovated only about 3-4 years ago, so it is very clean and stylish. Unlike the noisy North Cafeteria where many first-year students gather, the Engineering Cafeteria has a calm atmosphere. Except for the peak lunch hours of 20-30 minutes, it is not too crowded and you can relax. In addition, the Engineering Cafeteria offers buffet-style meals at lunch, so you can use it without getting tired of it even if you use it every day. The taste of the food at the student cafeteria is so-so, but various events are also held, so you can enjoy it to some extent.

The cafeteria inside Hokkaido University is the second largest after the North Cafeteria. There are many engineering students, so it's always busy. It was renovated a few years ago and became really clean. I personally liked the old, nostalgic atmosphere, but the new look is nice too. They have a salad bar where you pay 1 gram for 1 yen, which is great for students who need more vegetables. The menu and prices are the same as other cafeterias on campus. One advantage is that it's so big, so it's easier to find a seat even during lunchtime. Other cafeterias can get really crowded, so sometimes you just have to give up. They used to sell beer here too! Maybe they stopped because of stricter rules now. It would have been convenient for graduate students working late at night.