On a certain weekday, I planned to have lunch at a certain restaurant but it was closed for a substitute holiday, so I ended up visiting a dining area inside a pachinko parlor nearby that I had never been to before. The parking lot was designated, but since it was a pachinko parlor, there were spaces available both above and below. The restaurant was located on the west side of the pachinko parlor, just before exiting outside, and inside the restaurant...huh? Oh no, smoking is allowed here. I guess maybe because pachinko parlors don't allow smoking indoors anymore? There were even people smoking while eating, making it quite difficult for non-smokers like me to ever come back. It was quite overwhelming. I decided to order the "ginger pork set meal (860 yen)" from the ticket machine and handed it to the lady before quietly taking a seat. Let's take a bite... The pork was reasonably thick slices of pork loin, keeping the meat tender with a low amount of ginger flavor and sweetness, and a high amount of soy sauce in the sauce that made the rice go down well. The shredded cabbage was not the dry type you sometimes encounter, and the small dish had finely chopped pickles. The hot miso soup with green onions and seaweed had a hint of dashi, and the rice portion was generous and decent. Oh, the mini cup of natto was a nice touch. Overall, I think the meal was not bad. However, I understand that having a smoke after a meal is special, but...at least during the lunch rush, I wish they would make it non-smoking. Thank you for the meal.

The rest area in the amusement park offers a wide variety of menu options, with ramen as the main specialty. The aroma of stir-fried bean sprouts fills the air inside the restaurant. They also have satisfying set meals for those looking to fill up. I purchased a bowl of plain soba for ¥530 from the ticket machine and handed it to the lady behind the counter. It seemed like they were preparing ramen for the previous customer, so I had to wait for a bit. After about 10 minutes, my order arrived. There were other staff members in the back, so it seemed like they had a well-organized system. The translucent hot and sweet broth with chewy noodles was delightful. I mixed in some spicy chopped green onions at the bottom of the bowl and slurped it up. The Naruto fish cake with the character "の" was charming. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

There were two rows of counter seats lined up. The system is self-service where you buy a meal ticket from a vending machine. I ordered a katsudon with miso soup. Pickles also came with it. It took about 11 minutes from handing in the meal ticket to completion. The katsu was quite thick and had a good amount of volume. The slightly milky flavor combined with the soft texture of the meat. The crispy coating had a nice texture, and although the seasoning was strong, it was well-rounded and easy to eat, making the rice disappear quickly. It might be good in the hot summer when you sweat a lot, but if you're coming from a pachinko parlor with strong air conditioning, a lighter flavor might be better. I personally don't play pachinko, but sometimes end up at designated meeting spots. This time, I ended up here after being stood up at a certain store, and after finishing my meal and returning to my car, I could strongly smell cigarette smoke. Although no one was smoking inside the smoking-permitted restaurant, the lingering smell might be from the pachinko parlor. Air conditioning in pachinko parlors is definitely something to be mindful of. The parking lot is spacious and easy to find a spot. When considering just the katsu itself, it was quite tasty. The rice had a light texture, and the pickles were flavorful. The miso soup had slightly tough dried wakame. Overall rating: 3.2 Taste: 3.2 Service: 3.3 Atmosphere: 3.3 Cost performance: 3.0 Drink: - Location: Kitaku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 7-17-4 Kitchen Tanpopo ☆☆☆ Next Episode Preview ☆☆☆ Sunflowers and dandelions are both yellow flowers, aren't they?