In October 2018, as part of a series where I aim to visit as many ramen shops in Otaru as possible, I went to "Kuukyo Ichii". I probably wouldn't have visited if I didn't use Tabelog. The interior had a counter and a raised seating area, and an older lady, around 70 years old, was running the place by herself. During my visit at lunchtime, there was one other customer before me, and more customers came in later, all seemed to be regulars around the same age as the owner. I only ordered ramen, but what was served seemed to be miso ramen based on appearance. I didn't ask, but it's unclear if they have options other than miso, or if they only serve miso, or if it was just miso available that day. The soup looked light in color and tasted surprisingly bland. It lacked any umami, and seemed like miso paste dissolved in hot water. The noodles were soft, and overall it was quite underwhelming. The lady asked if I wanted rice, but the flavor didn't seem like it would go well with rice. The toppings included bean sprouts, onions, leeks, green onions, bamboo shoots, and thinly sliced pork. It helped to somewhat make up for the lack of vegetables. Despite the high price of 700 yen, I left the restaurant feeling like I learned something new.

I came to this area near Minami-Otaru Station for work. I hadn't had lunch and only had about an hour left to eat. I searched on Tabelog and found only one review for this restaurant right in front of me. It seemed like an old-fashioned teishoku (set meal) place. Inside, there was only one older lady working and no customers. The tables were filled with empty dishes, indicating that it had been full just a moment ago. The menu had a variety of options like the daily special for 700 yen, sashimi teishoku for 800 yen, okonomi teishoku for 1000 yen, tonkatsu don teishoku for 800 yen, and ramen for 650 yen. It was already past the closing time when I entered around 1:30 pm, but the lady said it was okay. Since I was in a hurry, I asked for whatever they could serve me. I got grilled saury, stir-fried pork, and three side dishes. The food was decent, like a home-cooked meal. The saury was surprisingly tasty, not as mushy as I expected. The lady even gave me some octopus sashimi as a service, but it was frozen. I don't like frozen sashimi. I was a bit nervous about how much the set meal would cost, but it was only 700 yen. And she even asked if I wanted a refill of rice. The cost performance was high considering the content and price. They were flexible to serve me even after closing time and the service was commendable. This teishoku restaurant with a nostalgic Showa era atmosphere is a valuable find. It's understandable why the construction workers from the nearby municipal hospital site fill up the seats during lunchtime. *Prices are as of the 5% tax rate.

JR Minami-Otaru Station is a small diner located almost directly across from it. I had been curious about it for a while, especially since I found out that it wasn't registered on Tabelog. This made me even more interested, and coincidentally, this restaurant became my 700th review. As 2010 comes to a close, I realize that it's still all about diners. The style remains unchanged. When I opened the door with a clatter, I was surprised to see how small the place was. Sitting in the raised area, I noticed a bottle of mayonnaise on the table. Inside the diner, there was only one female owner and a customer eating ramen. Looking at the menu hanging on the wall, I saw they had a "Old-fashioned Ramen", but this place isn't just old-fashioned, it's really old (laughs). Owner: What would you like? We have grilled fish and meat. Customer: The sign outside said "Chicken Saute" though. Owner: Oh... we don't have chicken. We can do pork though. It's seasoned with ketchup. Looking over the menu again, I noticed they used pork for dishes like Pork Bowl, Tonkatsu Set, and Ginger Pork Set. There was also a dish called Egg Bowl, but if they used chicken, it would be Oyako Don. Customer: In that case, I'll have the pork saute. The Pork Saute Set arrived. On a large plate, there was grilled pork, mushrooms, and salad. Additionally, there were side dishes like simmered black beans, salted squid, pickles, etc. As a service, they also gave me some Kinpira Gobo. Owner: Please eat the salad with mayonnaise. Instead of pouring the room temperature mayonnaise on it, I mixed it with the ketchup sauce, which was just right. The tender pork was mixed well with the sauce, which had no acidity. It seemed like they used lean pork loin. It had a good texture for chewing. The Pork Bowl and Ginger Pork Set must be similar. The simmered black beans reminded me of New Year's dishes. The black beans were slightly torn, but it had a homemade feel to it. The salted squid seemed homemade too. The daikon pickles were light and crispy. The Kinpira Gobo they served as a service was also good. It goes well with white rice. While enjoying the meal, the owner asked, "Do you need more rice?" Customer: Eh? Can I... get a refill? Owner: Oh, you want a refill? You should've told me sooner. The diner has a counter with 5 seats (but only about 2 can sit), and 2 tables for 4 people each. The interior was cluttered and not particularly clean, but it felt like eating home-cooked meals made by a mother who loves cooking. Customer: Thank you for the meal. Can I have the bill, please? Owner: Hmm, I didn't write the price for the pork saute, did I? Customer: You didn't write the price for the Chicken Saute Set either! Owner: Oh, it's 800 yen. I was a bit nervous, but the Tonkatsu Set, Ginger Pork Set, and Pork Bowl are all 800 yen, so you can estimate the price. I love this fuzzy feeling. I can't stop visiting diners. Thank you for the meal.