Which "Hotto Motto" store has the reliable deliciousness of the "Nori Bento" for 300 yen (tax included) already made in the showcase? It's great to be able to purchase it quickly without having to order first. Even when it's not busy, the quick service is appreciated.

I used to avoid a bento shop because a bento I bought a long time ago was not satisfying at all, the side dishes were cold. Recently, I decided to give it another try at "Hotto Motto Sakuramachi Store." I ordered the classic "Nori Bento" for 300 yen. It comes with fried white fish, chikuwa tempura, kimpira, and pickled vegetables on top of rice with seaweed. The kimpira had a slightly strange smell, but overall, the bento was delicious. I also ordered a "Pork Miso Soup" for 100 yen, which was decent and tasty. This time, the bento was indeed satisfying.

I came to Kushiro on business and on my way back, I decided to make a detour to Kitami. The dinner last night was delicious and the wine was great, but I doubt I'll have two days in a row of delicious meals. A new "Hotto Motto" opened on Minami Odori, so I decided to get some drinks there. It's located across from Homac. The new store, "Hotto Motto Kitami Sakuramachi Store," seems a bit smaller than the existing ones, but maybe it's just my imagination. There were many customers before me. I ordered the "Special Sukiyaki Bento" which was listed as 590 yen, but I was charged 690 yen. I wonder if they just took out a pre-made one and served it to me? It's not a big deal, but I don't quite understand their system. The old man working there was friendly but hard to understand due to his unclear speech. Even when my number was called, the elderly customers seemed confused. I'm also old, so I couldn't hear well either. Apparently, the raw egg was a free service, but I hope that's not why it was 100 yen more expensive. It doesn't really feel like a service if that's the case. I waited in the store for about 10 minutes, and they seemed to follow the order. But if they were just going to give me a pre-made one, why bother asking me if it's okay? When I got home, I heated it up to a comfortable temperature. The container was good quality. It's clear that big companies do things properly. The packaging and presentation are a step above the cheap bento shops in Sapporo. The taste was delicious, a little salty but balanced out by the egg. It would go well with beer or shochu. It's cheap, but for this price, the taste is satisfying. I almost ended up eating the whole thing, but I left a third of the sukiyaki and a quarter of the rice for a taste test. I said "It's delicious" as I ate. I plan to make onigiri with the leftover rice tomorrow. Overall, the "Special Sukiyaki Bento" was satisfying.

It's too soft! It's okay when freshly cooked, but the water ratio is off. It should be a little firmer, like just before rice porridge. Is this because of the special Kinme rice they use at Hotto Motto? Maybe they're cutting costs by adding too much water when cooking it. So basically, they cook it with too much water, just to save money? With this kind of rice cooking method, even if they serve freshly fried tempura with carefully selected shirasu on top, everything gets spoiled. The management and the stores should think more about how to cook the rice. I won't be buying from Hotto Motto for a while.

I was planning to have ramen at "Sapachi" for lunch, but the parking lot was full, so I ended up going to the nearby "Hotto Motto Sakuramachi Store." They had a new menu item, probably a limited-time offer. I tried the "Kamaage Shirasu Bento" for 480 yen. It had plenty of kamaage shirasu on top of the rice, with a fluffy and moist texture. It was delicious and didn't have any fishy smell. The tempura squid and scallop were also hot and tasty. Sometimes, these bento boxes are not bad at all.

I was planning to have lunch at "Sanpachi" right over there, but since it's before payday and I'm suffering from a serious lack of funds, I decided to settle for "Hotto Motto" next door. After all, I can save more than half of my budget there. They have a special deal on "karaage bento" and "katsu don" at the moment (although it ended last month). So, I had to choose between the two options. I went with the "Rosu katsu don" which is usually 460 yen but was on sale for 390 yen. The katsu was a bit tough, but the egg was nice and runny, and the sauce was just right. I had a katsu don from "Se〇ma" recently, but I think I prefer this one. Despite being only 390 yen, it was surprisingly delicious.

For lunch today, let's have a bento box. If you prefer Triton-style bento boxes from local bento shops, "Gohan Goon" is a good choice. But if you want to save money, you might want to try "Hotto Motto Sakuramachi Store." I went there during their gratitude return festival, and the fried chicken, katsudon, and hamburger were discounted. I'll go with the discounted bento box, the "Fried Chicken Bento," which is usually 390 yen but now 340 yen. It comes with 4 pieces of crispy fried chicken and a little potato salad. The fried chicken is crispy on the outside and firm on the inside, but not very juicy. The small packet of spices adds a nice touch to the meal. However, there seems to be too much rice compared to the amount of side dishes. I had leftover rice again today, just like last time.