Lunch at "Tomoko Steak" in Asahikawa City, Toyooka 8-jo 1-chome. Map here: https://goo.gl/maps/wgS1jhEgyHpcNf5Y9. Open from 11:00 to 14:00 (Tomoko Steak) and 17:00 to 0:00 (Izakaya Sanji), closed on Sundays. Parking available, takeout available. Please contact the store for current opening hours, closures, and takeout availability. Official website for Izakaya Sanji: https://www.izakaya-sanji.com/ During lunchtime, "Izakaya Sanji" operates as "Tomoko Steak." I wanted to try it and had called a couple of times before, but no one answered. However, when I happened to pass by on this day, they were open. Maybe they are only open during the state of emergency? If you plan to go for lunch, make sure to confirm. It was the middle of the day with two other groups of customers. The interior of the restaurant is spacious. The staff were friendly and provided good service. The lunch menu has three options, but I chose the Tomoko Bowl for 880 yen including tax. It was like a dream come true with the Tomoko right in front of me. The bowl was a bit small, but the toppings of corn and okra were a nice combination. The presentation was also visually appealing. The sauce was the highlight, sweet, spicy, rich, and slightly thick. It was really good and complemented the toppings well. I really enjoyed it and the price was reasonable. I might crave it occasionally.

This place opened for lunch at Izakaya SANJI. I stopped by on a day when I was in the mood for meat. The interior is a bit dim, maybe because it's an izakaya? There are three menu options, but since I'm on a budget, I went for the most reasonable one: - Tomokoro Donburi: 880 yen (tax included) It has grated daikon radish and diced misji steak on top of rice. Also, there are okra and corn. Honestly, I prefer the rice and toppings to be served separately, but oh well. When I took a bite, I hit a tough part! Looking back at the photo, there are chunks that weren't diced properly, and I can see some white tendon-like parts too. The sauce is a generous amount of Japanese-style steak sauce, combined with the daikon radish, making the rice soggy... and overly salty. Maybe half the amount of sauce would be better... or they should serve it separately so customers can pour it themselves. Also, I don't think the daikon radish is necessary... The owners and staff are wearing polo shirts with a different original logo from SANJI. They mentioned they made them for the lunch service. I had a brief chat with them, and they seemed like fun people. Once things settle down with COVID, I might come back for some sake in the evening.

Lunch started‼️ I went for the first time and ordered the Tomokoro Don for 880 yen. It had a strong flavor and the rice was delicious!