Visited the restaurant after watching "The Lonely Gourmet". I'm a big fan of trendy things, so I ordered the Goro Set for 1,730 yen. It's quite pricey, isn't it? The highlight of the set is the miso soup, which contains thick and thin slices of pork, as well as sliced chikuwa for some reason. It has a pork soup-like taste, but when you break the soft-boiled egg into it, the miso soup becomes even more delicious. However, the most surprising thing was the quality of the fried items! The crab cream croquette had a thin, crispy coating filled with flavorful crab cream. I've never had a crab cream croquette this delicious before! It was seriously amazing! The fried hokke (Okhotsk atka mackerel) was also incredible! It was so tender and melted in my mouth. Absolutely no fishy smell! It's similar to fried cod, but the flesh is firm, making it much tastier! The fried items were just so delicious. The firm rice was also tasty. I think they don't need to make the miso soup too big, considering its price.

I went for a business trip lunch in Asahikawa and visited "Jiyuken" restaurant. I had the popular menu item "Niku Rice (Pork Chop)" this time. The sauce was slightly tangy and the thick pork loin was tender and satisfying. The atmosphere of the restaurant was cozy and the staff were warm and friendly. It was a delightful dining experience. Thank you for the delicious meal.

This is a Western-style restaurant featured in "The Solitary Gourmet." I arrived after 12 o'clock and was seated at the counter. Although I hesitated between the popular pork chop and the Goro set, I ultimately ordered the Goro set. It came with two pieces each of crab cream croquette and hokke fry, salad, pickled eggplant, rice, and miso soup for 1280 yen. The hokke fry was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, very delicious. The crab cream croquette was very hot, almost burning, but the buttery aroma and creamy texture were delightful, although the crab flavor was a bit weak. The miso soup had a distinctive flavor of dried bonito broth. The rice was average. I would like to try the pork chop next time. Thank you for the meal!

Last time I had a meat rice dish, so this time I ordered the leaked set. I received 2 crab croquettes, 2 hokke fried fish, and a large miso soup. The crab croquettes were so hot that I had to be careful. The hokke fried fish was plump and delicious. The large miso soup had one egg and plenty of pork, making it very filling. The rice was a bit inconsistent, a bit on the softer side. Thank you for the meal.

Today, I was the first one to arrive. I had the meat rice bowl without hesitation, as I had the Goro set during my first visit a year and a half ago. My wife, on the other hand, opted for the curry cutlet, as she was quite impressed by the strong aroma of the curry from our last visit. Both dishes were delicious. Thank you for the meal.

Visited on August 31, 2023. Featured in the New Year's Special 2016 episode of "The Lonely Gourmet - Winter in Hokkaido, Business Trip Edition", the restaurant "Jiyuken" in Asahikawa City is located in the center of town, just off the shopping park. I ordered the "Goro Set" for 1280 yen, which is what Inogashira Goro had in the show. However, to make it a perfect copy, you need to add the famous "Owan Miso Soup" by changing the miso soup in the set. So, the ideal order is "Goro Set + Owan Miso Soup" for 1880 yen. First up was the massive miso soup and rice - it's as big as a soba bowl. Inside, there's a half-cooked egg, pork, green onions, and fish cake. It's incredibly delicious, with a gentle and flavorful taste. Breaking the half-cooked egg further enhances the mildness. This miso soup is absolutely delicious! Next, the crab cream croquette and hokke fry were served, with sizes being average, if not small for the croquette. It had been a while since I had a crab cream croquette, so I took a bite right away - and got burned (laughs). Be careful! Channeling my inner Inogashira Goro, I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. It was delicious - thank you!

Pork cutlet set meal for 1600 yen. There are 4 counter seats on the 1st floor and 4 table seats for 4 people. On the 2nd floor, there is a raised seating area with 4 table seats for 4 people and 2 table seats for 6 people. No parking available (coin parking nearby). Air conditioning is provided. Disposable chopsticks, toothpicks, sauce, soy sauce, and salt are available on the tables.

Dad's first Bon festival. I went to Asahikawa to pick up my dad. After paying our respects, we got hungry. We decided to have lunch at "Jiyuken," a place my partner wanted to visit. I ordered the meat rice, while my partner had the crab cream croquette set. The meat rice was like nothing I had imagined, so I had to confirm by looking at the menu's photo. It was pork loin meat cooked in a sauce before being fried, almost like a pork steak in sauce style. The thickly sliced pork loin was handled carefully, and the tenderness of the meat was impressive. It might surprise some people how tender the meat is. As I ate, there was leftover sauce, so I decided to pour the rice into the sauce on the plate. If Inogashira Goro from "The Lonely Gourmet" had ordered this meat rice, I'm sure he would have done the same (laughs). My partner had the crab cream croquette set. She loves crab cream croquettes, and she highly praised the ones here. Crab cream croquettes are usually delicious anywhere, but the ones at Jiyuken are even better, so she can boast about them (laughs). Today, the rice was a bit mushy because I made a mistake in cooking it. It was disappointing when compared to the delicious crab cream croquettes and pork meat. I wonder what went wrong with the rice? Thank you for the meal.

We arrived at the restaurant around 7:00 PM with a group of four. There were about 20 people waiting, but the energetic waitress managed to squeeze us in by saying, "I can fit you in here!" We decided to order the famous tonkatsu, and I chose the fillet set. It was delicious, but personally, I prefer the loin cut, so I slightly regret not ordering that instead. However, the menu was extensive, so I would love to visit again when I come back to Asahikawa.

This is a long-established diner at Asahikawa, Gojo Shopping Park. I planned to have lunch here during my business trip but missed the last order at 1:30 pm, so I visited for dinner at 5 pm instead. Known for being featured in "The Solitary Gourmet," I ordered the "Goro Special," which includes 2 crab croquettes and 2 hokke fish fries. The frying is done perfectly, and the creaminess of the crab croquettes is outstanding. You can enjoy a simply delicious meal here. When I used to live in Asahikawa, this was just a regular diner on Gojo Heiwadoori, but now it seems to have attracted more tourists and visitors. The neighboring "Asahikawa Harete Yataimura," produced by Taizou Sugimura, seems to be aiming for the popularity of "Jiyuken" (Freedom House) as well. Thank you for the meal.

Asahikawa lunch. I was debating whether to have ramen, but I decided to go to "Jiyuken" where Goro also ate. I was also undecided on whether to get the Goro set, but I chose the "Niku Rice". The meat was tender. The sauce had a retro Showa flavor with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. The onions that came with it were crunchy and delicious, typical of Hokkaido level. However, the price was a bit steep, to say the least. In a way, it was the most surprising aspect. Established in 1949. Just one more step to reach the centennial restaurant. As of today, rating is 3.52.

I visited a long-established restaurant in Asahikawa for the first time, even though I used to live there. I arrived a little before 7 pm and was told there was a party tonight, so I had to wait a bit. When the time came, I was seated along with two other groups and one person who were also waiting. The groups consisted of foreigners, some from Asia and some from Europe. It felt like the post-COVID era. I was seated at a table on the first floor, which had four tables and a counter. There seemed to be a second floor as well, but it was being used for the party. The restaurant was small. I ordered the most popular dish, pork chop with rice. Many people seemed to be ordering the crab cream croquette. The food was served in about 10-15 minutes. The pork chop was tender and not too flavorful. It came with rice and miso soup with tofu and bonito flakes. The rice portion was a bit small, but there was plenty of meat. The staff was friendly and welcoming, especially to the children of customers. The food was delicious and comforting, which I appreciated.

I visited the restaurant that I wanted to go to as a location for "The Solitary Gourmet"! I arrived just in time for the 5:00 opening, and was greeted by the brisk shop owner, which made for a pleasant start. I had the Goro-san set, which came with crab cream croquette and hokke fry. They were freshly fried and deliciously melting in my mouth.

At lunchtime on a regular day, the local salarymen were bustling, but the Yatto Goro fever has died down, and the locals can now eat there normally. The small restaurant had a table available, and I ordered the most popular dish, the pork chop rice, also known as pork chop. This dish is especially delicious when new onions are in season, with juicy thick onions that are sweet and tasty. Of course, the main attraction, the pork loin, was delicious as always. The pork chop sauce at this place is particularly tasty, with a higher proportion of Worcestershire sauce, giving it a spicy kick that appeals to salarymen. The miso soup also had a rich broth, showing that they don't cut corners on quality. Established in 1949, this restaurant is a 74-year-old establishment in Asahikawa, representing a long-standing local favorite. The current second-generation owner is still going strong, but the third generation is already working in the kitchen. I hope they continue to thrive for another 26 years until their 100th anniversary.

Memo: Katsu Curry, Meat Rice, Crab Cream Croquette A very spicy and rich curry! The katsu is crispy and freshly fried, the meat is tender and delicious. The meat rice has a sauce flavor with depth, making it easy to eat quickly, and it's gone in no time. I forgot to take a picture of the croquette... I couldn't help but eat it quickly... It's very rich and creamy, and I could eat as many as I want. I could really feel that this is a shop loved by the locals!

Visited during the day on a regular day. Was able to enter without waiting in line. It seems to be a shop that Goro, from "The Lonely Gourmet," has also visited, as there was a photo of him displayed. The person who seemed to be the owner was a bit rude, but very talkative, so it might be featured in "Omouma," etc. After debating between the Goro Set (2 crab croquettes & hokke fry) and the Greedy Omu Curry (omu curry topped with tonkatsu), I decided on the crab cream croquette. I had high expectations for plenty of crab since it's in Hokkaido, so I ended up thinking "not enough crab"... The portion size and taste were very satisfying.

I ordered the popular meat rice dish (1680 yen). What a clever name. As the sign says, the pork fat is deliciously tender. The meat rice is a simple dish with pork chops on top of onions. It is not ketchup-based but sauce-based. Surprisingly, it was quite filling, almost to the point of feeling a little heavy towards the end. The pork cutlet I also ordered was thick and sweet in fat, and frying it added a moist oiliness that wasn't overwhelming. It feels lighter to eat than the meat rice. What caught my attention was the greedy omelette curry. An omelette with cutlet and curry. Despite being so indulgent, it was priced at 1480 yen, which was lower compared to other menu items. Just a spoonful over the rice. I was surprised. It's not your typical home-cooked or restaurant curry. It's like a sauce, black and smooth, with a tantalizing burnt and spicy flavor. I ended up taking it home. I upgraded my rating from 3.6 to 3.8 thanks to the curry! I'm a fan now!!

Meat Rice 1600 yen Today's lunch was at Jiyuken. It's a set meal restaurant located in a shopping park in the city. It tends to get crowded during lunchtime, so I went at a different time and was able to get a seat easily. I ordered the most popular dish, Meat Rice. In about 10 minutes, the set meal with rice and miso soup was served, followed by the main dish of meat. The meat was placed on a bed of onions and had a strong presence. I took a bite from the middle. It was so tender. The perfect level of cooking made it incredibly soft. It felt different from the meat in regular set meals, and it was delicious. It was a generous portion, but I finished it in no time.

On March 18, 2023, at 11:30 am, Chiru, a college student on his first visit, returned home, and I also worked from home. We gathered for the first time in a while at Yasukojiya and went on a hot spring trip to Onsen Onsen. Let's have lunch in Asahikawa on the way. The chosen restaurant was Freikken, which has also appeared in "The Lonely Gourmet". I had never been here before, even though I lived in Asahikawa for a long time. On the way to the restaurant, we watched the episode of "The Lonely Gourmet" on Amazon Prime as preparation. When we arrived at the restaurant, we found that the curtain was still not out. Chiru, prompted by his wife, peeked inside and found that the restaurant was almost full. After waiting outside for a while, we were guided to the second floor. The friendly waitress said in Hokkaido dialect, "Sorry, there are so many customers before opening that we couldn't even put out the curtain." I see, that's what happened. We shared the Goro set (1,280 yen) with everyone. I had the salt-grilled dish (1,450 yen), my wife had the meat rice (1,600 yen) without rice, Chiru had the winter limited kaki fry (1,350 yen), and the little Chiru had the omurice (1,030 yen) with one crab cream croquette (wanted to have it all to himself). Despite being busy, the waitress kindly helped us with our orders, as we were struggling to decide. My wife and I were very impressed by her customer service. The croquette, fry, salt-grilled dish, and meat rice were all delicious. Most importantly, the warm and friendly customer service at the restaurant was great. Even during the payment, the owner's father responded with jokes. It's amazing that they can be so friendly while being so busy. Everyone at Yasukojiya loves this kind of heartfelt restaurant. Thank you for the meal!

The omurice curry was surprising. The spicy curry with fluffy omelette was very good. I wanted to try the dish from "The Lonely Gourmet" so I ordered it as a single item, not as a set. The crab cream croquette and hokke fry that I ordered as single items were also delicious.

I went to Asahikawa for a hospital visit. For lunch, we decided to finally try the restaurant called Jiyuken that we've always wanted to go to. We arrived about 10 minutes early, and they kindly let us in ahead of time. We ordered the Goro set for ¥1280 and the meat rice for ¥1600. The Goro set came with hot and crispy freshly fried crab cream croquettes, tender hokke fry, potato salad, and more. The meat rice had a pork chop with a sauce instead of ketchup, and the meat was very tender and the fatty part was sweet. It looked heavy, but it was surprisingly light and easy to eat, and I finished it in no time. There was a generous amount of onions used as well. It was delicious. The restaurant quickly filled up with customers coming in one after another, and even the second floor was full. Next time, I want to try the beef stew. The service was also kind and attentive. Thank you for the meal. I will visit again♪