Today is the first day of my two-day weekend! Had a hearty breakfast at "Maido Ookini Shokudo". For lunch, decided to stay in due to the crowds in Sapporo. Ordered some grilled beef ribs from "Hot Mot". The food was delicious, especially with the sauce provided. The price was great too! Highly recommend it. Sorry for rambling, I enjoyed some chicken skin as a snack during my afternoon drink.

Today is the first day of my two-day weekend! Sapporo is experiencing intense heat - no way! It's actually cool here~! The TV commercials have already shifted to promoting winter tires and heating. Today is my day off alone! First, I will go to my usual hair salon "Sabasaba" for a haircut. For breakfast, I'll have soba noodles. For lunch... feeling lazy so I'll just grab some snacks for a daytime drink from "Hotto Motto" and head home! It's been a year since I last did this. Apparently, Pronto plans to close 190 of its directly managed stores. I hope they do well! The wait is worth it for the delicious food, but still. Has convenience store food gotten better? Off track! After eating, I feel that the pork cutlet is tough~! My wife's pork cutlet wins! It's not bad at all. The grilled salted fish is burnt, but for some reason, it tastes good! That's it for this time! To the staff, keep up the good work! I'll definitely be back!

Today, I ordered a bento box with meat and vegetables, a pork cutlet curry, and a chicken basket (mixed) online. Despite ordering online, the food was ready in about 20 minutes as usual, very fast! However, they were out of the chicken basket (mixed), so I had to settle for the chicken basket (fried). The bento box with meat and vegetables was satisfying as always, though the flavor was on the salty side and may not be recommended for those who don't like salty food. The problem was the pork cutlet curry. It was not good. The curry itself tasted strange, like it was better from a ready-made package. And the pork cutlet was mostly breading with very little meat, not tasting like pork at all. Overall, it was a disappointment for me. Some people may like it, as taste is subjective, but I personally will not be ordering it again. There are some delicious items on the menu, so it's all about personal preference, I guess.

Today is another day off for me alone! I went to the usual gas station for refueling and car waxing. While waiting, I heard that it was raining heavily. I felt a bit blue. The gas station offers car waxing and interior cleaning (including trash and ashtray) for only 1000 yen, so I agreed. However, I was in the mood for ramen for lunch. Maybe I'll have a drink at home later. I decided to buy some sake at the "Hotto Motto Kitago store" on my way back. When I arrived, the rain was even heavier. Inside the store, I was surprised to see a ticket machine. The store was bustling with customers. I decided to order a single item at the register instead of using the ticket machine. The staff was welcoming and the atmosphere was lively. The food was delicious. I had a meat and vegetable stir-fry for 400 yen including tax, and a pork cutlet with egg for 370 yen including tax. The Kitago store is great, unlike other places.

Today is the last day of my three-day weekend. I dropped off my daughter at work again at 10:30 a.m.! Both my wife and daughter are working today. As for lunch, it's Saturday so eating out might be crowded. Let's go to the "Hotto Motto Kitago store." It's been a while since we visited. "Hotto Motto" is a large chain store, but the seasoning varies from store to store. Even in ramen chain stores, the seasoning changes when the manager changes. This store has a slightly sweet seasoning, which I like. The ratings vary, but especially with the "katsu-don" and "oyako-don," the seasoning can be too different between stores. The donburi at the store near my workplace is too salty. It's impossible to finish. There are a lot of "powerful" eaters at my workplace. Today's meal: meat and vegetable stir-fry (dish only), fried chicken (dish only). Having a drink at home during lunch, but if my daughter finds out, she'll get mad. Overall, the food was stable and delicious. But I always think, could the kitchen staff be more cheerful? If there was a lively voice coming from the kitchen, maybe they would be even more successful. Staff, keep up the good work!

▼Location▼ Located along Kita 13-jo Kitago-dori. It is 350m from the intersection with Suisenchi-dori towards the Loop Line direction, on the right side. ▼About the Shop▼ Website: Hoto Motto Formerly a major franchise company of Hokka Hokka Tei, Pranas, which became independent after a family dispute, is now one of the largest bento chains. ▼Menu▼ They offer various bento options including meat and fish dishes. For more details, please visit the above website. ▼Food Consumed▼ ▽Zangi Bento 530 yen▽ (Oct 2017) This is a limited-time bento available only in the Hokkaido area. The sauce is served separately. The bento contains four pieces of crispy-fried zangi with a juicy interior. The light and refreshing sauce complements the dish well. ▼Impressions▼ (Oct 2017) Hoto Motto, a bento chain that was once the largest franchise company of Hokka Hokka Tei, now operates as one of the major players in the industry. They actively develop new bento menu items, hold sales, and implement various strategies. The Kitago branch, located along Kita 13-jo Kitago-dori, used to operate 24 hours but now has the same operating hours as other branches. I decided to try the Zangi Bento after a long time. The simple and well-fried zangi was quite tasty and enjoyable. Personally, I feel that the regular Karaage Bento, which is the same size but 90 yen cheaper, offers good value. However, I find it interesting to have these limited-time regional bento options available. I would like to try more unique bento options in the future.

Welcome! Located in Shiraishi-ku, Kitago district, Kitago-dori, a standalone restaurant stands out in the surrounding buildings. The staff, dressed in masks, hats, and aprons, greet customers warmly and ensure proper hygiene. After work, they worry about not being stopped for questioning when leaving the restaurant. Today's new menu item, the sauce cutlet bowl, is not my favorite as I prefer the version with dashi and egg. I always stick to the reliable nori bento, with its crispy and fragrant fried fish. Lately, I've been enjoying sprinkling salt on my food before eating, rather than using sauce. The tempura is a bit shorter than before, but I don't mind. The seaweed is so thin that you can see the rice through it. The combination of kombu tsukudani and kinome is delicious. I always ask for extra pickled vegetables. The joy of the seaweed bento lies in eating the ingredients with seasonings and pickles. If you ask for soy sauce instead of sauce, you can pour it over the rice and eat it. Thank you for the meal.

When you think of Hotto Motto, their famous dishes are the fried chicken bento and seaweed bento, right? They often feature the top two dishes in their commercials with a 100 yen discount. However, this time I tried the Double Steak Bento for 790 yen, which I rarely order. It comes with two big pieces of steak, so it's very filling. There is a lot of meat, so I also ordered an extra side of rice (laughs). I ate too much (laughs). The miso soup is cheap, but I wish they would put more ingredients in it. The meaty steak was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

▼Location▼ Located along Kitaju Hokkaidori, 350m from the intersection with Suigenchidori towards the Circular Route direction on the right side. ▼About the shop▼ Formerly a franchise of Hokka Hokka Tei, which was a major player in the industry, Prinas branched off and is now one of the largest bento chains. The Kitagou store used to be open 24 hours but now operates from 8am to 12am. ▼Menu▼ They offer various options including Makunouchi. For more details, please refer to their website. ▼Food consumed▼ ▽Meat and Vegetable Stir-Fry Bento 480 yen▽ (March 2014) This stir-fry includes pork, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, onions, and edamame. The perfect stir-fry texture, not too overcooked or undercooked, with a generous amount of meat and the edamame adding a delightful touch. The slightly salty seasoning enhances the flavor and makes it delicious with rice. ▼Impression▼ (March 2014) This chain, born from the separation of Prinas from Hokka Hokka Tei, is known for introducing new menu items, renovations, sales, and various other initiatives. The Kitagou store used to be open 24 hours, and this time I enjoyed the Meat and Vegetable Stir-Fry Bento, which I occasionally crave for its rich flavor.

Today is the first day of my two-day weekend! I woke up a bit late, around 5 am, after watching the Swallows game last night. I saw a lot of reviews and got hungry, so I had some Super Cup Donbei tempura soba. My schedule for today is busy - I have appointments at the orthopedic clinic, my mother's care house, and the circulatory internal medicine clinic. While waiting at the circulatory internal medicine clinic, I got hungry again. I ordered takeout using the Hotto Motto app and found a Fighters bento for only 590 yen. When I got home, I saw that the bento included pork cutlet, ginger pork, mini hamburger, chicken nanban nuggets, sausage, potato salad, spaghetti, and pickles. It was a great match with beer for a lunch drink. The ginger pork was flavorful, the pork cutlet was juicy, and the mini hamburger was surprisingly tasty. The chicken nanban nuggets and potato were also good. Overall, it was a satisfying meal. In closing, I wish there was an Escon Field restaurant near me. Prentas, how about taking advantage of the Fighters campaign with affordable Escon prices? Thank you for the meal!

Today is the first day of my two-day weekend. I woke up at 3 am (consciously?) and overslept! After reading lots of reviews, I got hungry and had the strongest Donbei Kitsune Udon (noodle soup). I checked my temperature and it's 36.5℃, which is good! My dad, who has an underlying condition, is getting his 5th dose of the Omicron variant vaccine today. I arrived early for the appointment and the vaccination was painless. I then bought some treats for my mom at her care home and did some cleaning. I rushed to the orthopedic clinic before my medication ran out. After everything was done, I ordered a beef sukiyaki bento online. I hadn't eaten for 7 hours, so I was quite hungry. The bento was visually appealing and the meat was tender and flavorful. Overall, it was a satisfying meal and I recommend it to everyone!

I'm continuing my two-day solo weekend with the first day! Let's keep it light! There was a TV commercial with a girl eating "Chinese-style ankake rice," so I thought, why not have that for lunch? I considered using Uber something-or-other, but it's still early, so I'll resist the urge for beer. I made an online reservation instead. The dish is made with a soy sauce base ankake sauce, chicken broth, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sesame oil for flavor. It contains five types of vegetables: Chinese cabbage, onion, carrot, leek, and snap peas. There's also pork belly and wood ear mushrooms. It's said to have half a day's worth of vegetables, so it's healthy. Oh, it turns out it's a version with fried noodles! Might as well pair it with beer (laughs). The Chinese-style ankake fried noodles cost 650 yen including tax. As a side dish, I also got a hamburger and a cut steak for 790 yen including tax. I placed the order online and was able to pick it up in just 10 minutes. The visual presentation is separate for the fried noodles and the ankake sauce. Why is there Worcestershire sauce on top of the fried noodles? The hamburger and cut steak come with Wiener sausages, pasta, potato salad, French fries, and pickles. After eating, I felt like there was too much Chinese cabbage and the seasoning was a bit light. Should I try adding Worcestershire sauce? It turned out to be just okay. It will be released on January 6th. It was a complete miss, but the cut steak was tender enough for even an elderly person to enjoy. The hamburger was tasty. The Wiener sausage was like Schüblig, I think. Thanks for the meal! I have a feeling I'll be making another online reservation soon. That's all for now!

Today is the last day of my two-day weekend~♪ My plan for today is to apply for My Number Card! Apparently, I can get 20,000 points for it? Better late than never (laughs). I tried downloading the app myself but couldn't take a photo! So, I heard they have a mobile station at a big supermarket. I made a reservation online~♪ It's at the Aeon Nayamatsu store! The required documents are a driver's license, health insurance card, and the My Number Card application form. It was a smooth process (laughs), they even took a photo for me, so kind! It will take 3 months to get the card, and it seems to be really crowded! After the recent trips to Niseko and Kurayama, my gas tank is empty! I always go to the gas station~♪ For lunch, eating out alone is too much trouble for me. So I ordered from "Hotto Motto" through the internet. I found out they have a new menu starting from October 3rd! The Special Selection Makunouchi Bento for 820 yen including tax~♪ Probably a new menu since it's a special selection? Visual: Please post photos. After eating: The mackerel and mentaiko are a perfect match! So delicious! The chicken tempura is also really tasty! Good! The simmered lotus root, carrot, and konjac are flavorful and delicious! PS: What's with the shrimp fry? Come on, Prinas-san, in a Japanese-themed bento! At least put shrimp in the simmered dish (laughs). Thank you for the meal! Thank you!

Today, I had to go to work~! Woke up right at 4 am, left my home in Sapporo and drove alone to my workplace in Ebetsu~♪ The car's air conditioning was set to AUTO 25℃, but warm air was coming out from the bottom~ It's cold~! The TV commercial for winter tires started playing~♪ At work, someone mentioned "Giants, Taiho, Tamagoyaki"~ Are those old-fashioned words from the high economic growth era? I'm in the mood for eating Napolitan~♪ Back in the old days, it was a common dish on our dinner table at home~ My mom used to make it~ I remember eating it with my sister~ Back home, chatting with my wife about old memories, we decided to have Napolitan for dinner~♪ I have a two-day weekend starting tomorrow, so no need for a bento box~ Let my wife relax~ Ordered from Ubereats: Family Napolitan for 840 yen tax included, Special Pork Miso Soup for 250 yen tax included x2, and 2 pieces of fried chicken for 220 yen tax included~ All prices from Ubereats~ After eating, the pasta was thin noodles with ketchup and pepper flavor, not too sour, probably Del Monte? It was delicious~ The special pork miso soup had a strong ginger flavor and was tasty~ The classic fried chicken was also delicious~ That's all~ Memories of Napolitan~ (laughs)

Today's usual workplace lunch was from Hotto Motto. I chose the beef sukiyaki bento for 590 yen. There was a mix-up with the order because a colleague mistakenly called the wrong branch to place the order. The bento arrived a bit late, but it looked rich in flavor. The beef was a bit tough, but the tofu soaked up the delicious sauce well. The portion of rice was generous, and I quickly finished it despite the strong taste. Overall, it was a satisfying meal, but I think I'll try something different next time.

Today is the first day of my two-day weekend! I woke up a little after 5 am. Maybe because work was tough until yesterday, I overslept? I read a lot of reviews from everyone, and missed the opportunity for breakfast! Even if I go out alone now, I might get stuck in traffic on my way to work? In that case, it's cup noodles for me! I tried Maruchan's "Green Fox Soba" from the "Red and Green Reconciliation Commemorative Product"! It was delicious! Maybe my wife bought it on sale? I'm getting off track! What about lunch? I checked a restaurant app and "Yayoi-ken's Yayoi set" looked cheap and delicious! But going alone is too far! I had a brilliant idea - the same company's bento shop! I ordered a lunch set from "Hotto Motto"! The new "Kalbi Yakiniku Bento" seems to be popular. I added items to my cart - Kalbi Yakiniku side dish only for 460 yen tax included, Karaage side dish only for 290 yen tax included. The pickup time is 10:50 am? After all this, a man over 60 like me chose to pay in cash at the store? Useless! I bought "Chicken Skin & Pork Aspa" from a nearby supermarket as a backup. When I arrived at the bento shop, there were two customers ahead of me. Everyone made a reservation online? It was my turn quickly! The staff taught me how to input points from the smartphone app. I see! Very kind! I also learned from the staff at the nearby drugstore. But it seems like I will be visiting more often now! The visual presentation - is it a new item? I think so. Kimchi is included, so it must be a new item! Lovely? So-so? After eating, I feel very satisfied! Whether it's delicious or not is another story! Everyone has different opinions about the bento shop! Everyone's daily life is different! Thank you for the meal! Next time, I'll earn the points myself!

On a certain holiday, when I was feeling a bit worried about the number of COVID cases in Hokkaido, I stopped by Hotto Motto in Higashisapporo, Shiroishi-ku on my way home. The parking lot was spacious, and there was calming piano music playing in the background. I decided to try their new menu item, the "Colorful Salmon and Seaweed Bento (460 yen)" with a substitution of "pearl barley instead of rice (30 yen)" and added the "special pork soup (100 yen)" as part of a promotion. However, I was informed that these options couldn't be selected on the touch panel ticket machine, so I ordered them at the counter instead. The bento was cute and delicious, with flavorful salmon, crispy scallop tempura, various side dishes, and chewy pearl barley. The pork soup was a bit lukewarm and had a simple but tasty miso flavor with vegetables and pork. It was a nice experience revisiting Hotto Motto after a long time.

That food blogger's company meeting bento box is really luxurious, isn't it? I always feel envious (^_^;) In our company, we don't usually get bento boxes provided, sometimes we have to buy our own, and occasionally the accounting lady comes to collect the money afterwards (laughs). On this particular day, we had a guest at the meeting, so we decided to provide bento boxes! We entered the meeting room with high expectations, only to find that the table was set with a Makunouchi bento box from Hotto Motto (^◇^;) It lacks any sense of style (tears). When I looked it up online, it was quite expensive for what it was. If we're going to spend that much money, couldn't we have chosen something other than Hotto Motto? The presentation is also lacking in taste. The mentaiko (spicy cod roe) is just sitting on top of the rice. As for the taste... well, it's from Hotto Motto, so it's neither good nor bad, just average and decently tasty. Thanks for the meal! I wonder if next time they'll let me handle the arrangements... Oh! I have no complaints for Hotto Motto (laughs).