At one point, there were six "Otaru Naruto-ya" stores in Asahikawa City. Maybe there were too many stores? Now it seems that there are only two stores left, the Nagayama store and the Kagura store. I wanted to eat there again after a long time. The Nagayama store is located a little off the main road. There was one customer before me, and a few customers came in after. It seems to be quite popular after all. I ordered the "Yurinchi (oil-drenched chicken) set meal" for 840 yen. You can add a "mini chicken somen" for an extra 130 yen, or a "mini ramen" for an extra 150 yen. I decided to go with just the miso soup. The Yurinchi set meal... I remember the zangi (fried chicken) I had before was quite big. The popular "zangi set meal" costs 1,050 yen for 5 pieces, while the Yurinchi and Chicken Nanban set meals are cheaper. I realized that they season the zangi that is cut in half for the other set meals. There are 6 pieces, so it's like getting 3 pieces of zangi. It's crispy and goes well with the sweet vinegar soy sauce and chopped green onions. The sauce has a thick texture but is quite refreshing and easy to eat. I didn't know this before. The set meal here has a good portion size, so they provide free packaging for any leftovers to take home, which is a nice service. The 5 pieces of zangi are quite a lot. The rice portion was also generous. It was delicious, even though it had been a while since I last ate there. They also have a vending machine outside, so it's convenient to take food home.

Asahikawa Nagayama store has a triangular roof and is located in a somewhat hard-to-find place from my perspective. I happened to stumble upon it by chance. It is situated off the main road. But maybe the triangular roof makes it noticeable even from a distance? With this visit, I have now been to all the stores in Asahikawa - Kagura, Toyooka, 8th Street, Higashi Koko, and Nagayama. The only one I haven't visited yet is the 4th Street store, which has been closed since May 9th. So, I can't visit even if I want to. I saw something new!! What is this? It looks like a vending machine. I thought it was a vending machine for canned juice with Naru motifs, but it seems different. Upon closer inspection, I found frozen half-fried chicken, zangi, and crispy chicken being sold. Furthermore, at the bottom, there was also raw meat available for sale. Amazing... I've never seen anything like this before. This means you can eat even late at night, right? But... I wonder if they sell well? Haha Lunch menu during lunchtime, I remember everything being 100 yen cheaper. On this day, I came to eat Zangi. But... the hokke fry looks tempting. Hmm... it's a tough choice. Adding a side dish for 450 yen is a good idea, but if there are several people, we can share it. There are also curry dishes available, but I have never tried them. When I asked people who had eaten the curry, it didn't seem to be to my liking. But... I can't say for sure until I try it myself. I will definitely, probably, someday... try it. Haha It might be a while before I try it, as I start craving for the normal Zangi. Zangi set meal for 840 yen, except during lunchtime when it's 940 yen. This 100 yen discount is great. And the portion is quite generous, almost overwhelming. The rice is also a pretty large serving. The freshly fried hot Zangi comes in a set of 5 pieces. In terms of size, they are quite large. They are more than twice the size of those sold in convenience stores. But, for women, it may be too much to finish, so they have a pack for takeout. Even for men, there might be leftovers. The crispy skin is irresistible, and I wish I could peel all the skin and eat it in one go. Haha The meat is juicy, and the meat juice drips down. The taste is well-seasoned with soy sauce and has a hint of ginger. Many people seem to buy it for takeout, and on the 15th of every month, the Zangi is discounted from 650 yen to 550 yen, and on the 30th of every month, the half-fried chicken is discounted from 980 yen to 780 yen. If I go for the Zangi set meal on the 15th of the month, will that also be discounted? The pickled radish also comes in a fairly generous portion. Therefore, with the pickled radish, you can go through half of the rice. Zangi and rice. Pickled radish and rice. Even if you don't think about balance while eating, the original amount of rice is quite large. So, when you go to Naruto, you will end up with a satisfyingly full stomach. Thank you for the meal.

Chilled somen set lunch for ¥700. During the summer, they offer seasonal menus with just the right amount of food. The fried chicken is freshly made and comes with a small onigiri, making it a recommended choice.

I came to Asahikawa City. I visited a restaurant called Narutokuya in Otaru. I have eaten their half-fried chicken before and I just had to have it again, so I decided to dine in. The interior of the restaurant was clean and well-maintained. Since it was close to evening, we were the only customers at that time, but there were a few people coming in for takeout, making me envious of the locals. The menu had a variety of options, but we decided on the half-fried chicken set meal and the zangi set meal. After a while, our orders arrived. The half-fried chicken was crispy on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside, with a perfect balance of saltiness and meat juice. The skin was crunchy and the meat was juicy, absolutely delicious! The zangi was generously sized, with a thin and perfectly seasoned coating that complemented the delicious flavor of the chicken. It was piping hot and incredibly tasty. The rice was fluffy and had a hint of sweetness, which was delightful. We thoroughly enjoyed both dishes, especially the freshly fried dishes and the generous portions. My family also enjoyed the meal. I wish there was a Narutokuya restaurant nearby, as I understand why locals prefer it over other options. I personally love Narutokuya as well. Whenever I visit Hokkaido or go to local food fairs, I always look forward to enjoying their dishes. This time was no exception, and we had a delicious meal. Thank you for the wonderful food.

"Naruto Narutoya Asahikawa Nagayama Branch" in Asahikawa, I was alone. My wife had three consecutive late nights, so she looked at me with a tired face and said, "I must look terrible, right?" I knew I had to affirm her or things would get complicated, so as a mature adult, I replied, "Yeah, your face is naturally terrible and looks really bad." Her cheeks even had the imprint of her hand from where she had been rubbing them. It's been a while now, so it's not just painful, but itchy too. She said, "I'll buy some food, so you don't have to cook anything." Next, I aimed for "naruto" (deep-fried fish cake). I specialize in chicken thighs, so I didn't need to come to this place known for its half-body deep-fried dishes, but I heard they also have "zangi" (deep-fried chicken) here, so I decided to stop by. It's a bit off the main road, and without a strong brand name, it would be tough to survive in this environment. I walked into the empty restaurant and asked, "Is it okay to get takeout?" The staff replied, "Yes, that's fine." I ordered 5 pieces of zangi. It was tax-inclusive, which made me happy. They said it would be ready in 5 minutes. "Since it's freshly fried..." It was a nice thing to hear, but I'm heading to Abashiri next, so the bag wasn't sealed tightly because it was freshly fried. I see, that's nice. I felt happy. The two staff members were very nice. I'll definitely come back. Or will I? I'll reheat them in a frying pan when I get home. But before that, I cut one open. Not because I wanted to see the cross-section after feeling sick the other day, but it just crossed my mind to check. The cross-section looked fine. It's just regular chicken meat. It's somewhat juicy, but compared to what we have at home, it's not that great. The seasoning is good though, right? You can occasionally taste the ginger, but not the garlic. It was a delicious zangi.

"Oil-drenched chicken set meal for 800 yen! It's very delicious with a refreshing sauce, and the price is reasonable. Next time, I want to try the chicken hamburger (*´﹃`*)"

I often go to Asahikawa, and I'm happy that the Nagayama branch is open. However, it's a bit hard to find because it's a little off the main road. I've memorized the way there now though. I don't like waiting, so I make a reservation by phone before going. I usually get the half-fried chicken to go and eat it at home. It's perfectly salted. But, nothing beats eating it fresh out of the fryer.

I am happy that I can place an order over the phone and pick it up at the store without waiting. The price of the bento is a bit high, but the volume of the fried chicken is amazing. It's so much that even a child in the lower grades of elementary school would struggle to finish it. I find it difficult to finish it all by myself. If you are eating with a child, it might be a good idea to combine it with other menu items. This time, I ordered the Oyakodon bento and Zangi curry for takeout. The Oyakodon bento came in a box with the sauce and fried chicken, with the garlic and ginger flavors being mild. The Zangi curry itself seems like it would be delicious even for children who don't like garlic or ginger! Although the menu photo showed shishito peppers, they were not included in the actual bento. Instead, potato salad was included. The curry was about medium spicy... adults can eat it, but it might be too spicy for children. The Zangi was placed on top of the rice, with a separate compartment for the curry, so the child could eat it as a Zangi bento. If you're craving lots of fried chicken, I recommend getting a bento!