The water and wet towels took a while to arrive with two "please wait a moment" notifications, totaling around 10 minutes (which felt like 8-9 minutes). The restaurant seemed busy, but not overly crowded. I ordered a tempura rice bowl with mini soba set and a yakisoba with thick sauce. Both dishes arrived in about 10 and 8 minutes, respectively. They were delicious, with the yakisoba standing out for its flavorful sauce, perfectly cooked noodles, and well-balanced ingredients. The tempura rice bowl came with tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, zucchini, and pumpkin, served with a side of broth. The broth was tasty, and the tempura was expertly fried, elevating the experience beyond a typical cafeteria meal. The dipping sauce for the cold soba was also refined and complemented the dish well. It was my first time here, but I'm already curious about trying other dishes from their Japanese and Chinese-inspired menu. Thank you for the meal.

I went to a restaurant in Biei that I had been wanting to try for a while. The service was excellent and the staff made me feel welcome even though I arrived just before the lunchtime deadline. I ordered the Oil-Blanched Chicken Rice Bowl and the Mabo Tofu with Breaded Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl. The Oil-Blanched Chicken Rice Bowl was different from what I expected but still delicious. The Mabo Tofu was flavorful with a good amount of spice. The Breaded Pork Cutlet was a favorite of mine, with a crispy coating and a sweet and savory sauce. I also enjoyed a glass of Biei milk. Overall, the meal was satisfying and I would definitely return to try more dishes in the future.

After passing by Biei Station around 1:00 PM, I was looking for a place to have lunch and remembered a place that was recommended on social media. I had passed by this place many times before but had never actually gone in. I was looking for the combination set meal of pork cutlet and mapo tofu that I saw on social media. As expected from a traditional Japanese restaurant, I was guided to a spacious tatami room and received friendly and welcoming service. I hesitated a bit because the meal seemed a bit heavy, but my appetite won in the end and I placed my order. After a short wait, the combination set meal arrived and it was quite substantial. The Biei pork cutlet was tender and delicious with a slightly sweet and savory sauce. The mapo tofu had just the right amount of spiciness and was also very appetizing. So, I finished the meal completely. I enjoyed a cup of coffee alone in the spacious tatami room after the meal and was able to spend a leisurely lunchtime. Next time, I think I'll try the ankake yakisoba.

This is Biei. After leaving "Masachan Sushi," it seems like we can stop by one more place. I enter the restaurant next to the sushi restaurant and am guided to the second floor tatami room as there are no seats on the first floor. It seems like a Japanese-style restaurant. Looking at the lunch menu, there is a "bottled beer" available. There are also a la carte menu items that can be enjoyed as appetizers. I ask if they have draft beer just to be sure. Due to shortened business hours, they only have bottled beer available. I order a "Sapporo Beer (medium bottle)" (500 yen), "Shrimp-stuffed Meat Dumplings (ten pieces)" (700 yen), and "Thick Rolled Omelette (one piece)" (500 yen). They do not have a specific appetizer, so they ask if I would like the beer to be served with the dishes. A friendly female staff member brings the dishes to me after a while. She says, "Sorry for the wait. Are you from Asahikawa by any chance?" I reply, "Yes." She explains, "Many customers from Asahikawa come here because they can't drink alcohol right now. Please take your time." Her warmth is comforting. She suggests that the Thick Rolled Omelette can be taken as a souvenir since it's a large portion. I take a photo and pack half of it as a souvenir. The Shrimp-stuffed Meat Dumplings have plump shrimp inside and are delicious. They are served hot and go well with beer, especially when drizzled with chili oil. The Thick Rolled Omelette is popular here. It's slightly sweet but fluffy. I ask the staff member if they have sake. She brings two bottles of chilled sake and I choose the "Junmai Ginjo Sake, Otaru no Kura" (800 yen). A friend messages me that they are leaving Furano, so I finish up and head back to Asahikawa. I enjoyed the drinks and food. Thank you to the two establishments in Biei, and thank you for your kindness.

Shrimp fried rice and soba set with garlic gyoza, salt-fried asparagus and shrimp. All of them taste great, especially the salt-fried asparagus and shrimp which is not on the menu but can be made if you show them a picture or ask for it. Asparagus season is almost over so be sure to try it soon! 😊

- Char siu fried rice and refreshing salt stir-fried asparagus and plump shrimp (limited time offer) I visited a local restaurant. It was my day off after a long time, so I thought I could enjoy a leisurely lunch. The landlady came out and guided me to a room on the second floor. It feels luxurious to have this room all to myself, and it's safe now too. I heard that the chef is good at Chinese cuisine, so I ordered fried rice and another dish. They served miso soup with the fried rice, which had an elegant taste that went well with the meal. The fried rice was delicious too. Later, another dish arrived, featuring seasonal asparagus and shrimp. It's such a luxurious treat to have this for lunch. I wonder if it's okay to have something like this for lunch, but I'm happy. The balance with other vegetables like asparagus and the seasoning are also excellent. I want to cherish these individually owned restaurants. I would like to dine at this restaurant again. Thank you for the meal.

Takeout: Five pieces of fried chicken for just one coin.

This will be my final post of the year, thank you. I have also included my best of the year in the summary, so I would appreciate it if you could take a look. I have combined two meals into one post, as I had previously expressed my desire to the chef to have crab fried rice, and he was able to make it for me this time. In addition, we also ordered shrimp chili, zangi, and a full-fledged lunch was complete. Whenever I go somewhere, I often order this crab fried rice, and it always reminds me of the joy of traveling with its gentle and delicious taste. How about eating the shrimp chili on top of the fried rice? Of course, it's delicious. The zangi was served in fist-sized portions, and we thoroughly enjoyed each dish on the second floor of the restaurant. On another night, I reserved appetizers and sushi to enjoy with my family. I thought I had ordered the standard version, but what came out was the deluxe version. When we opened it with our family, cheers went up, and everything was so delicious that smiles naturally appeared on our faces. It was like an early Christmas. You can be sure to enjoy elegant Chinese and Japanese cuisine. They also actively offer special menus, so I definitely want to come back for more meals. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, it has been a very productive year with a significantly higher number of posts compared to previous years. I am grateful for the persistent efforts of everyone in the food and beverage industry, and I look forward to continuing to enjoy delicious food. I hope that 2021 will be a good year for everyone. Takurele was here.

This is lunch on the 3rd day of the trip. It's like a traditional Japanese restaurant in the town of Biei. We had a meal in a tatami room. The main dish was nigiri sushi with ikura, mackerel, and salmon. The sashimi included scallops, sweet shrimp, and tuna, with the scallops being the most delicious. In addition, we had chawanmushi, pork hot pot, and a Chinese-style shrimp chili dish. The grilled dish seemed to be hokke fish, which was quite tasty. There was no explanation of the dishes, but they all had a local feel to them.