Did you know that Ko-Chan-Four, a large complex store stocked with books and miscellaneous goods, actually has a "little-known lunch buffet"? It's of such high quality you wouldn't believe it's priced at just 2,000 yen, and includes an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring a variety of dishes, including the famous Kushiro ramen, curry, bread, and sweets. We'll report on this hidden gem of a buffet, which you can enjoy in a relaxed atmosphere!

We arrived at the Coach & Four Shinkawa Street store in Shinkawa, Kita-ku, Sapporo. This mega-store has a huge book section with over 1 million books, CDs, DVDs, stationery, miscellaneous goods, and even food, and you can even enjoy gachapon machines and crane games. With a large parking lot, it's a popular spot for families to take their children out on the weekends. The cafe and restaurant "Interlude" inside the store serves meals like pasta and omelet rice, as well as desserts, and also offers a reasonably priced lunch buffet on weekends and holidays.

A wide range of menus are available, covering everything from lunch to tea time and dinner.

The restaurant has an elegant European atmosphere. The sophisticated interior allows you to relax and unwind away from the hustle and bustle of the restaurant. The seats are spacious, and there's a buffet table in the middle, so traffic flow isn't congested. You can check how busy it is and pick up your food from an available spot, which is great.

The walls and ceilings are designed in a European style, giving the room a luxurious feel like a hotel.

The buffet table is an island style, so you can take food from anywhere on the perimeter.

This lunch buffet is only 2,490 yen per adult, including tax! The 35 dishes, which change monthly and are mainly Western cuisine, are mainly homemade dishes made with care by the chef. The menu is designed to satisfy people of all ages and genders, with hearty meat dishes, curry and fried foods that children will love, and a wide variety of desserts and breads.

Hors d'oeuvres and cold dishes are served in individual portions for easy sharing.

There is also a wide selection of hearty dishes, including pasta, mapo tofu, and meat dishes.

The yellow banner for "Kushiro Ramen" stands out in the performance corner. The chef himself boils the noodles and serves them fresh, making this a very special Kushiro ramen. The noodles are served in a light soy sauce soup based on dried sardines, with extremely thin, curly noodles delivered weekly from a noodle factory in Kushiro. The simmering dried sardine stock and low-fat soup blend well together, creating an excellent balance between the soup and noodles. The taste rivals that of a specialty ramen shop.

"Enjoy the taste of freshly made food!" they say, making it after receiving your order.

The topping of pork was also thickly cut. I actually had a second helping.

I tried the curry and was surprised by how delicious it was. Interlude's special beef curry is a classic European-style curry, with the sweetness of slowly simmered vegetables and beef blended into the roux. On this day, there was also another type of curry available, a Thai-style keema curry, with a subtle Asian and fruity flavor. It's fun to try and compare the two types of curry, but be careful not to eat too much.

I was greedy and tried both of the two different types of curry.

If you're thinking that a buffet is all about meat, don't worry. There's a wide selection of carefully prepared meat dishes, such as sauteed chicken and grilled pork loin. The dishes here change monthly, so you can look forward to what's coming next. There are also Chinese dishes like mapo tofu and fried foods, which go well with rice. The rice is Nanatsuboshi rice from Hokkaido. If you don't think about the order and amount of food you eat, you'll find yourself full in no time. Fortunately, there's no time limit, so you can enjoy it while taking breaks.

If you want to try all the dishes, try small portions of each dish. The flavors are well-balanced so you won't get bored.

The mapo tofu is spicy enough for adults. The chicken is cooked at a low temperature and is tender.

Deep fried food that is perfect for those who like to eat hearty food. On this day, we had bite-sized fried white fish.

The restaurant has an attached boulangerie, which delivers freshly baked bread. There is a wide variety of breads, including sweet and savory options. Not only is there a toaster so you can keep the bread warm, but the baguette sandwiches are also wrapped in plastic to prevent them from drying out, which is a nice touch. Best of all, the dough itself is delicious, so you won't be able to stop having seconds.

A wide variety of breads including croissants, melon bread, bean buns, and table bread

Ramen, curry, meat dishes, bread...if you indulge in a lot, you'll end up full. But there's still room in your stomach for dessert at the end. I'm so grateful that all the cakes are bite-sized! The custard-flavored pudding and chocolate fountain are also must-try, and fruit is the perfect palate cleanser. It's strange, but once you start eating, you'll find you eat more than you think.

A little bit of everything is the theory for buffet lovers

Banana and chocolate are a classic combination

If you were asked, "What would you choose to finish off a buffet?", it would probably be this. A mini parfait that you can make yourself. Milky, lightly sweet soft serve ice cream topped with sauce and nuts. I actually wanted to get some fruit, but I was a little full. All in all, 2,490 yen per person is a real bargain. You can check the monthly menu on their website!

Be careful, as self-software can quickly pile up

・Above all, it's reasonable! ・Kushiro ramen now tastes like it comes from a specialty shop ・A lineup that can be enjoyed by a wide range of age groups ・The homemade taste means you won't get bored of it ・Large parking lot, easy to get to by car ・You can also buy books, CDs, etc. on your way home

*The photo was taken at the time of the interview. The content may vary depending on the time of year. *All prices include tax and service charge

Coach & Four Shinkawa Street Store

■Address: 3-18 Shinkawa, Kita-ku, Sapporo ■Telephone number: 011-769-3333 For more information and maps about "Co-Chan-Four Shinkawa-dori Store," please click here.