Food Travels by CK: Niseko Hokkaido

View of the uncompleted Skye Niseko Hirafu, from top of Ni-kabe / Kogen run.

Like much of Europe and parts of the U.S., Hokkaido enjoyed bumper snowfalls this year. The average temperatures when we were in Niseko was minus 4-7 deg C, and the mountains another drop of 2-3 deg. The winds were strong too, and the highest chair lifts were closed periodically.

Pat and Marcus (front of cafe) with Skye Niseko background. We were waiting for White Liner bus to take us to Chitose airport.

The family has been to skiing holidays in Niseko, Whistler Mountains and St Moritz, and the only one we have gone more than twice is Niseko. When we started coming to Niseko about 10 years ago, we first stayed at Hokkaido Tracks. This was quite a far walk from the nearest chair lift. Then we moved closer to the chair lift at Alpen Ridge which hosted the NBS ski shop and school. Next we were at Snow Crystal, then 3 years ago we were at the luxurious Suiboku. Finally this year, we settled at the Aya, the site on which it stands a car park 3 years ago. Suiboku and Aya are very pleasant places to stay but they are very expensive!

The Hirafu Welcome Center on day we arrived at Niseko.

Aya Hotel pickup from the Welcome Center

Hotel side facing the Vale and Alpen Ridge hotels

View from our 6th floor room

Abu-Cha @ Suiboku hotel in Uppper Hirafu

We had an impromptu lunch at Abu-Cha on our last day in Niseko.

Sea urchin or uni for JPY8,800.

Fried chicken is the house specialty

A drunken patron sleeping it off

Ebisutei (Hotchpot) restaurant at Lower Hirafu Village

The location is at 155-132 Yamada Kutchan-cho Abuta-gun 044 0081 Hokkaido.

Cold tofu

Sashimi

Our first Oden order

Fried chicken

Fried pork

Potato salad

Spicy sashimi salad

Croquette

Oden - our second order

Fried pork fritters

Beef tongue

Mentaiko - Spicy Cod's roe

Tempura

Gyoza dumpling - chicken

Torimastsu, Kutchan town

Torimatsu is located at 1 Kita 3-jo Nishi Kutchan-cho Abuta-gun 044-0053 Hokkaido. Our dinner costs JPY22,000 but only cash terms are accepted.

Bean curd tofu with fillings

Rice in soup

Chicken innards

Pork cartilage

Grilled salmon

Peppers

Egg plant

Chicken cartilage

Meat balls with egg yolk

Oysters

Souvenir Torimatsu
key chain (of meat balls).

It was difficult to catch a taxi back to Hirafu after our dinner. Marcus had to walk to the train station to hailed one!

Bang Bang, Upper Hirafu Village

Bang Bang is near Aya, and just a stone's throw from Suiboku where we stayed 3 years ago. It is located at 188-24 Yamada Kutchan cho Abuta-gun 044-0081 Hokkaido. We have dined at Bang Bang before and the food is still same good quality.

The Bang Bang grill counter

The cost was about JPY30,000. and credit cards are accepted.

The Barn, Lower Hirafu Village

The Barn is in Lower Hiragu Village. It is located at 170-323 Abuta-gun Hokkaido. The management has just change two years ago although the restaurant has been there for many years. The restaurant was not full and we understand it used to be impossible to get seatings.

Interestingly, they ran out of the only sake servings, and the Chianti Classico on their menu was out of stock. Some teething problems still need to be sorted out?!

House pour saki - out of stock after 3 servings

Beef tongue

The cost was about JPY32,000.

Robata Niseko Naniwatei

Robata Niseko Naniwatei is a 10-min drive toward Niseko Town (Annapuri). It is located at 259 Kabayama Huckleberry Farm, Kutchan-cho, Abuta-gun. The food and service was impeccable but costs us an "arm and leg". The bill was almost JPY100,000 including sake and a bottle of 2013 Chateau Lagrange which was on the menu at JPY17,000.

When we arrived the restaurant, they did not have our reservations. The booking was done through Insignia for most of dining places but this one somehow slipped up.

Their credit card machine did not work on our electronic chip cards. Luckily our old trusty card with the Centurion's face was accepted. The restaurant generously gave us a free ride back to town.