Allison Abroad: Adventures in Niseko Continued: Eating

So get ready for a humongous post - my primary motivation in coming to Hokkaido was the food (the fresh seafood, vegetables, the amazing dairy products) and so I had a pretty ambitious restaurant schedule for the week. I'll let you judge, but I think overall we managed pretty well!

For the first night, we got in so late that we just opted for delivery from Pizza Niseko (sigh, this was clearly not my preference). The pizza was pretty second rate, the salad was so salty (apparently dressing meant some salt and pepper) and the cheesy gnocchi nearly inedible. It just seems to me a complete travesty to come to Hokkaido to order expensive pizza made by Australians, but we were pretty tired and hungry when we finally got into our apartment the first night after 13 hours of travel.

Slowly, the eating got better. For Sunday night, Michael and I went to dinner at Rin, a small izakaya-like restaurant in the lower Hirafu village.

I wanted something that we could walk to because I knew he would be maximizing his time on the slopes (it was the last night for night skiing) and the restaurant won points for being two blocks away. I have to say, I was pretty disappointed. I had very high hopes for my culinary adventures and the reviews had all made this restaurant sound amazing. But I found the grilled eggplant to be flavorless, and the chicken noodle soup pretty skimpy and bland. The only good things here were their grilled sardines (pictured) - so fresh and full of flavor (really beats the canned version) and their skewers - the pork, the chicken, the lamb - each and every one was faultless and delicious.

So fresh and tasty - but, sardines be sardines, so they were certainly fishy!

We followed that up with a little trip to Gyu+, otherwise known as the Fridge Door bar because, well, you enter through a small refrigerator door. I loved it!

Gimmicky, but still adorable

The bar is beautiful - very cozy and warm, with music spinning on a record player, and the spotlight is a big picture window behind the bar - a stark, wintry backdrop of pristine snow and birch trees.

Michael tried a Nikka whiskey (Nikka is a local whiskey distillery) while I had a yuzu spritzer (very predictable if you know me - I love yuzu and so try to get it every chance I can!) We had a sweet spot right next to the bar.

On Monday, we went to Ebisutei, another casual, small izakaya-like restaurant in the lower Hirafu village, but this one was definitely better than Rin.

We sucked down some humongous oysters, tuna ceviche, oden stew, fried chicken...

Michael tried a drink made by mixing soju or vodka and Calpis, a yogurt drink. He said it was pretty tasty.

We ordered some oysters not realizing just how big they would be.

I tried the vinegared mackerel, which was very tender.

We had some sashimi - nothing too special, just salmon and scallops.

I made my selections for the oden stew. It turned out it wasn't supposed to be the patron's choice (oops) but they let me have what I wanted (tofu and white radish). I let them choose the third, and it didn't disappoint - bamboo shoot.

Michael was immensely satisfied with his fried chicken.

The restaurant was very small and cozy and we had a seat at the bar, but I loved feeling completely snug and right by the chefs as they cooked. The only negative thing is that we did leave smelling a little smoky.

For lunch on Tuesday, we went to try Japanese soup curry at Tsubara Tsubara, which I loved. We would definitely come back to this restaurant. I think Michael hit on the winning combination of meatballs with rice cake, lotus root and cheese. They melt cheese on meatballs in a curry flavored soup and top it with wild rocket and fish flakes! It is like the weirdest but most perfect fusion of Western and Asian flavors.

We dressed Lola up in a cute wool romper and then put her in a snowsuit. When we got to the restaurant, it suddenly started snowing and we rushed out to get a picture of her in her first ever snowstorm - hence why Michael and I have no coats. We're not crazy, I promise.

The restaurant had Japanese-style seating, which meant Lola got to sit propped up on a bunch of pillows on a tatami mat and watch us. She loves watching people eat and drink - I'd rank it as one of her favorite pastimes.

Before we ordered and dug in, we got a few shots of us all together. It wasn't planned, but I guess we really like the color gray in this family!

Then that night, at the advice of a friend, we went to try out a sushi restaurant in nearby Kutchan, called Chiharuzushi.

It was a little bit tricky getting Lola comfortably situated, because the restaurant was so small, but it was fun to be in such a homey environment (it looked like a husband and wife team, and that was it).

We ordered a bunch of sushi platters, chirashi and sashimi.

Lola got a lot of attention in the restaurant. She was on very good behavior!

On Wednesday night, Michael and I went to eat hotpot at Ryunabe. We chose the fish and Hokkaido milk soup base, which to my surprise Michael really enjoyed. He said it didn't taste fishy and was like clam chowder. He even drank some of the soup voluntarily! We ordered the wagyu beef, Iberico pork, frozen tofu and vegetable platter, and udon noodles. By the end we were completely stuffed.

After all of this eating out, on Thursday for lunch I opted to eat some home-cooked stuff - very simple veggies along with a potato pancake (guilty indulgence, plus Hokkaido is known for its potatoes so I figured it was justified), and rice. The fresh veggies were a nice palate cleanser after all the seafood and strong flavors. I'm sure Lola was grateful for a break as well!

On Thursday night, Michael and I headed to Ezo Seafoods, where we had a laughably early booking at 5:15pm (this restaurant books out months in advance and I figured we should at least get a spot, even if it was more like a pre-dinner snack). We came here the last time we were in Niseko and I still remember the crab legs, the tuna, and the sea urchin.

I wasn't disappointed this time, either.

Those crab legs! It bears repeating. Those crab legs!!

I splurged on some grade A uni (sea urchin) - it was cold and briny and sweet, tasting like the sublime secrets of the deep.

I am a sucker for scallops but I would say that this was the least exciting dish compared to the others. If I come here again, I will pretty much treat it like a raw bar and skip their cooked foods entirely.

While all delicious, there was no way that was enough food, so that night we got some takeout from Niseko Ramen Kazahana. I had read about the hype of the potato ramen (the restaurant prepares a ramen with a layer of potato foam on top), but in retrospect it was too greasy and salty. The place was packed, so it certainly has its fans, but I personally would not go there again.

I wanted to get ramen from the Moon Bar, but they didn't have any takeaway containers!! ( I am guessing they don't believe the ramen should be served in any way except fresh and hot and so, despite being a restaurant, they don't make any provisions for that situation). I felt like I couldn't justify another sit down dinner in the same night, but in hindsight, ramen is such a fast meal - and the Moon Bar so close to where we stayed - that I totally could have zipped out and slurped down a bowl lickety split! Oh well. Next time.

Before we knew it, Friday had rolled around and our week of eating was over. Wah, wah, we were headed to the airport in the afternoon. For lunch, we went to Teuichi-soba Ichimura, which was very tasty and filling. I could easily have eaten another bowl of their noodles, and maybe some tempura too, but I restrained myself. The restaurant is very comfortable (baby friendly) and has a lovely view if you choose the bar seating (which we couldn't do as it's just a single row of seats facing outward).

Lola was wearing a really, really cute striped sweater with a kitten embroidered on her belly - except in all the pictures I somehow managed to cover it. Doh.

We got a duck with leeks soba, tempura flakes and seaweed soba, and a chicken tempura rice cake soba. The rice cakes here, I'm telling you, are like none I've had elsewhere. They are like... a less cheesy version of gnocchi? A hot version of mochi? I don't know, but they are the truth. The restaurant also served up hot complimentary soba tea.