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Sunday, July 08, 2012

Gousetsu Udon (豪雪うどん)| Potato Udon Noodles | Kucchan (倶知安)

Udon noodles are usually made of flour, but "Gousetsu Udon noodles (豪雪うどん)" are made of Irish Cobbler potato (男爵いも). Are you interested in the special noodles? Let's go to "Restaurant Baron (レストランバロン)" in Kucchan near Niseko!

Although I came here before their restaurant hours, they kindly served udon for me!! Thank you, the owner!!! It takes 10 minutes from JR Kucchan station to this restaurant!

These are the special potato noodles!

As I was very hungry, I ordered "Stamina Udon (スタミナうどん)", which has a lot of toppings!

Voila!!!
This is my favorite!

Toppings include prawn tempura, basil tempura, wakame seaweed, nameko mushrooms, kimchi, grated Japanese yam, egg, and so on! Perfect!!

The broth is non-fatty and clear like this! Of course, I drank it up! Hahaha!

Look at the potato noodles. They are translucent! I love the elastic and chewy noodles! Yummy x 2!!!

How huge the prawn tempura is!

On the 1st floor of Hotel Daiichi Kaikan (ホテル第一会館), we can buy a set of the noodles and soup. These are good for souvenirs!!

■Where are "Restaurant Baron (レストランバロン)"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Saturday, July 07, 2012

TARCHE Sushi Corner (タルシェ 寿司コーナー)| Sushi Bar | Otaru Station

Today I came to Otaru with my tour guests. After eating lunch, I became hungry again, and went to JR Otaru station. Why? Because it has a very attractive mart named "TARCHE (タルシェ)"!

They have a wide variety of local products. Sounds great, doesn't it?
The mart also has a sushi bar, which is produced by "Isezushi (伊勢鮨)", a Michelin sushi bar in Otaru! 
*If you're interested in "Isezushi (伊勢鮨)", please refer to my other post→

This is a standing sushi bar, serving delicious sushi at reasonable prices!

See?? Unbelievably cheap!

Voila!
I ordered today's special! This set is only 1,500 yen!!! How lucky I am!
July is one of the best months to eat scallops, sea bream (caught off Otaru), Sakhalin surf clam (caught off Tomakomai), and sea urchin (caught off Otaru)!

I additionally ordered two pieces of sea urchin sushi! Hahaha! I really love local products!

■Where is "TARCHE Sushi Corner (タルシェ 寿司コーナー)"?

View Larger Map


■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Monday, July 02, 2012

Chocolate Factory (白い恋人パーク)| Amusement Facility | Sapporo

Chocolate Factory (白い恋人パーク) is not a normal factory, but a fantastic space with a toy exhibition room, the Rose Garden, a coke buffet to allow visitors to savor Ishiya's original sweets, and the Cookiecraft Studio where budding confectioners can make their own Shiroi Koibito cookies. The things visitors see, taste, and experience here will make for truly "sweet" memories of their trip!

Let's go!

In front of the facility, there is the Rose Garden where we can enjoy beautiful seasonable flowers such as tulips in the spring time, and right now....................

Voila!
Roses are in full bloom!!!

How beautiful the garden is!

Can you believe that you do NOT have to pay any admission fee to see the beautiful flowers??

I love this space!!

Shall we go to the museum section?
In the Hot Chocolate Cup Room, the collection showcases treasured chocolate cups that are no longer produced!

"All-floral motif" made by Meissen is the most expensive cup in this room, which is as expensive as a gorgeous car!

I love the chocolate boxes and packages, too!

When you come here, please learn how to make chocolate with fun attractions like this↓

How lovely the wall of the assembly line is!

Would you like to make original cookies? In the Cookiecraft Studio, visitors can make confections including their own design of heart-shaped Shiroi Koibito cookies!!!

When you feel hungry, how about taking a rest at the cafe?

Everything here look delicious! What should we order??? Hahaha!

We ordered.........

this delicious hot chocolate! Yummy x 2!!!

On the first floor, of course we can buy their original sweets such as Shiroi Koibito cookies.
*Shiroi Koibito (白い恋人) means white lovers in Japanese.

Recently the Candy Labo was opened and

we can enjoy freshly-made candies here!

Last, but not least, I really recommend their soft ice cream!!

They serve vanilla, chocolate, mix, and...............

Shiroi Koibito soft ice cream, which includes white chocolate, the same ingredient of Shiroi Koibito cookies! This is super-delicious!

In the compound, there are several kids houses,

a locomotive running around the facility,

a gingerbread house, a candy cottage,

tree house, and

some other attractions like this. This facility is like a fairyland!

Just for reference, the facility in the winter time is also very attractive↓

Especially during the Christmas season,

we can enjoy the beautiful illumination like this↓

■Where is "Chocolate Factory (白い恋人パーク)"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Soba Jun (そば順)| Soba Restaurant | Date

There are a lot of delicious soba restaurants in Hokkaido, but how about "Soba Jun (そば順)" in Date city in Lake Toya area?

This restaurant is so popular that the president of Singapore has visited here! Actually I've known this restaurant since I was eight years old! I'm sure I'm one of the longest and biggest fans of this restaurant in the world! Hahaha!

Except seats at the bar, there are tatami rooms with low tables like this↓, and

tatami rooms with normal tables like this↓ Since I was with guests from Singapore, I booked this room!

Look at the Japanese garden! Time tickled by very slowly here!

Voila!
We ordered a soba and tempura bowl set!

I love their prawn tempura, but really recommend their octopus tempura! When you come here, please try it!!

Of course, their soba is perfect! I really recommend cold soba so that you can enjoy its distinctive soba aroma!

■Where is "Soba Jun Main Restaurant (そば順伊達本店)"?

View Larger Map
■Tour guide information■
Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?I'll guide you! Plz click here!