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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Hanakazuki (花かずき)| Japanese Restaurant | Former Aoyama Villa (貴賓館)

My guests and I went to the Former Aoyama Villa (旧青山別邸 or 貴賓館), an important cultural property of Japan, located in Otaru (小樽) the other days.

So-called Herring Mansion is a symbol of herring fishing in the 19th to 20th century, born out of a dream of 17-year-old Masae Aoyama (青山 政恵). Masakichi Aoyama (青山 政吉), his farther and herring billionaire, hired Nenosuke Saito, a chief Imperial carpenter, directing 40 carpenters, plasterers  and joiners to construct this villa. It is very gorgeous, but used during the summer time only!!!
If you are interested in this cultural asset, please refer to my other post→click here!

Well, well, well, we were so hungry that we dropped by "Hanakazuki (花かずき)", a Japanese restaurant adjacent to this mansion.

I love this atmosphere! Look at this Byobu (屏風), Japanese folding screen! How fantastic it is!!

They also have a table room like this↓ While enjoying kimono or a beautiful peony garden out of big windows, guests can have a wonderful lunch time!!

Voila!
One of my guests ordered this seafood bowl (三色丼)! Otaru reminds us of fresh seafood!

The tea cup has a peony design. Yes, we can appreciate a lot of pretty peonies, Masae's favorite flowers, in full bloom, from May to July in their garden.

The other guest ordered a soba and herring sushi set (にしん棒寿司とかけそば).

Herring roe just under the top herring meat is a great accent for the sushi! Crunchy x 2!!!

I ordered a "Herring box lunch (にしんお重)"↓

Herring cooked with soy sauce is very tender and delicious!! Yummy x 2!!

The set comes with local fresh sashimi! Bravo!!

We had a wonderful time in Otaru, an historical city in Hokkaido!

■Where is "the Former Aoyama Villa (旧青山別邸)"?

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■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, January 21, 2013

Rokkatei (六花亭)| Confectionery Shop

"Rokkatei (六花亭)" is one of the most popular confectionery shops in Hokkaido↓

Voila!
This is their sweets set!!! How lucky I am to get such a wonderful present!

Open Sesame!! Hahaha!! 

Tokappu roll (トカップロール) is a Swiss roll filled with fresh cream!! Hokkaido's dairy is perfectly delicious!

They serve an orange cream version, too! Yummy x 2!!!

Do you know Dorayaki (どら焼き)?

Let's open it! It is a bean jam pancake. Do you want to try this traditional Japanese sweets?

Hokkaido is also famous for its beans!

Last but not least, Rokkatei reminds a lot of people of their Strawberry Chocolate White (ストロベリーチョコホワイト)↓

When you cut it................

freeze-dried strawberries are covered with delicious white chocolate! How do you like it? Everything looks great, doesn't it?

If you are interested in their delicious sweets, please go to department stores and airports in Hokkaido!! 

■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, January 19, 2013

Restaurant LUPICIA NISEKO (レストラン ルピシア ニセコ)| Niseko

I'm in Niseko (ニセコ) now again! The snow condition this year is perfect, and ski slopes are packed with a lot of ski and snowboard lovers every day!
Anyway, I took part in a party last night in Niseko.

Look at the sign covered with snow!!! We have  sufficient snow to ski in Niseko this year!

LUPICIA reminds a lot of people of its delicious tea, but they have a restaurant, too!

I love parties very much because I can meet a lot of people through the wonderful opportunities!!

As I was very thirsty,

I enjoyed a lot of wine, beer, sake, and so on. Do you like my excuse? Hahaha!

A lot of dishes with local ingredients were served there such as ...............

smoked salmon,

oysters,

sea urchin mousse,

bouillabaisse, and so on!

I ate and ate, drank and drank, and chatted and chatted.........

We had a great time last night.

■Where is "Restaurant LUPICIA NISEKO (レストラン ルピシア ニセコ)"?


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!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Pan de Pan (パン・デ・パン)| Bakery and Sweets Shop | Kushiro

In Lake Akan (阿寒湖) area, there is my  favorite bakery and sweets shop, "Pan de Pan (パン・デ・パン)↓

Let's enter it!
How cute the cafe corner is! I love the atmosphere!

When you come here, please try these two kinds of cream puff: Mt. Oakan cream puff (雄阿寒シュー) and Mt. Meakan cream puff (雌阿寒シュー)↓

Mt. Oakan cream puff has a lot of delicious but not too sweet custard! Yummy x 2!!!

Mt. Meakan cream puff has a little bit bitter caramel flavored custard! Both of the puff is a cookie type pastry, and soooooooooooo delicious! Which should I order???

The answer is.....................



Both of them! Hahaha!

I love this rich custard with some cherry liqueur!!

But I cannot miss this bitter caramel custard, either!!!!

I really recommend their bread, too!

Constantly they serve 30 kinds of bread! Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

If you like "unique" dessert, how about this miso pudding (みそプリン)? Sounds very exotic, but actually it is very yummy, tasting like caramel!!!!

■Where is "Pan de Pan (パン・デ・パン)"?


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!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Yamaga (手打ちそば やま賀)| Soba Restaurant | Sapporo

Sapporo has a lot of soba restaurants, but not all the restaurants serve delicious soba, of course. Today I'll show you "Yamaga (やま賀)" on the Michelin Guide Hokkaido, serving wonderful soba and tempura.

Let's enter it!

I love this Japanese atmosphere! How peaceful it is!

Addition to the regular soba, they serve seasonal dishes, such as clam rice, oyster tempura, king crab tempura, and so on............

 And I chose a soba and oyster tempura set. Sounds winter in Hokkaido!

Until the set was served, I enjoyed soba tea for a while..........

Voila!
Here comes the oyster seiro set!

All of them are my favorite; asparagus, eggplant, shimeji mushroom, and ............. oysters!!!!

This special soba soup makes these tempura

more delicious!!!! Yummy x 2!!!

Look at the oyster tempura! Sooooooooooo plump!!! Hahaha!

Thier soba look very beautiful, don't they? They use cores of buckwheat only!! That's why the noodles are quite translucent!

The thin and elastic noodles are definitely their artworks!!! Enjoy the distinctive aroma!!

Last but not least, we enjoyed sobayu (そば湯), hot water left in the pot after soba are boiled.

I really recommend this soba restaurant!

■Where is "Yamaga (手打ちそば やま賀)"?


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!