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Friday, December 20, 2013

Sushizen (すし善)Main Restaurant | Authentic Sushi Restaurant | Sapporo

When I have opportunities to entertain important guests from outside of Hokkaido, I always take them to an authentic sushi restaurant, "Sushizen Main Restaurant", in Maruyama, Sapporo.

I love this elegant Japanese restaurant↓

Of course I reserved seats at the bar this time, too so that we can enjoy seeing sushi chef make sushi in front of us!

The menu is depending on the day's catch. Sounds very authentic sushi restaurants, doesn't it? When we went there yesterday ('11/09/16), they serve
Toro (high-quality tuna)
■Abalone
■Mackerel
Sayori (Japanese needlefish)
Syako (mantis prawn)
■Squid
Hokki (Sakhalin surf clam)
Ikura (salmon roe)
■Scallop
■Herring roe
■Salmon
■Arch shell
■Crab
■Sea urchin
■Horse mackerel
■Sea bream
■Japanese flounder
Botan prawn
and so on.......

The case in front of us had a lot of fresh seafood caught in and around Hokkaido!

Usually, when you come here for dinner, it takes around 6,000 to 25,000 yen/ head, but look at the menu for lunch! It's very reasonable!
We ordered a "take" sushi set! It's only 3,465 yen! I cannot believe that we can eat authentic sushi that reasonably at a top-rated sushi bar!

First, they serve this very fresh salad! The sushi chef is very friendly and when we were about to finish eating it, he started to make the first sushi for us. Sounds very professional!

You don't have to dip sushi into soy sauce. He chooses appropriate say sauce for each sushi such as soy sauce only, one with yuzu citrus and so on.... He spreads it on each sushi just before you eat it↓ I love this experienced arts!

■Japanese flounder topped with vinegared very thin kelp seaweed
We enjoyed his artisan techniques from scratch! How perfect it is!

Amaebi (sweet shrimp)
They were caught in the Sea of Japan. You do NOT have to shell shrimps, of course!

Tuna
It was caught in Oma, which is between Hokkaido and Aomori prefecture, and one of the high-quality tuna in Japan! The tuna was zuke (seasoned in advance), that made this tuna more delicious than what it was!

■Scallop
Just before we finished the tuna above, the chef shelled scallop so that we could eat very fresh scallop! Wow! Wow! Wow! We are so impressed with his hospitality!
He recommended to eat it with natural salt! The scallop was caught in Funka Bay, the most popular scallop production site in Hokkaido, and very high-quality, so simple seasoning is the best!

Sanma (Pacific saury)
It was caught off Kushiro, Hokkaido. Sanma in this season is well-balanced between the fish meat and its fat!

■Japanese flying squid
It was broiled on the surface a little bit and topped with very sweet sea urchin! Look at the fine cuts that the chef made on the squid surface! We tasted sushi not only by the tongue but also by the eyes!

■Salmon roe
The salmon season has just began! This is very seasonable roe!!!

Miso soup was served and we noticed the sushi lunch was about to finish...........

■Conger
It was steamed and very fluffy!

■Egg
My father always says to me, "when you go to a sushi bar, try fried egg sushi first. If it's delicious, so are all of the sushi there!

Toro (high-grade tuna) and thinly sliced takuwan (pickled radish)
This tuna was caught in Oma. The chef made rolled sushi with minced tuna on the backbone and takuwan. I really recommend it! You can enjoy the sweet tuna fat!

Last but not least, dessert was served.
My friend chose adzuki bean ice cream↓

And I chose green tea ice cream! Yummy x 2!!!

Yesterday we enjoyed sushi at seats at the bar, but they have some individual rooms like this so that you can keep your privacy!

Just for reference, this is "Matsu course (松)"(5,250 yen)↓



                   



                 
 When you come to Sapporo, why don't you visit the main restaurant of "Sushizen"? There are a few branches in Sapporo, but the service and sushi quality in the main restaurant is the best!

■Where is "Sushizen Main Restaurant (すし善 本店)"?

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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!

Tankei (端渓)| Soba Restaurant | Windsor Hotel TOYA

Would you like to enjoy both delicious soba and beautiful scenery at the same time? If so, I recommend Tankei (端渓) in the Windsor Hotel TOYA (ウインザーホテル洞爺).

Let's go to the 11th floor!

Go through the fancy but peaceful corridor,

you will find "Tankei (端渓)" on your right. Let's enter it!

I love this atmosphere, especially the large bamboo decorations on the table!!!

The beautiful scenery is one of the attractions here! How picturesque Lake Toya seen from the restaurant is!

I love it!

Would you like to drink sake? Don't worry about it! They have several kinds of sake like this↓

Actually sake really goes well with soba!!

They also serve several side dishes such as king crab tempura,

roasted duck and so on......

Today I ordered "cold soba noodles with horseradish and grated radish (蝦夷山わさびおろしそば)".

The wasabi (Japanese horseradish) is not normal one, but mountain one, which has distinctive aroma, and very tasty!!

The soba is thinner than typical ones. We really enjoyed the feeling of soba going down our throat!

Yummy x 2 in my tummy!

This is "Tenseiro soba (天せいろそば)" or a cold soba and tempra set.

Only seasonable vegetables and seafood are used for the tempra! Perfect!

How shiny the soba is!!!

We really enjoyed lunch today!!

■Where is the Windsor Hotel TOYA (ウインザーホテル洞爺)?


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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!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Cafe Blanc (カフェブラン)| Sapporo

We visited "Cafe Blanc (カフェブラン)", a fashionable cafe, on the foot of Mt. Moiwa (see the details→) with my tour guests from Singapore↓

They serve delicious cakes as well as pasta, sandwiches, and quiche....... Sounds wonderful♪

Let's enter it!
I really love this cozy and cute cafe!!!! I hope my guests love it, too!!

This is "White Cream Pasta (ホワイトクリームパスタ)", which comes with its home-made bread. Yummy x 2!!!

This is "Tomato Cream Pasta (トマトクリームパスタ)". The pasta set also comes with salad, and you can choose your favorite dressing.

The dessert time!!!
I really love their pancakes. Today I ordered "Berry Berry". Do you want to take a bit? Hahaha!

How about "Orange and Chocolat"? If you don't know which you should order, I recommend you to order both of them! Perfect!

Don't forget "Mille Crepe"!!
It is not so sweet that you can eat it up even after eating another dessert!

This area has a lot of fashionable cafes serving yummy desserts. I really recommend you to visit one of them after enjoying Mt. Moiwa (藻岩山).

■Where is "Cafe Blanc (カフェブラン)"?


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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!

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Uomasa (魚真)| Sushi Bar | Otaru (小樽)

I enjoyed a huge amount of sushi set for lunch today. This is "Uomasa (魚真)" near JR Otaru Station

Hello!!!

Look at the menu↓ All of them are very reasonable!!!!

This is "Uomasa Nigiri (魚真にぎり)"↓ Can you believe that this sushi set is only 2,600 yen???? Wow! Wow! Wow! Unfortunately I don't like syari, rice part, very much, but really impressed with the cost effectiveness!!!

The set includes abalone,

Botanebi prown, Sakhalin surf clam,

sea urchin, and

Dobinmushi (土瓶蒸し), seafood and mushroom soup steam-boiled in an earthenware teapot↓

We were full!!!! Surprisingly, after lunch, we went to a cafe to eat cheese cake!! 

■Where is "Uomasa (魚真)"?


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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!

Glass Art Gallery (ガラスアートギャラリー) 2013.11.11-2014.1.13/Otaru (小樽)

"Otaru Snow Story (第1章 小樽ゆき物語)" is now held in Otaru, which mainly consist of three events; "Santa Claus Market (サンタ市)"--Nov.30 to Dec.25, 2013--, "machi nabe 100選 (100 selections)"--Dec.13, 2013 to Jan.13, 2014--, and "Winter Shooting Star (冬の流星)"--Dec. 21 to Dec. 23, 2013--..

Look at the "Glass Art Gallery (ガラスアートギャラリー)", one of the special events during the festival↓

Original glass arts created by famous glass studios are displayed at JR Otaru station.↓

Yes! Otaru is sometimes dubbed as a glass city.

This event is held from Nov. 11, 2013 to Jan. 13, 2014.

I should come back here to join other events!!!

■Where is Otaru (小樽)?


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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!

Saturday, November 02, 2013

Lake Toro (塘路湖)

As my tour guests asked me to drop by somewhere beautiful on the way back to Kushiro,  I chose Lake Toro (塘路湖).

Now is the best season to see autumnal leaves around here!

 We enjoyed trekking around the lake for a while.......

How beautiful and peaceful the lake is!!

Actually I sometimes come here during the summer time, because this lake is a famous spot for...............

canoeing!! I really love outdoor sports very much!

We were so excited to encounter wild animals such as red foxes......

■Where is Lake Toro (塘路湖)?


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!