If you’re unfamiliar with the term, an izakaya is a type of gastropub in Japan. It’s the Japanese equivalent of an American bar (like Cheers) or an Irish pub. They’re informal and unpretentious establishments where office workers would go to loosen their ties and get a quick drink after work.
When doing research for this trip, I saw many locals refer to Ramen Alley as a tourist trap, a place to steer clear from if you were serious about miso ramen. They warned of the ramen restaurants in downtown Sapporo that served them with sweet corn (gasp!). Sweet corn in ramen is for tourists they said, and something to avoid at all costs.
Otaru is a small port town less than an hour away by train from Sapporo. It’s a lovely town known for its beautifully preserved canal, its wealth of dairy shops, and the freshest seafood. Some say that the best seafood in Hokkaido can be found right here in Otaru.
I’ll be honest. Malaysian food isn’t something I look for often, but if I had to make a list of my favorite Southeast Asian dishes, …
We visited Nijo Market a few days before and oysters there were priced at JPY 150-200 apiece. At Gotsubo? Just JPY 105 each for a minimum order of five. If that isn’t enticing enough, the owner throws in an extra oyster or two if he likes you. Just kidding. He does it for everyone.
The red brick of the Sapporo Beer Museum is a striking sight, especially in winter when it’s framed against the whiteness of the snow. Sapporo is one of the oldest beer brands in Japan and has been brewing here in Hokkaido since 1877.
Japan is one of the best places in the world to have crab and their love for it is apparent nearly everywhere you go. Typically eaten in winter, some of the country’s finest crab can be found right here in Hokkaido. From the snow crabs to the king crabs to the hairy crabs to the thorny crabs, the variety and freshness of crab on this island is second to none.
Jingisukan or Genghis Khan is rumored to have gotten its name in prewar Japan, when lamb was thought to be the meat of choice among Mongolian soldiers. The dome-shaped skillet commonly used today is meant to represent the soldiers’ helmets which they allegedly used to cook their food.
As amazing as Hokkaido’s dairy products were, the single best dairy product I ate on this trip didn’t come from Sapporo. It came from a little patisserie high up in the mountains of Kumamoto prefecture in Kyushu.
I fell in love with unagi the first time I tasted it and it’s become one of my favorite foods. I’ve had it in many places but this was hands down the best unagi I have ever eaten in my life.