2/22/23 ## Sapporo ### Eat - [Shihachi](https://goo.gl/maps/zimxKUhzuLLovyZk6) - Ivy says this is her favorite restaurant in ALL of Japan. Bold claims. She came back here 4 times, pushing back our bus to Niseko just to make one more trip here. - [Soft Cream House](https://goo.gl/maps/vK8sRNHgDUqfQXLP7) - Cremia is our top rec no matter where you are in Japan, and this is the one place to get it in downtown Sapporo! No other ice cream even comes close in its milkyness and softness - Soup Curry - a Hokkaido specialty. As the name suggests, it’s curry… but soupier. [Chaos Heaven](https://goo.gl/maps/c9LXRuATF2EH5btF9) is the #1 rated amongst locals, [Garaku](https://goo.gl/maps/pu8eik65TvjSUPin7) is the hypest in Western sites. We only tried Chaos Heaven and highly recommend it - Jingisukan (named after Genghis Khan) - a lamb bbq that’s common in Hokkaido. [Sapporo Beer Garden](https://goo.gl/maps/xjevJJVipmDBnBj49) is a good place to get it, make sure to reserve in advance. You can do all you can eat or a fancier set menu and pair it with Sapporo (the brewery) beers that are only available here. [Daruma](https://goo.gl/maps/EL4CaRNStUTYSGjS9) is a decent alternative. - Miso ramen - a Sapporo specialty. Tastes especially good with Hokkaido milk butter + corn. [Keyaki](https://goo.gl/maps/qjGP5SJkWicJysge8) is the best but the line was 1-2 hours every time we went **Stay**: Near Susukino or Odori station. That’s where all the food is ## Hakodate ### Eat - Uni - you won’t find better than here. If you had it elsewhere, it might have tasted funky or slimy, but there’s none of that here. Just pure creamy and sweet. And you can get heaps of it for cheap. [Uni Murakami](https://goo.gl/maps/b41fwdEcbYQBMTVx7) is the best known place where you can get it many different ways (don, tempura, croquette, gratin, etc) but it’s twice as expensive as the other places in the fish market and tbh those are just as good - Desserts - Hakodate has an abundance of tasty and unique desserts. We got a different one every day and they were all great. A couple of our favorites: [Petite Merveille](https://goo.gl/maps/QZj3PJLAdwGZm8kg6), sweet potato + soft serve from this [matcha shop](https://goo.gl/maps/SFGXNrGEFh9Yusig9), tofu shiratama parfait at [Kikuizama](https://goo.gl/maps/chVWnVWvtxkik6Zs7), sweet potato parfait at [Cafe Tutu](https://goo.gl/maps/Y6a8n1YGUGQsmP7e8) - Shio ramen - a specialty of Hakodate. [Ajisai](https://goo.gl/maps/tNnsoDzXSEH7Ankn9) is a well known chain that makes the broth from scallops. We also had great shio ramen from other small shops - [Yoshida Shouten](https://goo.gl/maps/xEi9g8xi6d6GBR6c8) - our favorite soup curry in Hakodate - [Benten Sushi](https://goo.gl/maps/rKp76oXA3sFbM9wJA) - pretty dang good omakase for <$20, run by a cute old couple - [Lucky Pierrot](https://goo.gl/maps/Xz5K7j3ZpA5P4KS19) - a unique burger chain that hasn’t made it outside of Hakodate for whatever reason. Get the chicken burger ### Stay - We really liked where we stayed near Jujigai. It was cheap, still has access to both tram lines, and is central for accessing all the places south (ropeway, desserts, historical spots) + north (fish market mostly) - That said, you absolutely MUST stay at least one night at [Kappo Ryokan Wakamatsu](https://goo.gl/maps/FhUdBTUEuL5BQx2QA). The Japanese rooms have gorgeous seaside views, the onsens are so relaxing, and the kaiseki is Michelin-starred. It’s close to the airport but far from everything else, so it’d be best to tack on a day or two at the beginning or end of your trip ### Do - Mt Hakodate - take the ropeway up. Great view of the city, bonus points that you can get Cremia in a cafe there! - Goryokaku Tower - cool viewpoint + some history ## Niseko **Do**: If you’re coming to Niseko in the winter, there’s really only one reason. The powder is soooo fluffy, it’ll be some of the best skiing/snowboarding you do in your life **Eat**: [Niseko Takahashi Cheese Tart](https://goo.gl/maps/1NkYMgUCrApdQx2r9) - we could’ve eaten a whole meal of these they were so good. Nothing else we ate was worth writing home about. Ski food is ski food, they’re not the main event. ### Stay - For maximum flexibility, stay in a chalet and get a car so that you can access any of the resorts / restaurants. Closures are fairly common due to weather, this way you’re better able to decide in the moment where to go - If you want to do ski in ski out, we'd recommend Annupuri or Hanazono. Those had the best powder. Hirafu's the most crowded and Niseko Village was kind of icy (at least when we were there). That said, Hirafu does have the best food and Niseko Village is the most central without being as crowded. The good thing about ski in ski out is the convenience of being at the slopes. The downside is that depending on weather, your resort may not have many lifts open and it’s harder to get to the other resorts without a car ## Other Parts We didn’t visit the other cities this time around, but Owen did visit Hokkaido in 2016 and then again for a road trip in 2017. Take these recs with a grain of salt since they’re from a younger Owen who had different (worse?) taste - If you’re interested in a unique and unexpected experience, make your way to Rebun Island and stay at Momoiwa Youth Hostel. Just book a stay, don’t read too much online and ruin the surprise for yourself - Hike up Mount Rishiri on Rishiri Island, the view is spectacular - Furano during the spring is nice for the colorful flower fields and lavender ice cream - [Misaki](https://goo.gl/maps/BkG7m4xSuEEyc2jr6) - they serve a rare red uni don that’s absolutely amazing, but they only have ~20 bowls of it per day. The fisherman goes fishing every morning at 4am to get it. We drove from Otaru at 5am to line up for it. There’s nothing else in the area so staying nearby isn’t recommended. This is only for if you realllllly love food**