I meant to write an update a few billion times but, since I last wrote, I was in Cebu, Manila, El Nido, Manila, Cebu, Siargao, Cebu and, now, I'm in Japan. So I'll just fast forward to now, shall I?
Nicolas and I were just in Niseko, Hokkaido upon the invitation of French property developer (and future Siargao home owner), Nicolas Gontard, and his lovely Chinese wife, Bellce. Gontard (and his two Norwegian partners)'s company, Odin, owns the nine-room boutique hotel, Kimamaya, where we stayed, as well as the restaurant next to it (The Barn, although its management is being handled by a different company). They also own a commercial center in town called - surprise surprise - Odin Place, which houses their coffee shop, Koko, their bar, Musu, and their Swiss restaurant, The Alpinist.
Following is my mini - unsolicited and objective - guide on where, what, and how to in Niseko.
How to get there:
Apparently, there are a lot of international flights direct to Sapporo. We flew from Tokyo to Sapporo's New Chitose Airport. From there, we took a bus (2-3 hours) to Hirafu, where the manager of Kimamaya picked us up. The hotel was only about two minutes away.
There is one 15-20 minute rest stop during the bus ride. Nicolas is a big fan of the mushroom-cheese sausage that is sold there. He thinks it's the best sausage he's ever had and beats the one we stumbled upon on the streets of Vienna after a night out at the bars. He also recommends the fried Camembert. I recommend shopping for refrigerator magnets and saying hello to Godzilla.
Celebrity sighting in Japan.
What really had Godzilla's proverbial panties in a twist was that some other green creature had already coopted the line, "You wouldn't like me when I'm angry," which left it the only option of what it hoped was a bloodcurdling snarl.
Where to go for breakfast:
Although Kimamaya's breakfasts are served at The Barn, I totally recommend trying Musu's breakfasts. While, yes, Musu is indeed a bar, it is open from 7:30 AM to midnight and serves food. Very good food, as a matter of fact. The eggs benny couldn't have been more perfect. Then maybe grab a chocolate cookie at Koko next door to dip into your coffee. (They're crunchy and a bit burnt, the way I like it. I always ask for the thinnest cookie in the jar.)
The Barn serves breakfast exclusively to Kimamaya guests, but is open to the public for dinner. I liked the Japanese breakfast (salmon, tofu, rice, nori), which has to be ordered a day in advance. Their barista can also make your hot chocolate exactly the way you want it. I like mine dark, with very little milk and sugar.
Where to go for lunch:
Yukitei's star attraction is its udon noodles which are made from potatoes. They had just opened for the season when I went, and had a limited menu on offer. I wanted to return for the rice dishes, but never got the chance. I hear they do hot pots at night.
Bombay Sizzlers has a 1000¥ lunch special that can't be beat. It features a big-ass naan, your choice of curry, Japanese rice, and a salad. I ended up paying about 1400¥ because I upgraded the plain naan to a cheese one (which I totally recommend), and had a sweet lassi to wash it down.
Somoza is a newcomer to the Niseko dining scene and, while I am sure it must be beautiful at night, it is definitely worth a visit during the day. Its Australian owner is an architect. He bought a 150-year old kominka, an old Japanese house, in Tochigi, Honshu then transported and reconstructed it in Hanazono, Niseko. It is now home to the restaurant and an art gallery.
The stark winter scenes provide a dramatic background for the restaurant and the art gallery.
The restaurant.
Somoza only has tasting menus. The food is as artfully crafted as its surroundings.
Where to go for dinner:
Dinner at The Barn is a must. I only had their starters and desserts, all of which I can heartily recommend: the foie gras sushi, the seared beef sushi, the clam chowder, the mussels, the chocolate fondant, and the cheesecake.
Nicolas prefers the raclette over the fondue at The Alpinist, especially because he's French and likes his cheese strong and smelly. It seems that The Alpinist has adjusted the tanginess of its cheese fondue to suit the Asian palette.
If you get a craving for wagyu, head to Bang Bang. Nicolas had a 400-gram A4 steak, while I had a 250-gram A5. They cost about the same, but the difference in quality was apparent. So absolutely worth it. Reservations recommended.
Taru Zushi is a Niseko institution and reservations are a must. This tiny sushi bar is in the middle of Nowhere, Niseko (especially in a snow storm), and it may be difficult to find as its sign is only in Japanese. It is run by an elderly Japanese couple. He is behind the counter and prepares the sushi, while she takes care of everything else. Ask for the omakase and he'll start you off with some wonderfully fresh sashimi, before getting to the serious business of sushi.
Where to go for drinks:
On our first night in Niseko, there was a party at Powder Room, and it reminded me of the scene in Siargao with the establishment owners, staff, and guests mingling in one space. It was a fun night and I remember loving the vibe and the music.
It was the one and only time I smoked in Japan. It would have been rude not to. Nowadays, when you can smoke in a club, you should always be thankful and graciously indulge.
Clowning around with one of the wait staff.
Charly, one of the bartenders at Musu, comes out to play.
Wasn't too keen on the music at Musu ("Macarena"and "Despacito", really???), but the cocktails are a knockout.
This is my clear favorite:
Which is made of this:
Note the lack of any sweet mixers. My kind of drink. Served so sweetly to me by Johann.
We were told that the best bar in Niseko is Gyu Bar, the main entrance of which is a refrigerator door. Unfortunately, on the night that we chose to go, it was closed.
Tamashii also seems to be a popular hangout. It always had a crowd of young people drinking out front.
Must do:
If you're strictly an après-ski person like me, then a Nikka Distillery Tour in Yoichi should be high on your list of things to do. Indeed it might be the only item on the damned list.
There aren't any guided tours for gaijins and, to be honest, I would have rated it a Definite Can-Miss if it weren't for the bar at the Whisky Museum where you can sample any of Nikka's whiskies. For a price, of course. Regular whiskies go for 300¥, but one of the lushes in the crowd clued us on to this bottle:
A bargain at 1000¥ a shot. I had two.
Seriously. Do they really think that those who trek all the way to their distillery are interested in the literature? Of course we want to drink! The free samples at the end of the tour were boring and anticlimactic, but we were more than happy to hoard bottles at the shop.
Our Japan haul, including purchases from Duty Free: 14 whiskies and two gins, plus some whisky-flavoured chocolate.
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