The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps
If you’ve not been to cold countries and you’re thinking of how to start layering clothes for winter, you’ve come to the right place! And you must definitely read Part 1 and this post if you’re a Singaporean and a female. In Part 1, I shared important tips to fight the …
If you’ve not been to cold countries and you’re thinking of how to layer clothes for winter, you’ve come to the right place! And you must definitely read on if you’re a Singaporean and a female. Being from tropical Singapore, I am like most Singaporeans …
We stayed at Ki Niseko, where An Dining and An Café & Bar are located on the ground floor. They offer both fine and casual dining. The Head Chef, Shinichi Maeda, uses only the freshest Hokkaido produce in his dishes. Yes, we did see cartloads of fresh seafood arriving one afternoon when we were leaving the hotel.
Our daily buffet breakfast was served at An Dining. The food was a fusion of east and west, with a leaning towards an English breakfast. It was not too bad but nothing to shout about.
But the food tasted better during lunch. For one of our two ski break lunches at Niseko, I tried the chicken and avocado sandwich at An Dining. With their menu on the pricier end, this simple fare costs ¥650 (~S$8). We ordered the cheapest on the menu because we didn’t want to spend too much on lunch. Moreover, we didn’t want to be too full as we had to ski for another few hours after lunch.
This was where we had our dinner for the first night. Yokasu Yakitori serves yakitori cooked on traditional bincho charcoal grills, other izakaya-style dishes and a wide selection of alcohol. Hidden in a small alley near the Seicomart, it’s camouflaged in the dark with its black walled entrance. Then, walk down a flight of stairs and enter into the BBQ smoky restaurant and bar.
There’s a bar counter at the front and tables at the back. We had to squeeze at the bar counter because the place was super crowded when we were there. We ordered the Yakitori donburi and a few other sticks. One of the skewers had this fatty pork meat which melted in our mouths. It was juicy and so so so good! All the skewers were fresh off the grill and delicious, but overpriced in our opinion. We spent ¥2,717 (S$34) on probably 2-3 sticks plus one donburi.
Open till late and a good place to enjoy your après-ski alcohol and yakitori snacks.
Open daily (Winter only): 18:00 – 24:00
170-138 Yamada, Abuta-gun, Kutchan-cho 044-0081
With the various shuttle buses* available, get around Niseko or Kutchan to hunt for the dining place you so desire to try. Or you can try walking in the snow like us (Ki Niseko shuttle stopped due to the poor road conditions from heavy snow).
*Shuttle Buses: Niseko United Shuttle, free Hirafu Village Grand Shuttle Bus, Hanazono Bus, Hilton Shuttle Bus, Kutchan Night Go Bus.
Additional Tip: For 500 yen per ride, Yumeguri Onsen Shuttle Bus (Spa Bus) takes you to all the onsens in Niseko from early evening till night. Inquire at your accommodation or tourist information centres.
We walked towards the Seicomart at Middle Hirafu, and the Yokasu Yakitori was near there. Along the way we saw a food truck that was not too crowded, but we skipped it to go for one of our shortlisted dining places. But there were many places we didn’t manage to go. So here’s the list of places we missed:
For those with sweet tooth…
We didn’t order much from Yokasu Yakitori because of the overpriced menu. It was delicious, but it made us feel that Niseko is generally an expensive place. Hence we were still hungry and hoping to find some cheaper food at the conveience store, Seicomart.
When we reached Seicomart, we noticed something interesting. At Yokasu Yakitori, the Caucasians dominated the place, at Seicomart, the Asians dominated it. We heard people from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore! The Asians really know how to pinch their pennies and find affordable food.
The takeaway bento set and finger food at Seicomart looked and tasted good. We bought 2 donburi rice bowl sets and kept them for our lunch the next day. We simply microwaved them in our serviced apartment kitchen at Ki Niseko before eating. It was super value for money! So if you are on budget, head to Seicomart. It’s huge and carries a wide variety of food – from bentos to cup noodles to fresh fruits. Yummmy!
photo credit:www.grand-hirafu.jp/winter/en/restaurant/ace-hill.html
As mentioned, we had donburi from the convenience store for the lunch break of our first ski lesson day. For our second day, we wanted to try the food at .Base Cafe. That’s the easiest and nearest place from the base of the ski lifts to get lunch. As first timers, we were around the base and it was cumbersome for us to walk far in our boots. Moreover, we weren’t confident in taking the ski chair lifts by ourselves – we were both noobs.
But the .Base Cafe was closed for a private event!! Wuuuuuutttt? It was a busy ski slope that day and they closed it for a few guys wearing their suits!? Argh, so we had no choice but to walk to the next nearest place, An Dining (see above).
If you don’t mind a little more walk, you can head towards Niseko Alpen for Slalom restaurant (¥1,000 to ¥1,500), Shokusai Hirafu, or Sweets and Cafe by Grand Hirafu and Milk Kobo. Or go even further in another direction to Tanta an (¥1,400 to 2,000).
Otherwise, for restaurants near the ski lifts at Niseko Grand Hirafu, such as the 1000m hut at the top of Ace pair lift #3, find out more at the Grand Hirafu website.
A place worth mentioning but not found in the Grand Hirafu website is Boyoso. It’s at the top of Holiday Pair Lift #1. Ski down or take the ski lift up and hike a distance to this restaurant. It is in a warm log cabin halfway up the slope under the Hirafu Gondola. The place serves katsu curry, don and soba and is one of the cheapest places to eat lunch while skiing on these slopes. However the place is too small to handle the lunch crowd at 12:00pm. So be sure to get there earlier if you can.
Or if your lunch time is not strict, you can venture further to Shokukobo Shunsai for venison steak and local food. The set lunch is value for money, and its wine selection cheaper than most places in the area. It’s a minute walk from JR Kutchan Station.
All Rights Reserved: All photos (unless credited) on travel.joogo.sg. Disclaimer: All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Travel.joogo.sg and/or the author shall not be held responsible for any injury, loss, expense or damage of any kind whatsoever suffered or incurred by any person who accesses or uses the information and external websites stated above.
With day plans to ski or snowboard on Niseko’s powdery snow, it’s vital to find a place to rest those tired muscles on a comfortable bed. Better still, soak them in an onsen. Before you search for that perfect accommodation, make your planning easier by reading where …
Niseko is a town located in Hokkaido, Japan. Famous for its ski resorts in Japan, there are endless light powder snow, spectacular backdrop, long ski runs, trail skis and many after-ski activities. I assume you already have plans to ski or snowboard on Niseko’s powdery …
A main reason why we chose Noboribetsu Onsen Town over Toyako with Lake Toya is because we wanted to stay in a ryokan. So, we ended up at Takinoya Bekkan Tamanoyu (滝乃家別館 玉乃湯) at Noboribetsu.
Read the previous post for the decision process and our itinerary around Noboribetsu.
“A ryokan is a type of traditional Japanese inn that originated in the Edo period (1603–1868), when such inns served travelers along Japan’s highways. They typically feature tatami-matted rooms, communal baths, and other public areas where visitors may wear yukata and talk with the owner” – Wikipedia
Takinoya Bekkan Tamanoyu (“Tamanoyu” 玉乃湯 ryokan) should not be confused with Takinoya (滝乃家), a high end onsen hotel in Noboribetsu.
We were initially hesitant to go with Tamanoyu because the rooms have no attached shower (except for a room that was already reserved). Guests have to shower in the gender separated public baths and onsens – we were shy, even though I had showered in such public baths in other countries. That was with other girlfriends, and now I was alone, it was intimidating. In the end, it didn’t turn out to be a big issue for us. Find out why below.
photo: welcome drink and snack that was v delicious
This ryokan was superbly awesome that I don’t feel like sharing here. I want to be able to still get a room there easily. Hehe. It’s a well hidden secret, although hubby’s friend went there recently too. But then again, it’s too good not for me to share!
We took the bus from Noboribetsu JR station to the bus terminal in the Onsen Town. Tamanoyu did not have any pick up service for us even though the reservation stated, “Pick-up service is available from Noboribetsu Onsen bus terminal”. It could be that the road condition was bad that day. It’s about 2-3 minutes by car and 5 – 10 minutes up the hill by foot. I think we took more than 10 minutes because of the slippery, wet and uneven conditions of the road/slope.
Room Type? Japanese-style room (wifi, breakfast and dinner inclusive)
When? One night on 29 Feb 2016
Paid? For 2 pax, ¥25,920 (S$325.30) and ¥300 (S$3.80) hot spring tax. (booked through japanican.com)
You may have to settle fees for infants separately at the establishment. A fee of up to ~JPY 4,000 per night per infant for use of facilities.
We saw this doll decoration in the lobby and also other places. Later we found out that it’s in celebration of Hinamatsuri (Doll’s Day or Girls’ Day). Japan celebrates this special day on March 3 every year.
“Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of ornamental dolls representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.” – Wikipedia
When we arrived, we had to take off our shoes and put in a locker. Then, we had to choose the clothing to wear around the place – the onsen, restaurant, etc. Hubby chose the Samue (2-piece) while I chose the Yukata (1-piece). The outer wear jacket was to keep us warm in the cooler winter temperature.
We also had to decide on our breakfast time (7:30am, 8:00am, 8:30am) and dinner time (5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm) and the staff told us there’s only 5:30pm left. But we arrived late at Noboribetsu and so we insisted on 6:00pm. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have time to walk around the Onsen Town and Hell Valley. We were even slightly late at 6:00pm! Oops.
photo taken in the lobby set up
There were touches of ‘Japanese traditional’ everywhere in Tamanoyu, from the lobby to the entrance to the room. And boy the futon beds were super comfortable. We fell asleep immediately, but also probably because we were tired and… read on!
Explore the room and open up the boxes to find trinkets and tea~ :)
Although I read reviews complaining that there is only two small onsens for each gender, it didn’t deter me. I like the fact that Tamanoyu is not crowded anywhere – area, public bath and onsen – because of its limited number of rooms. Other hotels have too many tour groups crowding the public bath and onsen. True, there’s a greater variety of thermal waters, but I rather cosy up in a small onsen. It’s all about personal preference!
Tamanoyu’s public bath was empty most of the time when I was there, at most 2 people in the same space. So it was good. Furthermore, the onsen had many good quality toiletries to use – facial wash, body wash, shampoo, lotions, etc.
There were an outdoor onsen and an indoor onsen. For the outdoor onsen, I had to run naked in the cold and quickly dipped in the hot spring. The temperature change was shioook!
I regretted not taking photo – Tamanoyu doesn’t allow cameras inside, duh, but I had the whole place to myself for quite a number of occasion! But I always forgot to bring my phone down. I beat myself over it because I was blown over by a scene I like to share. The surroundings of the outdoor onsen was covered in thick snow. Imagine this place covered in snow:
Image credit: Rakuten
Okay, this photo doesn’t justify the beauty. You have to experience it yourself in winter. Sitting inside the onsen, I saw snow falling and melting the moment they touched the hot water. It was simply meditative soaking in the onsen.
Other onsens in Niseko and Otaru don’t meet the standards of this place – the public bath products, the hot spring water, etc. I didn’t think I could feel any difference between the different hot springs, but my skin was really smooth and I felt much better after a soak in Tamanoyu onsen compared to others. It’s not without reason that Noboribetsu is famous for its onsen.
p.s. please follow the onsen etiquette. there’s cold water outside the onsen entrance. you can drink it up before and after your onsen session.
Please go for the breakfast and dinner plan. They have awesome food! I was initially apprehensive because I am not a raw food person. But the cooked food was enough to make me very full!
Most of the people, except us, were wearing their Yukata or Samue in the dining area. They had likely gone to soak in the onsen before dinner, so that they could go sleep after eating. Apparently this is the recommended way for onsen. Because you have to wait for an hour after eating before you can soak in an onsen.
photo: dinner
We didn’t do it that way because I prefer to shower before I sleep and not stink… but after our dinner, we were really sleepy. Perhaps the heat from the food grill made us super sleepy, like in a sauna where the muscles become relaxed. At least for me. So it would have been perfect if we had soaked in the onsen and thereafter ate.
After dinner, we tried hard to stay awake for an hour. Then we went to the public bath and onsen to wash up and soak. The good thing was, by this time, we had the whole onsen to ourselves.
photo: dinner
About the food, we get to choose the food sticks to grill over charcoal. For the other dishes, they were in two small servings. There were many dishes! Everything was served to your table. Overall, a delicious meal! I highly recommend you to get their meal plan. In this way, you can soak in the onsen, eat the good food and sleep!
The breakfast was less happening, but still delicious! Some dishes were served to your table while others were in buffet style. But it was still a filling meal that helped us survived our missed lunch later in the day as we left Noboribetsu. Read what happened after we checked out of Tamanoyu.
photo: breakfast
Oh there’s usually a rice making session at 9am, daily. The teacher serving our table during dinner and he had made sure I would go down for the session. But during breakfast, he told us the session was cancelled. Wondered why… but in any case we could not have make it because of certain unexpected circumstance. Read what happened after we checked out of Tamanoyu.
I really miss this place a lot – the onsen, the food, the futon. This place is highly recommended based on my experience. Would love to go back again.
Related Posts: Overview Itinerary: Hokkaido and Tokyo (Winter/Spring 2016) Tomamu, The Tower (Resort) Pocket Wifi or Prepaid SIM Card in Japan? Top 5 Things to Do in New Chitose Airport Sapporo
Travelled in February/March 2016
All Rights Reserved: All photos (unless credited) on travel.joogo.sg. Disclaimer: All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. Travel.joogo.sg and/or the author shall not be held responsible for any injury, loss, expense or damage of any kind whatsoever suffered or incurred by any person who accesses or uses the information and external websites stated above. Full disclaimer here.
Toyako (Lake Toya) or Noboribetsu in Winter? We wanted to enjoy Hokkaido’s natural hot spring (“Onsen”) and was deciding between two Onsen towns: Toyako and Noboribetsu in winter. They are near to each other, but it’s hard to travel between the two places unless you have a …
Continuing from Part 1 with useful information of transportation in Hokkaido, I was contemplating whether to write about our experience. I decided to go ahead because I know it will prep you better for whatever that might happen while travelling on the JR Train in Hokkaido during winter.I …