Hokkaido is famous for its fresh produce. Apparently, because of its cold and clean water, the seafood are extraordinarily fleshy and the fruits are abnormally sweet. I can vouch for that! The corn, potato, pumpkin, onion, honey melon are super sweet, juicy and crispy. The pumpkin, I hate pumpkin actually, but it is so creamy and velvety that I did not mind carrying it through almost 10 hours of flight and the long journey back to Malaysia for my granny to try. Anyway, here's a quick glance at the lovely delicacies we had in Sapporo and Tokyo.
Pork Ramen at Rera Outlet Park, I rate it No: 1, whipped up by 櫻島拉麵, a ramen chain quite commonly found in Sapporo. The pork broth is clear yet flavorful, the noodle is springy but infused with the sweetness of the soup. The egg has the perfect half-melted yolk. Each bowl was about 900Yen (RM36) , I drank till the last drop of it.
The famous Sapporo beer was like elixir of happiness in the cold weather. Cold, crisp and clean in taste, love it!
Sapporo's specialty "Genghis Khan" - BBQ lamb served with vegetables, soy sauce dips but no oil. It emits heady aroma. There were a few Genghis Khan outlets near our Susukino hostel, I was happily intoxicated most of the time!
Oh this is some sort of famous Hokkaido dessert, cream and raisin sandwiched in melt-in-the-mouth butter cookies.
The Hokkaido crabs that have been enjoying epicurean attention from around the world! The three kings there are Hairy Crab, King Crab and Snow Crab. The picture shown below is King Crab, we had earlier mistaken them for Snow Crab which can actually grow up to thrice their size!
The aunty at the Susukino seafood market carefully cutting the King Crab and Hairy Crab into small pieces for our convenience. We simply simmered the crab in water the steamboat style at our hostel to savor the original flavor, the meat was sooooo sweet.
The abundance of produce sold at the Susukino fish market. We bought one Hairy Crab and one King Crab at 5,500yen (RM220), my aunt is the haggle queen!
We found out the next day that we had mistaken the King Crab (far left, misleadingly called 鳕蟹 in Chinese) for Snow Crab (my aunts are holding their legs). We "wowed" so loud when the handsome seafood seller showed us the frozen Snow Crab legs, blush blush, they were so much bigger! The taste? Hairy Crab is yummy but the texture is relatively rough, King Crab is yummier as it is more succulent, Snow Crab is the yummiest with its delicate, marsh mellow-like meat!
After a walk in the Susukino seafood market, enjoy fresh sushi at the Osanai Restaurant located near the market.
Our steamboat dinner at the humble Weekly Sapporo Hostel, complete with sea urchin, salmon roe and scallop. (Can someone tell me why this photo refuses to lie horizontally??)
King Crab vs Snow Crab.
Japanese desserts bought from the supermarket. Love the combination of mint leave, mochi and red bean.
The Hokkaido experience is incomplete without the dairy products such as caramel, chocolate and soft ice cream especially. Here there's the three of us in Otaru.
I fell in love with this at first bite and I will probably fall in love with the person who brings this to me again. Seriously, I do not know what this is called but it cannot be bought back for the filling is fresh from the fridge. It should be raspberry yogurt cheese, sandwiched in flaky, delicate butter biscuits slathered with cream cheese. Love it to the max!
Cold Soba in Sesame Sauce spiced up with a dash of wasabi in Ueno, Tokyo. Mushroom Soba Soup to bask in autumn. Japanese Curry to feel closer to home.
I must recommend this, the best Udon I've ever had. It is simply udon served cold with a bit of minced chicken in Soya Gravy, but the flavor is unique and the udon's texture is soft and springy just like mochi, fully infused with sweetness of the gravy. It was a surprise find in the Ginza area.
Finally, a simple cup of hot coco at Akihabara the mecca of gadgets, watching the mad rush outside at my own pace.
1 comment:
nice....
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