
Tag: Japanese

Arinko Onigiri

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥250 - ¥500 |
Opening Hours | 08:00 - 22:00 10:22 - 22:00 *Depending on location |
Closed | - |
Contact | http://onigiri-arinko.com/ |
Notes | Rice ball snack restaurant, no smoking, 6 locations in Sapporo, coffee & side dish available |
Location / Getting There | 8 locations, please see map below for reference and access |
In the city of Sapporo, if you are in search of a quiet place to grab a quick bite to eat you can try out Arinko Onigiri. There are six Arinko shops in Sapporo. You can find them in popular spots such as Sapporo Station, the popular Sitatte, the Pole Town shopping walkway, or Aurora Town to name a few. An ‘Onigiri’ is simply a rice ball. It is steamed rice wrapped in dried seaweed (nori) and is usually molded into a triangle shape or oval shape. Within the center of the rice the onigiri has various fillings. Onigiri has an ancient history. It was during the Heian period (794-1185), balls of rice called tonjiki were eaten on picnics and while traveling. Onigiri was traditionally stuffed with umeboshi.
Originally, these rice balls were often wrapped in dried bamboo sheathes for handling while on the move. The custom of covering them in dried nori started around the mid-1800s. Since the umeboshi days, you can find a plethora of fillings such as salmon, cheese, cod roe, egg, pork, and numerous fish. With all this mind, take some time out to enjoy this quick snack that goes back hundreds of years. At Arino Onigiri you can munch down on some nice (and cheap) Onigiri. These are served with piping hot miso soup, making for a delicious paring.

Asia‐Tei Trang Tron

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 lunch ¥3000 dinner |
Opening Hours | 11:30 - 15:00 lunch 17:00 - 22:00 dinner |
Closed | Sundays |
Contact | 011-211-0102 |
Notes | Southeast Asian restaurant, seating 26, no smoking, no parking, take out available, all you can drink party plan |
Location / Getting There | Dwell Nakajima Koen 1F, 3 Chome-1-11, Minami 9 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0809, Japan |
If you are around Odori Park taking in the sights and are looking for a place for lunch or dinner, then you can find some fantastic Asian cuisine at Asia-Tei Trang Tron. It is here you can find some of your favorite dishes from Asia, especially from the south east. They have some great Thai dishes such as Poo Pad Pong Garee (king crab curry), or Kai Yang (Thai Chicken Grill). Other dishes come from Vietnam, but what makes this restaurant so great is its Asian fusion. Tom Yum Kung with shrimp and Maitake mushrooms is a must try!
The interior is cozy and comfortable and the dishes are beautifully presented. And what better way to add to that fresh spring and summer food then with some cold imported beer. They have Singha (Thailand), Tiger (Singapore), Purpapar (Vietnam), or Pintan (Indonesia). For those in groups, they do have a party plan which includes a nomihodai (all you can drink) plan. There are two types of party plans. One party plan comes with a nomihodai and seven dishes for ¥5500 per person. The other has eight dishes and costs ¥6500 per person. There is some great food here with a great fusion of Japanese and Southeast Asian cuisine!

Sanpachi Ramen

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
Opening Hours | Many stores in Hokakido Generally from 11:00 - 20:30 |
Closed | - |
Contact | https://www.collagekids.nl/ |
Notes | Ramen store chain, 11 stores in Sapporo, 1 store in Kutchan, 1 store in Abashiri, and 1 store in Wakkanai |
Location / Getting There | Various locations in Sapporo (check google maps). Kutchan location is along main street in town. Abashiri store is in the center of town. Check the google maps at the end of article. |
Sanpachi Ramen is a big chain of ramen stores. The restaurants can predominately found in Sapporo, with eleven stores. Other ramen restaurants can be found in the town of Kutchan, Abashiri, Wakkanai, and the central city of Asahikawa. For those locations, see the maps at the end of the article. This large chain has the standard ramen dishes of miso, soy sauce, and shio (salt). The pork is not sliced like most other ramen restaurants, but diced into delicious pieces. Other styles include fried vegetable ramen, or a spicy hot ramen dish. Extras can be ordered.
Whatever dish you choose, they always present it with their signature ‘sanpachi’ fish cake on top. Ramen is never too expensive and Sanpachi is no exception. All the dishes are within the ¥1000 mark so you can get a filling dinner or lunch at a cheap price! The restaurants have a drink menu as well. There is soft drink as well as beer to be had. For those trying ramen for the first time, the miso always seems to be a favorite of most people, and be prepared for big servings. Ramen is filling to say the least but a favorite among locals especially. Enjoy!

Ramen Yamaokaya

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
Opening Hours | Depends on store |
Closed | - |
Contact | https://www.yamaokaya.com/ |
Notes | Ramen store, over 30 different stores in Hokkaido |
Location / Getting There | There is a store in every main city throughout Hokkaido. Check google maps below. |
Ramen Yamaokaya is a huge chain of ramen restaurants all throughout Japan. There are hundreds of Yamaokaya restaurants. In Hokkaido there are over thirty that can be found in all the major cities and towns. Since the first opening in 2007, this company has continued to thrive. The restaurants are recognizable by their red facade. The soup at Yamaokaya is made of pork bones and water and is brewed for three days before arriving at the table. The green onions that are used in their bowl of ramen are freshly produced through contract farmers. With the selected noodles and specially marinated pork shoulder, it all combines to make for a nice bowl of ramen.
The cool thing about Yamaokaya is that they bring a special menu every month. These menus are in tandem with the changing of the seasons. At their stores, they also bring out special ramen sauces that can be purchased. They have been doing this ever since they first opened in 2007. The regular menu has 27 different types of ramen to choose from! Their specials on this menu include a premium soy sauce tonkatsu, a premium salt tonkatsu, and for those who like something a bit more fiery, an ultra spicy ramen. All the ramen dishes are relatively cheap and you can get a good feed for under ¥1000.

Sai Kaku Sushi Restaurant

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥2000 - ¥4000 |
Opening Hours | 18:00 - 3:00 Main store, Gojo store 11:30 - 23:30 Sanjo Store, Tanuki koji Store 11:30 - 23:00 Kitaichijo Store |
Closed | Sundays : Main store, Gojo store |
Contact | 011-3884-6210 Main store 011-561-1999 Gojo store 011-1219-8088 Sanjo Store 011-218-8700 Kitaichijo Store 011-200-9966 Tanuki koji Store |
Notes | High end sushi store, no parking, credit card accepted, seating around 30 per store |
Location / Getting There | Main store South 5 West 3. It's a 2 minutes walk from Exit 3 of Susukino Station on the Sapporo Namboku subway Line Sapporo City Chuo-ku Minami 5-jo Nishi 3-chome, N Grande Building 1F Gojo store South 5 West 4. It's a 2 minutes walk from Exit 5 of Susukino Station on the Sapporo Subway Namboku Line 4-chome, Minami 5-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido (facing south on 5-jo-dori) Sanjo Store South 3 West 4. 2 minutes walk from Susukino Station on the Sapporo Subway Namboku Line 〒060-0063Hokkaido Sapporo City Chuo-ku Minami 3-jo Nishi 4-chome Tosho 3.4 Building 1F Kitaichijo store West 3 North 2. 1 minute walk from Odori Station on the Sapporo Subway Namboku Line 〒060-0001 Kita 1 Jonishi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Kita Ichijo Ekimae - dori Building 2F Tanukikoji store It's a 5 minute walk from Odori subway station. 〒060-0063 1F, Jalan Tanukikoji, 6-3-3 Minami 3-jo Nishi, Chuo-ku, Sapporo-shi, Hokkaido |
Sai Kaku is a small chain of restaurants in Sapporo and throughout the big cities of Japan. They are not like the sushi train restaurants with the sushi on a conveyer belt, but you order your sushi directly from the chef. Sai Kaku are on the higher end of sushi restaurants and for those traveling from abroad, they offer a fantastic Japanese dining experience. There are five Sai Kaku restaurants in Sapporo, all close to each other. There are two in Susukino, two in the heart of Sapporo and a fifth near Sapporo station.
These restaurants excel in sushi and in sake. The sushi is beautifully presented and arranged on a flat wooden board. Unlike other sushi restaurants, only one piece of sushi is served per order. It comes with a folded ginger garnish. This restaurant is more expensive then the sushi train style restaurants so be prepared. It is highly recommended to try some fine sake to go with your sushi. They have numerous bottles to choose from. Again, if you are looking for a fine dining experience, and enjoy sushi, look no further than Sai Kaku.

Nakayama Pass Restaurant

Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥750 - ¥1000 |
Opening Hours | 8:30 - 17:30 |
Closed | - |
Contact | 0136-33-2671 |
Notes | Seating 96, no smoking |
Location / Getting There | Nakayama Pass is located on route 230 and is directly between Sapporo & Niseko. It is about a one hour drive from both. 345 Kawakami, Kimobetsu-cho, Abuta District, Kimobetsu, 044-0223 Hokkaido |
On the drive from Sapporo to Hirafu, Rusutsu and Toya, there is a rest stop at the top of Nakayama Pass. The rest stop is a good stop to take a break, buy a souvenir, grab a quick local snack, or enjoy the magnificent view looking out at Mt. Yotei. On the ground floor in the main building here you can pick up some small take away food. This includes ageimo (potato deep fried in batter), fried chicken, imomochi (sticky potato cake) and ice-creams. If you are looking for something more substantial, there is a great restaurant on the next floor up. Cheap and delicious, this restaurant has large glass windows with fantastic views.
The restaurant is affordable and the food here is really really good! If you want something more filling it is worth it. There is a huge range of lunches available. You can find ramen, soba noodles, tempura, a butadon (pork on rice), and some good black curries. The menu is displayed with large photos on the wall, too easy. With plenty of seating, you can find a seat anytime. Apart from the restaurant, there is a small photo gallery on the next floor up, with panoramic views of the mountain. Local photographers have some beautiful work of the surrounding landscape. Take a seat, have a coffee and take it all in.