| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 17:00 |
| Closed | Mondays |
| Contact | 011-596-3981 http://www.hakkenzanwinery.com/ |
| Notes | Wine tasting Free parking Wheelchair access Toilets available Wine available to purchase Good spot for autumn leaves viewing |
| Location / Getting There | 〒061-2275 Sapporo, South ward, Toyama 194−1 Around a 45 minute drive from Sapporo station Buses available from Sapporo Station (Jotetsu Bus 7 or 8) Buses available from Makomanai Station (Jotetsu Bus 12) Get off at "Toyotaki Shogakko" bus stop, walk 30 minutes |
Hakkenzan Winery is located at the foot of Mt. Hakkenzan and was opened in 2011. This pleasant winery sits beautifully in its surroundings with views of the surrounding areas. The winery has 3 vine fields that cultivates more than 25 varieties of grapes. This winery produces some fantastic wines including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnays, to name a few. This winery’s motto is “Wine is made in the field, and the grapes want to be wine”.
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View from the balcony
The Hakkenzan Winery not only has delicious wines, but they are also involved in researching and processing locally grown fruits in the local area, so they also produce and sell cider and fruit jam. These are sold in a small shop at the winery. Locally produced arts and crafts are also sold here. There is a balcony overlooking the vine field and gardens where you can sit and admire the view. Along with the balcony and shop, there is a small viewing area so you can see how they make their wines.
The Hakkenzan Winery is in a fantastic area and is a nice trip all year round. In the area, there are park golf courses, horse riding clubs. Mt Okesan for climbing, and the Jouzankei Hot Springs are only 10 minutes away by car. There is a lot to do so you can really make a day of it!
| Dates | September 9th - October 1st |
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 22:30 |
| Contact | 011-281-6400 |
| Location / Getting There | Odori park. Odori-nishi 1-chome to 11-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 1 minute from Odori subway station |
Food & wine
The Sapporo Autumn Fest is one of the newer festivals in Hokkaido, being held for the first time in 2008. It is the last of the big Sapporo festivals for the year. The 4 big festivals in Sapporo come with each season, the winter has the Snow Festival, spring has the Lilac Festival, summer brings the Sapporo Beer Garden , and the changing of the leaves sees the arrival of the Autumn Festival. Autumn is the harvest season, and this festival showcases the best food from around Hokkaido! The Sapporo Autumn Fest runs the length of Odori park and each block has its own unique theme. Discover each, and enjoy the sights and smells of delicious food and drink from all corners of Hokkaido!
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1 Chome venue
At east 1, under the TV tower, is the Oktoberfest venue. Reproducing the ambiance of Sapporo’s sister city, Munich, you can enjoy craft beers, from not only Germany but also from around Hokkaido. Native German cuisine, is also served, with German sausages, snacks made with ingredients from Hokkaido, and other beer food. There is also live traditional German music to get into the authentic Munich atmosphere. This is a great venue for beer lovers!
4 Chome venue
The east 4 block serves as the Sapporo Autumn Fest’s entrance venue, and has a number of stalls that offer cuisines that abundantly use Hokkaido’s seasonal ingredients. Seating surrounding the large fountain at the centre makes for a nice setting to enjoy the various foods on offer here. Meats, and wines as well as seafood are available here.
5 Chome venue
This section is focused on Hokkaido’s delicious ramen noodles, with a large collection of ramen shops. There are also stores selling food from around Hokkaido, using local ingredients. Along with the ramen noodles, steaks and oysters are very popular! This is a nice area to sit at the edge of the fountain pool area and dine on your favorite foods.
6 Chome venue
This block is defined by the huge trees that create a nice canopy in which to wine and dine under. The 6 chome site is made up of stores from popular restaurants throughout Sapporo. This is the perfect opportunity to look around and see the latest dishes in Sapporo, whether it be seafood, meats or gourmet pizzas. There are also a couple of wine shops selling their tasty wares. Sit beneath the changing leaves and raise your glasses!
7 Chome venue
Smack in the middle of this festival is the very popular 7 chome site. Recognizable by the myriad of black tents circling the middle of the block, this site is where the wine flows! Hokkaido’s wineries are set up here so you can sample not only local wines, but also overseas wines which are very popular. In addition to the wine stalls, shochu and whiskey stores are also here. This block also gives you the opportunity to partake of some delicious cheeses, or grilled oysters. A perfect compliment to the wine…or whiskey!
8 Chome venue
Each town in Hokkaido is famous for something, and each municipality has its specific delicacy. People often visit these towns throughout Hokkaido so they can try these special foods. The beauty of the 8 chome site is that all these towns have all set up their food stalls in one block! Take a walk around Hokkaido and try the different foods from these places. There are a total of more than 100 municipalities, treating you to specialties from all over Hokkaido. Each store has a map pinpointing where the town is. This a very popular block showcasing an abundant amount of local cuisine!
10 Chome venue
For the meat eaters in town, the 10 chome site is well worth a look! Here, you can enjoy a huge selection of meats, including venison steaks, as well as crackling pork, chicken and beef. Famous wild game shops have set up their stalls which are enough to satiate any meat lover! Desserts and salads are available to compliment these dishes. There is also a beer stall set up in the middle.
11 Chome venue
Last, but not least at on the 11th block at the end of the Autumn Fest is the world cuisine block! You can walk around and see various chefs from around the world working their magic to bring you an array of delicious cuisines. Foreign wines and beer are also included into the mix. Try some “world travel” through the authentic tastes and talents of every country’s chefs. The smells and sights are a fantastic part of the Autumn Festival. See you there!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 1000 - 2000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | 11:30 - 22:30 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011 211 8554 |
| Notes | English menu available |
| Location | 4-17-1 Minami 3 jo Nishi. Chuo-ku Tanuki Koji Arcade 4 |
A succulent lunch
Love meat? For those of you who do, Beef Impact offers a vast array of beef cuts at reasonable prices. Beef Impact is located in the centre of Sapporo and is in the Tanuki Koji arcade so its easy to find! As the name suggests, Beef Impact specializes in one main ingredient, beef, and lots of it! Beef Impact offers 4 kinds of beef. The Australian ‘Beef Impact’ sirloin cuts which range from 250 grams to a whopping 900 grams. There is the American Angus Beef Steak, which is slightly cheaper at 5 yen a gram.
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Welcome!
Also on the menu is the thick and juicy Australian fillet steak which will cure any meat cravings. Finally, and if you have the cash, there is the famous Japanese Wagyu steak. The Wagyu beef (Wagyu meaning Japanese beef), is a delicious marbled cut and is a must try for steak lovers. All these cuts range generally from 200 grams to 600 grams, and are priced accordingly, on the type of steak you order. And what better to accompany your meal then a nice bottle of wine. Red or white are both on the menu.
Local red & white wines
Still, if you don’t have a big budget you can still enjoy a thick steak that’s on the lunch menu. For 1,000 yen you can get a pretty delicious thick steak which is not common in Japan. Comes with a serving of corn, onions, rice, and miso soup. Garlic slices on top are optional. Choose your degree of succulence from rare to well done and let the chef seer your cut to perfection. And for only an extra 300 yen, the curry bowl side order is highly recommended, with real steak chunks in a delicious curry sauce over a small rice.
Comes with rice & miso
Curries are also an option with 3 or 4 different selections of beef chunks in a curry sauce. Last, and definitely not least is the special menu of two types of Japanese steaks. The first being the marbled Tokachi Saibi Beef Rib Steak. Tokachi is a province in central Hokkaido and the cattle are raised on high vitamin C enriched feed which makes this a prize steak. And, saving the best till last, there is the Japanese Black Beef Fillet. As the name suggests, this comes from the Black Breed which is found in the region of Kobe. Kobe beef is THE prized beef in Japan and is rarely seen in restaurants in other countries. At 7000 yen for 200 grams this is the ultimate in prime steak fillets.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | 1500 - 5000 Yen |
| Opening Hours | Tuesday - Saturday 6pm to 3am Sunday 6pm to midnight |
| Closed | Mondays Every 2nd Tuesday Tuesdays following a Monday holiday |
| Contact | 011-272-1557 (+81-11-272-1557) 予約可 |
| Notes | - |
| Location / Getting There | 7-6-2 Minami 2 Jonishi Chuo-ku Sapporo Hokkaido 北海道 札幌市中央区 南二条西 7-6-2 南2条ビル 1Ｆ |
Sapporo has no end of tratorrias, bistros and pubs. If ambiance, flavor and comfort are what you seek, look no farther than La Salamander, located just around the corner from western end Tanuki Koji 7(狸小路７丁目), the covered arcade in downtown Sapporo. A French-styled bistro, this little shop is a cozy refuge from the throngs of holiday tourists and locals crowding the main thoroughfare shops.
The dinner menu offers a variety of reasonably priced appetizers, soups and entrée dishes. During our visit my wife and I started with Akeshi (an eastern Hokkaido town) oysters on the half shell, served with a tart vinegar relish. Spicy chorizo salami came next, which went well with our Pilsner Urquell beers. A thick slab of homemade pate arrived soon after, accompanied by warm bread crusts. I should note that La Salamander specializes in regional French wines, and has a limited selection of pricey beers.
A bottle of Alsace Sauvignon Blanc complimented our next dish: crab and shrimp croquettes served atop a shallow bath of zesty tomato puree. A hearty country soup followed, setting us up for the baked scallop and sea bream soufflé. By now, my wife and I were reaching the limits of our capacity for gastronomic goodness. Upon finishing the wine and our last dish, she ordered an herbal tea and I an espresso. For a final sendoff, I had a cognac and we shared a fudge brownie drowned in crème anglaise. It was sublime.
Being that it was my birthday, we splurged on our first visit to La Salamander. Had we trimmed our dinner by a dish or two and halved the alcohol, our bill wouldn’t have exceeded ￥10,000. One could easily swing in for an entrée and a glass of wine without exceeding ￥3,000. Whatever your budget, La Salamander is recommended to those seeking authentic, casual French cuisine in the heart of Sapporo, Japan. For more pictures, reviews and a map, please look here. Bon appétit!
Cozy and simple interior design.
Cozy and simple interior design.
The Akeshi oysters to start.
The hearty country soup was perfect for a cold night.
Seafood croquettes done to perfection.
Dessert!
And fuel for the walk home.