北海道：你還好嗎？ (Hokkaido, wish you well.)

 

Purple yam delights by UCC Cafe, Sapporo, Hokkaido

The shop had a promotion of purple yam dessert.  So we had 2 big dishes of one soft ice cream with red bean and a waffle.  The purple yam paste was much too sweet with heavy cream inside.  So I just took a slight bite and finished the waffle.

Hakodate Sea Urchin shop, Sapporo, Hokkaido

The shop was a talk of town on the forum after some KOLs and travel magazines widely broadcast it.  So I came here at off hour (5-6pm).  It was lucky that a few minutes right after I got the table, a long line showed up outside the shop.  Also, those visitors came here for a mini sea urchin bowl and promptly selfie and post.  

As for me, how could I miss a big bowl of seafood don and a salad.  Interesting that the salad was surprisingly good that they had a very chill thinly sliced turnip and some dried crunchy tiny fishes.  No complaint either on the seafood don.  

JR Inn Eki-Minami, Sapporo, Hokkaido

Found a good deal at just US$70 net incl. breakfast.  The hotel is a bit on the eastern side of Sapporo city but it's just within 3-5 minute walking distance to Tokyu department store where you can take the short cut underpass to JR Station and Stella Place the main shopping/dining complex.  The room was quite tidy and clean. The sound proof was pretty good as it was quite busy.

Yayoi, Sapporo, Hokkaido

The hotel we stayed offered their breakfast at their downstair restaurant Yayoi.  There are 4 choices for the breakfast set, with 2 fish sets and 1 deep fried chicken and 1 western set (sausage and potato patty).  The salad, rice, soup and drink are sefl-serviced.  Quality wise, it's not bad in considering it's just HK$35.  It's far much better than the one in BKK though.

The grandma Lake Toya and its generations, Hokkaido

The earth at its younger age was very active with crust movement.  The volcanic eruptions could be much bigger than what we can see in the past centuries.  Lake Toya was one of the examples.  A big volcanic eruption with the crater left as a lake.  Later on, smaller scale of volcanic eruption took place around the ring of Lake Toya.  Usu volcanic mountain (有珠火山) was one and followed by a smaller neighbour Showashinzan (昭和新山).  Perhaps we can name Lake Toya as the grand mother, Usu as the daughter and Showashinzan as the grand daughter.  There may be more grand kids coming along.

J.S. Pancake Cafe by Journal Standard, Sapporo, Hokkaido

Pros and cons for mentioning the shop with its mother brand.  It could be a mutual branding effect but could also be a degrading effect if either one isn't satisfactory.  This cafe was a good example for the latter.  Quite disappointed that the pancakes weren't cooked well.  The ice cream wasn't a quality one.  

The natural sunlight and indoor lighting, in Sapporo

I always enjoy checking around in the malls of this city, not just for shopping but also feeling the ambience of both the natural sunlight or the indoor lighting.

A one minute stop, at Hokkaido University.

 Was told to visit this place for quite some time.  In order not to bother the locals, I chose the weekend.  However, the place was crowded with tourists.  I felt uncomfortable for being part of the group in further keeping this place busier.  So I didn't take any further photos but just this one with no people around.

銀鱗北海道料理 (Ginrin Hokkaidoryori), Stella Place, Sapporo, Hokkaido

The good thing about this place is not on the high hunt of the forum chasers.  I often got a nice window seat to a view of downtown Sapporo.  In fact, for me from a busy hustling city, I'd prefer an ambient place rather than those noisy crowded long queue restaurants.  

The seafood don has always been my choice and it has never disappointed me.  This time I had some steamed oysters (5 for just JPY900).  Very fresh and sweet.  No need to have any seasoning.

十勝豚丼 (Tokachi Butadon), Sports Depot, Sapporo, Hokkaido

This restaurant's branch in JR station has been ranked as the no. 1 in various food forums.  The Forums killed that place.  In my last visit, it wasn't as good as before due to the super speedy grilling and serving.  So I walked about 20 minutes to the north east of JR station to try this branch.  The fond memory came back.  The place wasn't that empty as shown in the below photos.  I just took the time after the guests left.  I'm getting curious to go check out its origin place Tokachi.  

Nadaman Garden, Grand Park Hotel, Nakajima Park, Sapporo

There is another branch of this restaurant group in Nakajima Park of Sapporo.  Came here on a sunny day.  It's quite a contrast to see the snow covering the park outside and the mountain range of West Sapporo.  It was a bit more relaxing than its sister branch in Daimaru.  The dishes were served in a very right timing, as noted from the below 2 photos that some steam could be captured.