Japanesse Tours & Travel: February 2016

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Hokkaido 5-Day Itinerary: Day Two

Read Day 1 here - Sapporo Snow Festival, Ramen Theme Park
Read Day 2 here - Sapporo TV Tower, Otaru Lantern Festival
Read Day 3 here - Mount Teine, Jingisukan
Read Day 4 here - Odori Park, Susukino Ice Festival
Read Day 5 here - Ishiya Chocolate Factory

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

On the second day of our trip, it was still below freezing but at least it was sunny in the morning with blue skies. Our hostel was only a five minute walk away from JR Sapporo (??) and I wished that I had realized earlier that a system of underground malls connected Sapporo Station, Odori Station (??) and Susukino Station (????). It could be easier to take the subway but it was also convenient and warm to walk.

Sapporo TV Tower

On this particular day, we got a subway day pass which allowed unlimited use for 520 yen on the weekends. On weekdays it costs 830 yen. We took the subway from Sapporo to Odori Station and took Exit 27 to the Sapporo TV Tower.

View of Odori Park from the Sapporo TV Tower

The tower is located at one end of Odori Park and offers a panoramic view of the city along with all the action along the very long Odori Park with beautiful rolling mountains in the background. We went in the day time but I would imagine it would be even more beautiful in the evening. It cost 720 yen to enter.

Walking down

After snapping some photos and roaming the gift store, we opted to take the stairs down. The tower is only 147 metres tall with the observation deck at 90 metres, so it wasn�t a long way down. I actually quite enjoyed the walk because it allowed me to see the scenery without the filter of a window and I could hear the city�s humming.

Ski/snowboard slope

Attack on Titan

We explored this side of Odori Park with the ski/snowboard slope and featured Attack on Titan sculpture before heading back to the subway and going to Susukino Station. We found the ramen alley which was much shorter than I expected and only half the shops were opened for lunch. We chose the one at the end and it was good but too greasy for my taste.

Ramen Alley

Susukino Ice Festival

Ice sculpture with frozen seafood

Susukino featured a street of ice sculptures and some even had real frozen seafood inside the blocks of ice because there is a seafood market in the area. As we were admiring the sculptures, snow began to descend rapidly and we made our way back underground to JR Sapporo to take the train to Otaru (??).

On the way to Otaru

The trip to Otaru took about 45 mins (640 yen) but there is a 30 minute route (950 yen) if you catch the JR Rapid Airport train. We didn�t see much out the window during the journey because it was a misty white blur of blowing snow. Fortunately, when we arrived the snow had ceased but the temperature did drop into the night.

The Otaru Snow Light Path Festival (????????) started at 5pm so we arrived around 2pm not wanting to have to wait too long. It was actually great timing because we had enough time to explore and see the sights by day and night.

Otaru snow sculptures

First we saw the snow sculptures in the Temiyasen Kaijo area (?????). The sculptures here were not as grand or professional as the ones in Odori Park but they were cute and went well with the vibe of the canal town. The lanterns with real pressed flowers and leaves were beautiful.

Otaru Canal by day

Building where Rokkatei was situated

Ice cream at Rokkatei

We kept walking toward the canal and snapped some daylight photos in the Unga Kaijo area (????). Streets in Otaru were not as snow-free as Sapporo so it got pretty icy when it froze over. Onto the shopping street, we visited LeTao (???) and had absolutely creamy and delicious ice cream on the second floor of Rokkatei ??? (280 yen). Hokkaido is really successful at selling tourists omiyage foods. I was more tempted to buy items labelled as �exclusively sold here� than any other place I have visited in Japan.

Otaru Canal by night

Unga Kaijo area

Otaru lantern festival

When it began to get darker at 5pm, we made our way back to the canal to see the lanterns. There were lights strung on the water and also on the snow covered walkway next to the canal. Candles were lit under snow lanterns which we saw people making fresh earlier in the day. We also went back to the snow sculpture street which was even more magical all lit up now. There was an open fire where pieces of sweet potato and mochi were grilled and given out to visitors to keep warm. This gesture really made it feel like a community event where you�re welcomed to view the chilly beauty of Otaru.

Back to the Temiyasen Kaijo area

Keeping warm around the fire

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Hokkaido 5-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

It was an almost full day on the mountain today. I had heard about the amazing quality of snow in Hokkaido and can now attest to it. We went to Mount Teine (???), one of the homes of the Sapporo 1972 Winter Olympics. The snow was powdery, soft and gripped well onto your skis/snowboard.

To get there, we took the train from JR Sapporo (??) to JR Teine Station (??) then we waited for the bus up to the slope. The bus doesn�t come frequently, so I suggest you to go on their website and check the times for going to and leaving Mt Teine.

Mount Teine

We had called two days before to book a beginners ski lesson. You can call as late as 5pm the day before. It cost 12,000 yen per person including three hours of lesson, skis, poles, boots and snow gear such as jacket, pants, and goggles if you need them. On the website it says you can request for an English speaking instructor and we thought we had asked for that but turns out that our instructor spoke only simple English at best. He spoke Japanese the majority of the time and fortunately there were people in our ski group who could translate into English.

Our ski group

I know how to snowboard but this was my first time skiing and the great snow conditions at Mount Teine made it easier to learn. In the afternoon it was sunny and didn�t even feel cold at all while we were learning the basics on the shallow slope.

After lunch, we took the gondola up to the easy run. The ride was scenic with a view of Sapporo city below. There were long stretches of gentle descend which was great for a group of learners! From the gondola we could see a difficult slope that looked like it was at a 70 or 80 degrees angle.

Mount Teine

Most of the lifts close at 5pm except for two left opened for night skiing. Since our lesson ended around 4:30pm, we didn�t opt to buy another lift pass. It was too bad that we had run out of time because it would be great to practise on our own after the lesson.

We waited for about an hour for the next bus down to JR Teine Station. Of course, the bus was completely packed since it came so infrequently. By that time, the sun was setting and it was significantly colder than in the afternoon. Overall it was a fun and successful ski day!

BBQ dinner

We went to eat the Hokkaido famous Jingisukan for dinner which is BBQ mutton named after Genghis Khan. Bean sprouts, green onion and leaks were placed under the meat on the grill with sauce poured over top. This was not the type of BBQ where they aimed for charred grill marks. The meat was tender, slightly sweet from the sauce and not gamey. Personally I like the taste of lamb so I would not be bothered even if it was slightly gamey. Other than smelling intensely of BBQ in your hair and clothing afterward, this was a great warm meal after a day out in the snow.

Jingisukan

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Hokkaido 5-Day Itinerary: Day Four

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Today was a slower day spent in Sapporo (??) because I wasn�t feeling very well. After traveling at least once a month this past half year, I have realized that it is important to take a slower-paced day during your journey so you do not burn out. It�s best to have the energy to actually enjoy your travels while you�re there and sometimes that means not being able to see everything. For me, that meant not visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum. Most people recommended going because well, Sapporo. But I�m not really a fan of beer so it wasn�t a regret to skip that on my itinerary.

Odori Park food square

On this day I went back to Odori Park (????) and walked the middle sections. Odori Park stretches 1.5 km from east to west and is labelled from 1 to 12 chome (block). I had visited the 12 chome side on day one and the 1 chome side with the Sapporo TV Tower on day two. There was a food square in the middle sections and some more snow structures.

It was a warm 6C in the city which was a big contrast to the -4C afternoons of days before. Taking advantage of the nice weather, I walked aboveground rather than underground. I walked to the Clock Tower (???) which costs a few hundred yen to go up. I didn�t opt for that and the plaques outside explaining why it was famous were in Japanese. I looked it up on the Internet after which said that the structure was built in 1878 and used to serve as a drill hall for Sapporo Agriculture College. Today it is a historical symbol of Sapporo.

Clock Tower

From the Clock Tower, I walked to Susukino (????) to see the fish market. It wasn�t that busy on this weekday afternoon despite still being in the midst of the Snow Festival . Many stalls were selling the famous Hokkaido crab and other seafood goodies.

Fish market in Susukino area

For dinner we ate soup curry at a restaurant named Garaku. I knew soup curry was a thing to eat here and Garaku came up on TripAdvisor so we went at 5pm when it opened. When we got up the stairs of the second level shop, the place was already full and we were the third in line. The soup really was quite good and you can choose your preferred level of spiciness and how much rice you want. When we left, there was a line going down the stairs and out the door onto the sidewalk. Looks like we found a famous place without knowing! Glad we came early so we didn�t have to wait in the cramped stairway or cold outdoors.

Garaku soup curry

Ice bar in Susukino

I went back to the ice festival in Susukino to see the sculptures lit up at night. There was an ice bar that I hadn�t noticed before where blocks of ice made up the bar selling beer.

Walking from Susukino back to Odori via underground malls, I went back to Odori Park. It really does have a different atmosphere during different times of the day! I went to several big snow structures and waited for the light mapping show to begin. My favourite was the action packed Shinkansen and horse racing one. One had a pianist playing live music accompaniment for the light show while sitting inside a glass dome next to the structure. I went to three but there were several more in the park. It was a day of seeing the various parts of the snow festival in the city, which was the reason I came to Sapporo in the first place.

Odori Park - Attack on Titan snow sculpture

Odori Park - Taiwan ice sculpture

Read Day 1 here - Sapporo Snow Festival, Ramen Theme Park

Read Day 2 here - Sapporo TV Tower, Otaru Lantern Festival
Read Day 3 here - Mount Teine, Jingisukan
Read Day 4 here - Odori Park, Susukino Ice Festival
Read Day 5 here - Ishiya Chocolate Factory

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Hokkaido 5-Day Itinerary: Day Five

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Day 5 was supposed to be my last day in Hokkaido but it didn�t turn out that way. More on that later. With an evening flight, we still had time to explore after checking out of the hostel. We left our bags there and went to find breakfast. We had a surprisingly good pancake breakfast which served pancakes the size of small plates. This was considered big compared to Japanese sized hotcakes.

Pancake breakfast

Then we walked to Odori (??) and took the Tozai Subway Line (???) to Miyanosawa Station (????). It only took about 15 minutes (280 yen). It was snowing quite heavily today so the 10 minute walk from Miyanosawa Station to Shiroi Koibito Park (???????) seemed longer than it was. However, in the snowy mist we could clearly see the words �chocolate factory� on top of the red brick building that we were heading to.

Ishiya Chocolate Factory in sight

Shiroi Koibito Park

We paid the 600 yen admission to the Ishiya Chocolate Factory and entered the buttery sweet confectionary world. The interior was designed with a very European feel with old wooden staircases, tiled fountain, and bricked walls. There were displays of old chocolate boxes, hot chocolate cups and the production process of chocolate. Then we were in a room with glass windows overlooking the Shiroi Koibito biscuits production process. Employees dressed head to toe in white gear were meticulously checking the cookies and stacking the chocolate to be sandwiched between the buttery biscuits.

Passport and biscuit given at admission

Fountain inside the chocolate factory

Hot chocolate cups

Naturally, the next part of the self-led tour was the cafe with a view of the mountains and the gift store downstairs. It�s a superb marketing strategy. First they intrigue you to pay admission and inhale the sweet aroma while looking at the history of chocolate. Second they show you the production of their biscuits and third they give you the opportunity to buy as much as possible and ship overseas!

Production of Shiroi Koibito

Stairs leading to gift shop

I have never heard of this brand until I came to Hokkaido and everyone was talking about it. It is only sold in this prefecture and is one of the top omiyage (souvenirs) in Japan. I resisted the temptation to buy boxes of sweets (though I did give in at the airport later) but I did try their chocolate drink which was rich and creamy. It was like drinking full fat milk mixed with cocoa powder.

Ishiya Snowman-kun

After the chocolate factory, we went back to our hostel to collect our bags and took the train to Shin-Chitose Airport (?????). My flight was scheduled for 6:20pm but I never left that night. After several delays, it was finally announced at 7:30pm that the flight was cancelled along with many other flights due to the snow storm. We were directed to line up for the airline�s counter which turned out to be a two hour wait with all my luggage. Fortunately my flight was rescheduled for the next day but my friends flying with another airline got rescheduled for two days later.

Finally by 10pm I was able to leave the airport with a new flight. The airline did not give anybody accommodation or food stipend because they claimed it was due to the weather which is uncontrollable for them.

So for anyone visiting Hokkaido for the Snow Festival, be aware that your travel plans could change with the unpredictable weather! Flying in was a smooth process for me since it was a sunny day but flying out became a huge, delayed hassle including finding last minute accommodation during this extremely busy week. If possible, allow yourself a day of flexibility before and after your planned winter Hokkaido trip.

Anyways it all worked out in the end and I now have a Day 6 of the trip to share.

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Hokkaido 5-Day Itinerary: Bonus Day

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

This was an unexpected extension day to my trip in Hokkaido and I didn�t have a plan. After my flight was delayed, I ended up staying with a friend in Eniwa (??) which was less than a 15 minute train ride from Shin-Chitose Airport (?????). I was lucky because a lot of accommodation options back in Sapporo (??) were full due to the Snow Festival.

In direct contrast from yesterday, the sun was shining and the sky a friendly shade of blue. It seemed as if the snow storm hadn�t happened at all. Eniwa is a small town and my friend had found a strawberry farm called Suparuberry (??????) about 45 minutes walk from Eniwa Station. We could have walked it but we were not sure about the Google Maps directions so we ended up taking a taxi. The short 10 minute ride cost us 1100 yen one way.

Suparuberry Strawberry Farm

At the strawberry farm, which opened at 10am, we entered the large green house and paid our admission fee of 1700 yen each. We were told to remove our bags, jackets and shoes and were given slippers to wear. Past the cash register were rows of fresh strawberries elevated about a metre to allow for easy picking. We were given a pair of scissors and a paper cup each to cut the strawberries off the vine and to hold the leaves after we pop them in our mouths. We had 30 minutes to eat all the strawberries to our heart�s content.

Ready to eat!

Back in Canada I have gone strawberry picking many times before. They were at ground level, muddy and required crouching and bending over for a long time to pick. That is the more natural way but the fruits of your labour were delayed since you had to wait until you could wash the dirt off to eat.

I didn�t know what to expect of Hokkaido strawberries but I was very pleasantly surprised. Because the strawberries were fresh off the vine and never placed in a fridge, they were so soft and tender. Not soft as in mushy but that it required no effort to pierce through the gentle skin. There were many large, plump, red strawberries on site but the smaller ones were some of the sweetest strawberries I have ever eaten.

So fresh

By 15 minutes I was already full and I must have eaten over 25 of this sweet fruit. We were the only tourists there and many families with their young children were happily eating and taking pictures between the rows.

I took a break and continued eating because I knew it would be a while until I could eat this many strawberries in one sitting again. Non-ripe looking strawberries (the base is still white!) sold at my local supermarket in Hyogo (???) cost about 500 yen for eight. This was definitely one of the best breakfasts I have had in Japan J

Strawberry feast

After the strawberry farm, we took the train to Shin-Chitose Airport for our afternoon flight. Lining up to check in our baggage took over an hour because the airport was completely packed from tourists leaving on the last day of the Snow Festival and from tourists coming back for their rescheduled flights. We were at the airport two hours earlier for a domestic flight and made it through security without much time left. Although we actually didn�t need to hurry because our flights were delayed once more on this sunny day.

Now I know that no matter what the weather is, it is important to be flexible with travel plans when going to Hokkaido in the winter.

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Hokkaido 5-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Flying into Shin-Chitose Airport (?????), we were met with heavy tourist traffic in the building presumably for the Sapporo Snow Festival (????????). We arrived the Saturday of the famous snow festival and had to book our accommodation back in November to secure a spot. The main festival took place February 5-11 this year. The direct train from Shin-Chitose Airport to JR Sapporo Station (??) took about 40 mins (1380 yen).

It was about -4C that day in the late afternoon and snow covered patches of the sidewalk but most of it was shovelled off or kept at bay with the heated sidewalks of Sapporo. I packed a camping backpack as my baggage because I didn�t know what the snow situation would be like and I didn�t want to drag my wheeled luggage through the snow. Turns out that it would have been completely fine in the city of Sapporo but maybe not as convenient elsewhere in Hokkaido (???) where the snow does pile up on the sidewalks.

Macau's Ruins of St Paul's in snow form

After dropping our things off at the hostel, we went to explore Odori Park (????) where the main snow festival sculptures were. Since it was cold out, I split up exploring the long 1.5 km park over a few days in the day and night. Mostly it is your hands and feet that will feel cold. The sculptures look different by day and night and at night there are superb light shows projected onto the largest snow structures running about once every 15 minutes.

Ruin's of St Paul's by night

There are food stalls sprinkled throughout the park and a main eating area with famous foods from around Hokkaido. There is a heated tent area to shield visitors from the wind while they indulge.

Ramen kyowakoku (republic)

Hokkaido miso ramen

For dinner that night, we went to the ramen kyowakoku (?????????) in a building called ESTA right next to JR Sapporo Station. On the 10^th floor, many famous ramen restaurants were situated and I tried the signature Hokkaido Miso Ramen with butter. The seasoned broth had a smokey flavour and paired great with butter that made the bowl of noodles so smooth. It definitely was on the greasier side with the fatty pork and butter but it was fantastic comfort food before walking out into the cold night back to the hostel.

Read Day 6 here - Bonus Day! Strawberry Farm

Monday, February 22, 2016

A Farm-to-Table Dining Experience at Sisterfields Tagaytay

Tagaytay is a well known place for weekend vacationers for so many reasons. One, is because it is accessible to Manilenos. Second, it's much colder there and the view is undeniably spectacular. Lastly, because of great food! In fact, Tagaytay has evolved and become a food haven due to vastly growing restaurants rising in this town. And as for this blog post, let me highlight a restaurant which happens to be in Tagaytay making astonishing and unique dishes. It is called the Sisterfields, one of the newest concept restaurants by The Cravings Group.

How to get there?
Sisterfields is within the vicinity of Summit Ridge Hotel and just one bus ride away if you'll be taking the bus terminal at Coastal Mall in Para�aque. Just take the route going to Tagaytay or Batangas and just ask the bus conductor to drop you off at Summit Ridge Hotel. The hotel is a distinct spot in Tagaytay so bus conductors surely know the place.

As you alight at Summit Ridge Hotel, you'll find Sisterfields near the main entrance. If you'll look at it from the outside, you may persuade that the restaurant is just a small one. But once you get inside of Sisterfields, you'll be surprise how spacious it is and surely delight its decors and overall design. It has this homey vibe which will not make you feel intimidated while dining in. Most of the materials used were woods painted in white which screams simplicity yet elegance. The lighting of Sisterfields is grand. They used woven chandeliers all over the place which adds to a cozier feel.

Welcome to Sisterfields

The paintings on the wall accentuate well to the restaurant's overall vibe

In terms of food options, Sisterfields anchors its concept on three important tenets. First is the farm-to-fork (organic selection of fruits and vegetables from Tagaytay); Second is the pasture-to-plate (from Batangas beef to Tagaytay tawilis) and lastly, the crop-to-cup (featuring ethically produced Di Bella coffee). Diners who come all the way from Manila or near provinces will definitely appreciate that there is no fanciful gimmick in Sisterfields. As a farm-to-table restaurant concept, the ingredients are the main star. You will appreciate the goodness of home-cooked comfort food but elevated up in a way that it will the dishes distinctly unique.

Now let me tour you to some of the dishes we tasted during our visit at Sisterfields. [Bon appetit!]

Tinapa Spring Rolls

Marinated Corn and Tomato Salad with Field Greens and Green Goddess Dressing

My girlfriend's personal favorite -- Roasted Squash Soup with Spinach

Forgot the name of this dish... sorry.

Penne Pasta with Longganisa and Mushroom

Linguini Pasta with Herbed Shrimps and Fennel

Chicken Quesadilla with Avocado Crema and Pico de Gallo

Sisterfields Burger with Fried Egg Maple Glaze Bacon

Sticky Baby Back Ribs with Coleslaw and Mashed Potato

The stand out dishes for me were the Tinapa Spring Rolls and the Sticky Baby Back Ribs. That was the first time I taste a spring roll where tinapa is used as the main ingredient. I find the dish brilliant and the taste was unexpected. It has this balance saltiness that is just right in the bud. Plus, the sauce served with it will give you an extra kick of sweetness and sourness combined. All the flavors I mentioned fooled my mind and tongue in a right kind of way.

As per the Sticky Baby Back Ribs, what I like to highlight is the tenderness of the meat. You can easily slice a portion of it without even using your knife. Also, I am not a fan of mashed potato but I have to give credits to Sisterfields because I became one and that is due to their own version of this side dish. The mashed potato was mixed on egg which I find flavorful and delightful. Having a slice of the rib's meat and a scoop of mashed potato made me feels like I am already in heaven! Flavors explode in the mouth with this combination!

Sisterfields Ice Cream -- Pineapple Tarragon

I had a fun dining experience at Sisterfields. My tongue went wild in a positive way on the unique dishes this restaurant offered to us. The creativity put on each meal really blends well and serves us well. We left the place with a smile on our faces.

Enjoy the goodness of comfort food elevated with new flavors right in Sisterfields, located at Summit Ridge Hotel, Km. 58 Gen. Aguinaldo Highway, Maharlika West, Tagaytay City, Philippines. For more info, call 240-6888 or visit www.facebook.com/Sisterfields and www.summithotels.ph.