Spring Mountain Flavour Recipes

In spring when the snow has melted one thing that many people do is get out in the mountains and gather the regrowth of plants. A few that are fairly easy to find in Niseko are takenoco [bamboo shoots] udo,  fuki, and gyoja ninniku[Ainu garlic]. Below are a few pictures of the some zan sai as found in the mountains or just after they have been picked. Please note that of the time of this being written mountain vegetable are still being picked in the higher parts of the Niseko Mountain chain.

Fuki in the Wild

Udo in the mountain

Ainu Garlic and Udo ready to be prepped

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JUDGING by Lars Longcox's mammoth opening party last night, many party-goers will surely be season-long 'members' .

Hirafu's new nachos bar, on the corner of the 343 and Sasayaki-Zaka Street, was wall-to-wall with revellers who turned out to welcome the mysterious Austrian newcomer, Lars Longcox, to Niseko.

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YUICHI Kamimura, founder of Niseko's famed Kamimura restaurant, has been invited to Hong Kong to work as a guest chef at the Aberdeen Marina Club in Hong Kong from November 15-22.

The Marina Club is owned by the Shangri-La Group and is among the most prestigious private clubs in Hong Kong.

Kamimura restaurant

AMONG many other dishes, Hokkaido is famous for its ramen – big hearty bowls of noodles topped with vegetables and pork, and served in a thick flavoursome soup. For most, a bowl of ramen is likely to leave you feeling like you don't need to eat anything for a day. For those who can't get enough, Sanpachi Ramen, on Route 5 in Kutchan, currently

LIKE many countries, Japan takes a great deal of pride in its national beers – or ‘biru’, in the local dialect. Whilst its wines have not reached the heights of other countries like Australia and New Zealand, Japan’s premium beers are often ranked up with the best in the world in their categories. It may be something about

FLAVOURS from around the globe have converged on Niseko with the newly-opened Niseko Food Market.

Located smack-bang in the Middle Village, alongside Australia House on Shirakaba-Zaka (just look for the red and white lanterns out front), the take away hotspot, made up of several adjoining demountables, brings a delicious and multicultural

By Jerod McCann & Naoki Miyamura of EN in-house fine dining

RAMEN originated in China and is widely used in Chinese cuisine, although it's a relative newcomer to Japanese cuisine. Ramen can be broadly categorised by its three main ingredients: noodles, soup and toppings. As you travel from north to south, the flavours dramatically

STUMBLING back into your lodge after a day in the powder, tired and hungry, is likely to see your thoughts turn to chips and beer, or a glass of wine and cheese. But once you’re done with your ski trip and are back to ‘normal’ life it’s time to start taking more responsibility with your food choices. Or at least you can

Jerod McCann of EN In-house fine dining shares his Nikujaga recipe

THERE is a category of cooking in almost every cuisine, ‘mother’s cooking’. It means something that’s simple, homely, filling, and invokes strong feelings of nostalgia. In Japanese this is called ‘ofukuro no aji’ (mother’s flavour).

Rakuichi regulars might be a little disappointed we’re exposing this hidden Annupuri gem. But it’s just too good not to, and we wanted more foreign visitors to Niseko to experience this fantastic little piece of genuine Japan. Rakuichi is one of the best soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurants in the region. It’s in a small unmarked