OUR waiter is wearing something you don’t often see in a ski town – a perfectly pressed suit. When paired with a lime- green tie and purple shirt, we get the feeling that he means business.
AND he does. Backing up the suit with precision service, our waiter at new Niseko locale Country Grill makes sure we try the best of the menu.
Quiet, hidden and relatively undiscovered, Country Grill is in its first winter of operation and is headed up by Niseko Pizza owner Cezar. Looking for a change of pace, Cezar has escaped the hustle of Hirafu and has moved his cooking skills five minutes away. Although, when you’re sitting in this quiet restaurant, you may well feel like you have travelled miles.
The name of the restaurant gives a fair indication of what’s on offer here. However, with Cezar at the helm, you can expect more than just a humble steak. The menu divulges a selection of meats including everything from scallops, roast chicken, grilled rib-eye to pork steaks, lamb, venison and duck breast. If you’re in need of a serious protein or steak fix, Country Grill is your answer.
A juicy rib-eye steak is brought to the table. The steak sits atop a bed of fried local potatoes and next to a neat bundle of fresh salad. The steak is topped with sweet gravy, which is pushed around the plate with every bite until there isn’t any left.
Waiting for the next dish, we are envious of the plates being delivered to our neighbour’s table. Juicy pieces of duck breast on one dish and perfectly stacked lamb pieces on the other. This jealousy subsides as our Black Pepper Ezo Venison Steak in Red Wine Sauce arrives. Best enjoyed medium rare, the piece of venison we are about to devour is from Hokkaido and is cut from the hind leg, making it extremely lean, yet tender. Rich and complex, the red-wine sauce dripping off the stack of venison complements the meat’s robust flavour. This dish is also served with potatoes and a side salad and, just like the rib-eye, it’s eaten in its entirety right down to the last smear of red wine sauce.
Clearing the plates, our suited-up waiter need not ask how the meal was – the practically clean plates speak for our satisfaction.
To finish the meal off, we opt for with a Warm Chocolate Fondat with Gelato. It’s light creamy and perfectly matched with an espresso.
T. 0136 55 5123
Breakfast: 7:30–10:30 am
Dinner: 5:00–10:00 pm
Pick-up/drop-off service available
www.nisekocountrygrill.com