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Powderlife Niseko Gourmet Guide 2018 – HANA ROBATAYAKI

By 17th January 2018April 6th, 2021

With plenty of new restaurants in town this year, the Powderlife team has been busy sampling what’s new on menus across the resort and neighbouring towns.

Keep an eye on our Facebook page and Powderlife.com over the next month as we introduce you to the best new local restaurants and revisit some old favourites.

HANA ROBATAYAKI

A new “robatayaki” restaurant is reviving a centuries-old Hokkaido cooking style this winter.

Originating out of local fishing villages, the story goes that fisherman would take boxes of hot coals out on their boats for warmth and to cook offshore. Upon returning they would cook with their families back on land before heading to market with the rest of the catch.

With snow falling outside, it’s a scene you can easily imagine sitting around the warmth of the central barbecue grill at Hana Robatayaki. Right in the main street of the neighbouring town of Kutchan, the restaurant has been artfully recreated in a rustic old Kutchan building in the style of traditional robatayaki restaurants that have become a popular style of dining across Japan.

A colourful selection of seafood, meat and fresh vegetables is laid out around a horseshoe-shaped counter and central grill manned by two lively chefs. Simply get the chef’s attention and point to what you’d like to try. When it’s ready it’s passed to you on a long wooden paddle, as is the tradition in robatayaki restaurants.

We highly recommend the taraba king crab and kinki rockfish along with as many of the vegetable as you can eat. The high heat generated preserves the flavour and juices of the fresh local ingredients. Dishes are well-priced encouraging you to order as many different choices as you can.

There is also an extensive menu which you can scan to see if anything else grabs your attention. We ordered tako (octopus) rice and a small sukiyaki hotpot cooked over a fire candle in front of us. There is also plenty of sake to go with your meals.

Hana Robatayaki
Located on Ekimaedori, the main street of Kutchan Town, beside the Hokuyo Bank.
North 1 West 1, 17-2, Kutchan-cho
Bookings: +81 90 3117 1001

2 Comments

  • Avatar for Gideon Gideon says:

    I visited this restaurant 3 times in January 2018. Recommended in passing from some tourists and it was so good I kept going back. Great food, ambience and staff. For a new restaurant it’s doing great.

    Most have the sweet potato and eggplant. Seriously delicious.

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