A-bu-cha pt. I, Niseko Hirafu

A-bu-cha is a cute little cottage sitting on the corner of the main intersection in Hirafu. We tried going here with Shouya the first night we arrived in October, but they were closed. They didn’t re-open until 1st December, which, funny enough was when we opened. We didn’t make it over on opening night, but I think just about everyone else in Hirafu did, it was packed to the rafters. The following night we finished work and headed on over. It is nice that they serve food until like 12:30am, so it made for a good after-work stop throughout the season.

The greeting, with every staff member in the place participating, is an enthusiastic ‘Ishimase’ that really makes us feel welcome. We walk on in, it’s cosy inside, to the left there’s 2 non-smoking booths and then up a few little stairs a long bar stocked with all sorts of spirits, sho-chu’s, sakes and beers. The kitchen is straight ahead and it’s tiny, but they manage to get about 5 Japanese chef’s back there … To the right is the main dining area with a few more booths and some tables. There’s a heater blasting out hot air and it’s snowing outside, how beautiful.

We order a few things.. The first to arrive a ceramic bowl set ontop a bamboo basket with just a few crisp green edamame peeking out from underneath.



The bowl is turned over (used for the pods, of course) and we both dive in. The beans are so plump and juicy, our fingers getting all salty from the outside as we eat them. They are served cold, which when they’re this good they should be.



Zangi, we’ve heard so much about this delight, so are very looking forward to sampling it. It’s like a karage chicken, big juicy bits of chicken thigh that taste like they’ve been steamed first and then coated and fried. When you order, you have the option of sweet chilli sauce or black vinegar. We choose the black vinegar. A generous bowl sits to the side, it’s a nice tart vinegar and there’s plenty of chopped spring onion and ginger. Some of the best karage we’ve eaten.



We settled on just 2 kushi, things on sticks. If you can’t already tell, we love food, especially meat, on sticks. The tsukone is the first to arrive. Tsukone is chicken mince, this one seasoned with garlic, ginger and shallot, then pressed around a fatter stick and grilled. This one is then dipped in yakitori sauce. Sitting to the side a perfectly plump, sunshine yellow egg yolk. The stick is taken and swirled through the egg yolk before each bite.



Next, buta-yaki, pork stick. The pork is quite tender (not quite as good as Sen chou’s) and covered in the rich, sweet sauce. We prefer the pork one seasoned just with salt.



We were both intrigued by the ‘Chicken wing in Gyoza’ on the menu. It arrives and looks to be a beautifully golden, crispy fried chicken wing.



But then we bite into it. Oh-my! It is indeed a gyoza inside a chicken wing. It’s pork mince and garlic chive stuffed, and somehow contained, within the de-boned chicken wing. A touch of soy raises this unsuspecting little morsel to divine.



Now both feeling quite content after our little midnight snack, of course it’s only now we see the specials board that is up behind us. There’s quite a few things on there that we must eat. But tonight there will be just one more. We both swing between the Grilled Hokkaido chicken with Salt and the Delicious salmon. The decision is made, delicious salmon it is. They like to call what is indeed the most delicious part of the salmon, the belly, delicious salmon. We have had this on several occasions, usually served sashimi. This time the skin has been left on, and it’s been grilled over charcoal. The flesh is bubbling from the hot grill, there’s a nice sprinkling of salt, and the skin charred to crispy perfection. This goes brilliantly with the mountain of freshly grated daikon sitting to the side.



Okay okay, maybe just one more thing from the special board.

Today’s special dessert, Maple cheesecake. It arrives, a generous slice with a whipped cream rosette and some chocolate sauce gracing it’s presence. The cheesecake itself is oishii! The crumbly base topped with a rich, creamy and oh-so-mapley sweet baked top.



Ab-u-cha is a bakery during the day, and if this cheesecake is anything to go by, it’s going to become a regular of ours before work also ….

〒044-0081
190-13 Aza-Yamada
Kuchan-cho
Abuta-gun Hokkaidou
The little red and blue cottage at the main intersection, just beside Seicomart
TEL/FAX 0136-22-5620

Winter Season 18:00-02:00 Open Everday
Summer Season 18:00-00:00 Closed on Monday's

Iwanai, Hokkaido

Went for a bit of a tiki tour today in search of Hokkiado cheese. We found our selves on the western coast of the island in a fishing town called Iwanai. As usual we had no idea about anything so were more than happy to be shown this small eatery. Tacked onto the side of a seafood market the kitchen is no more than a grill a rice cooker and a single burner for a soup pot.



We ordered three of the fishes available to day on a hand written menu on the wall.



All the sets came with the same accompaniments, a bowl of miso, some bright yellow pickled diakon, a bowl of blanched bean sprouts which were then tossed with sesame oil and topped with aonori, a small plate of braised octopus, rice and on each of the fish plates was a seaweed relish and grated diakon.

Salmon belly; lightly glazed and grilled to perfection



Saba; a japanese mackerel, needed a little soy to bring out the flavor



Hoke; firm white fleshed fish lightly glazed



Through to the market



I liked that as the fish was used the woman working just walked through to the market and picked up a couple more pieces. Not much fresher than that.

On the way home we came across this spring near the Konbu spa. The local council has put some plumbing into the ground so people can take advantage of the constant running water.



Filling up our soft drink bottles I could understand why there were people there with dozens of large water vessels filling up, it is delicious, clean and crisp possibly the best water I have ever tried, and the bonus is it's free. How cool is that??

Cha ca la vong.....almost, Hanoi

OK then we're of to a grilled catfish place so famous that the the street they reside on is named after them. Cool!

We must've walked around every possible variation of streets before we found the place. Seriously the old city is like a maze .. you take a turn down a street you haven't been down then another and wayhey your back where you started with out even trying........I think even a week later I was still surprised at the places we would end up... Anyhoo I digress, there was a the big sign proclaiming the grilled fish so in we went, the staff were super friendly, not much English but they knew what we were after, Cha ca? was the enquiry .. affirmative nods plus with some pointing to some of the fresh rice noodles being made in the front door.

Nods and smiles all round we were in...sweet.

With but the briefest of waits a small electric hot plate is placed in front of us, along with bowls of chilli, roast peanuts, sliced onion, plates of fresh rice noodles a pile of fresh dill, spring onion and half a dozen Vietnamese herbs I have no idea about, two frothy sauces one made from fish sauce, one from shrimp paste.

.. and the catfish, thumb size chunks that had been grilled over coals.

We were looking around to see what to do next but the waitress was on to us, all smiles she placed a good whack of the herbs in to the pan on the hot plate the then some of the fish, turning the plate on she then gave us the pointing directions for when your ready mix the fish and herbs with your rice noodles add the chilli, nuts and onions, splash in a little sauce and go OK? OK.

The herbs began to sizzle in the oil giving off an amazing aroma the fish went in on top and we were good. We followed directions, a little of this a little of that then we at it.

I don't know how to describe how good it was mouth after mouth of amazing, the herbs aroma filling your head, the oil from the pan coating the fish and noodles, the salty hits from the sauce and wicked chilli spikes, how could we have never known about this before. We were packing the second round into the pan before the first was finished so there would be no wait to go again.

The rice noodles came in from the front. A plate of fresh steamed noodle topped with sweet sticky pork and more of the herbs and deep fried garlic.

It was fantastic but the Cha ca was stealing the show. Why haven't any of the Vietnamese place in Australia done this?? Maybe we don't visit the right places....

After all was done we crossed the road to take a photo of the shop front and stood next to the world famous Cha ca la vong the place we had come to visit ...oops. (note for young players the original uses charcoal braziers not hot plates.)

Still the place we were at was full locals and it was great. Next time we'll visit the real deal for a comparison....

Cha Ca Grilled Fish
Banh Cuon Tinh Ca Cuong Con Nquyen Chat
Just across the street from .....
Cha Ca la Vong
14 Cha Ca Street, Hanoi
84-4/825-3929