Hurry slowly on down. Yo, Niseko

Nestled in the lower village, tucked in behind pension Hurry Slowly is restaurant Yo.
Yo is not any ordinary restaurant, serving traditional Japanese cuisine you must book in advance. They only prepare the food for the bookings so just dropping in won’t do, and with only 4 tables and a barbeque room booking early is advised.
When you make the booking you’re asked which menu you’d like. On offer is the original menu at 3500¥ p/p. This consists of 9-10 dishes where you get to choose the star attraction from A – Beef Sukiyaki Course. B - Seafood course. C Vegetable course. And D – Hand-rolled sushi course.
Then there is option E – Irori Japanese BBQ. This is 4500¥ p/p. This is served in the traditional Japanese style, with a sunken hearth and coal flames. There are varieties of meat, seafood and vegetables for you to grill. Also served alongside the BBQ is hot-pot, salad sashimi and more.
Then there is option F Beef Shabu Shabu where you get a pot of simmering broth on the table to cook the thinly sliced beef. This is then dipped into your favorite sauce. Served alongside the shabu-shabu course you get temaki sushi, yakitori & salad.
As the BBQ room is booked out, we opt for the 5500¥ special course. Here you still get to choose from course A, B, C or D with the addition of a few more premium Hokkaido specialties such as Taraba crab. We both agree on A, the beef sukiyaki course.

On arrival we step through the door into a little stone garden which then leads into the restaurant.



We’re a little early (as we’re rather eager) but we’re greeted warmly. Even the chef pop’s around the corner to welcome us. We are taken through to our table. Each table is off in its own little separate room, the many small windows through to the other rooms ensure you feel private but not isolated.
As the food has already been ordered the only decision you will have to make is on what to drink, the sampler set of sakes, three very generous glasses all with the name inscribed underneath is a great way to experience the subtle differences between good sakes and get a feel for what you like to continue the evening with. We both agreed our favorite was the Hakkisan, dry with a little spice. Oishii.



As we sip away, we’re treated to a clear view of the BBQ room, it being set up for the lucky diners still to come. The charcoal smell through the restaurant is intoxicating …. We will definitely be back for BBQ soon.



The first dish of the evening is a small plate of zensai, some small school prawns, cream cheese with bonito and nori and four plump edamame with a sprinkle of togarashi.
The plate displaying the Japanese art of beauty from simplicity.





After we have savoured the zensai a small flame is lit under a stone cooker in front of each of us, under the lid, mushrooms, tofu, negi, onion, Japanese herbs and the famous wagyu sit in a little broth, gentle heating until cooked, with a raw egg on the side to dip in to.



It was recommended we wait until the flame had died out before diving in, but the smell wafting out from under the lid was a little too much to bear. (I may have actually finished the dish before the flame had died).
The following dish, a salad of prosciutto, peppers and mitzuna is light and refreshing.



Then a lidded pot is brought forth. The lid is lifted and a square of tofu is unveiled covered in a crab sauce, again the aroma leaps out and drags you in. The tofu silky soft takes the subtle flavour from the crab excellently.



The next in dish in the progression is a bit of a do it yourselfer, a small grill covered in kanji and filled with glowing coals lands on the table followed by a tray of goodness (the goodness being okra, shitake, Hokkaido diver scallop, Taraba crab leg and wagyu).



The idea is to grill each piece to your liking, then dip it in to the waiting wasabi, salt or lemon. It’s just like cooking on a bbq, only inside and at a table.
The crab is phenomenal the taraba is juicy and sweet and the flesh from the legs just keeps on coming.



The wagyu (cooked med rare to perfection…thanks chef) left a feeling of umami in my mouth that just wouldn’t quit.



A trio of nigiri appeared quickly after the grill was removed the rice shaped into little rounds, which were oh-so-cute. A nice change from the more traditional rectangle shape. They were topped with salmon, eel and scallop, still warm from the cooker and seasoned just so.



As the last nigiri disappeared a plate of ultra fresh sashimi filled its place. More scallop and salmon this time accompanied with tuna, snapper and prawn. We’re both still trying to get our head around the whole raw prawn…. it’s a texture thing.



By now we were starting to feel content but there were still three courses to come…..
The first a piece white fish with sautéed Japanese greens and wild mushrooms, again beautiful in it’s simplicity.



Then a braised pork belly, so tender and full of flavour. Japanese pork can really make you do a double take on how much flavour it can have. The belly topped with a dab of hot Japanese mustard to cut the richness.



Finally, a slice of adzuki, (small red bean), and chestnut cakes with a cup of Japanese tea.
The cakes were delicate and with the tea a perfect end to a meal when you just need a mouthful of something sweet to finish off.



Feeling happily content we wandered off into the snow knowing the next time we come we’ll be hurrying not too slowly as we know what’s waiting.

Website: Restaurant Yo

Hurry Slowly
155-416 Aza Yamada Kutchan
Abuta-gun, Hokkaido
044-0081 Japan
TEL:+81-136-22-6979

FAX:+81-136-22-3264

Also seen in Powderlife Magazine.

Sushi, Suskino, Sapporo

We're in Sapporo again after a day with M1 at Chitose hunting out some more fine Hokkaido products.  During the day we're already discussing our dinner plans.  As we haven't had sushi in Japan a phone call is made to Y and it's all organised.  Now the whole afternoon is spent eagerly awaiting this fine treat.

After a freshen up, we're picked up from the hotel.  We drive around for a  bit before ending up over in the vincinity of Suskino.  In the evening with all the flashing lights and crazy neon, it's quite a sight!

We find what M1 thinks is the building.  He's looking a bit puzzled though.  There appears to be a florist on the first floor, a set of lifts at the end of the corridor, and on the side wall a vague floor guide, all in Kanji of course.  

M1 doesn't seem to confident that we're in the right place.  He makes a phone call....  apparantly this is the building.  We take a life up to the 4th floor and walk past a place called "Dolce Bar"...  I was thinking, nice, somewhere for dessert after we fill up on sushi (if this is the right place) but upon walking by, realise that it's not that type of "Dolce" .  Anywhoo, we pass another few hostess bars before finding a quaint little entrance.  There's a plant, a sign in Kanji, and a curtain.  We head on through.....

It's allready quite full.  There's traditional Japanese seating off to the left, but thankfully we have one of the best seats in the house.  The 3 of us are seated directly in front of the 2 sushi chefs, at the counter.  We take a moment to take it all in....  The counter is housing an abundence of fresh seafoods...  There are many things unknown to us.  How exciting!

After a nice hot towel, drinks are arranged.  We start with our first, of many, Hokkaido sake's.  Delicious. 

I am then given a kawaii (too-cute) little napkin with the moon and some rabbits on it.  Only girls get these, apparently.

Then the food starts....  A lot is being said between M1 and the 2 sushi chef's, we're not quite sure what, but we're happy to leave it in their hands.  First course is a delicate little bowl of cod-roe with konnyaku. The cod roe was soft and salty, with a slight pop on the tongue. The strands of gelatinous konnyaku a nice flavour and texture contrast.

Next is a bowl of Hokkaido taraba crab.  It's been dressed lightly with fresh lime, and has the most amazing sweet natural flavour.  Sitting beside is a pile of fresh uni (sea urchin) which has a nice creaminess.  

The next to be placed in front of us is a generous bowl filled with ikura (salmon roe).  This is somewhat of a specialty in Hokkaido.  I have been blown away with the freshness and flavour of all the ikura we have sampled since we arrived ....  This is no exception.  Each little ball an explosion of flavour on the tongue.  Slightly salty with the addition of a very good shouyu soy, but still with it's incredible natural flavour.  All this is savoured from a little wooden spoon resting on the side of the bowl.

In some broken Jap-English, we're asked if we like oysters.  Of course!  We then watch as they are carefully removed from their shell, they are then dressed with a tangy ponzu dressing with and finished with a little seaweed.  Yum!

More sake is had as we watch some scallops going onto the little grill which is situated just behind the two chefs.



The scallops are then brushed with a sweet glaze.  Sheets of nori are then flashed over the grill, before the glazed scallop is wrapped up in a sheet of nori and handed to us over the counter.  This one is to be enjoyed with the hands.  Mmmm, and enjoyed it was.  The crisp toasty nori a perfect contrast to the plump, sweet scallop.

We sit back an savour our sake...  Our next dish is the only one of the evening to not be prepared at the counter.  When it arrives, there's a few giggles.  We try to ask what we're about to feast on, but all we manage to get out of them is "the female fish" and plenty more giggles.  Heh, anyway... it's tempura'd so we should be fine.  There's a little wedge of lime and some salt on the side.  The crisp batter reveals some very white and gooey stuff.  It's delicious, none-the-less.  There are also a few pieces of maitake mushroom which have been battered as well.  These have a great nutty flavour.  We later find out this Japanese delicacy is known as 'Shirako' or 'Tachi', which is cod milts, or to put it in lamen terms, cod sperm.  We have since seen this, and eaten it, on several occasions, prepared in a variety of different ways.  Tempura is still up there as one of the best, though.

We move onto another sake, and then start the marathon nigiri effort.

We all receive a beautiful jade coloured crockery plate in front of us.  Each piece of nigiri is then crafted before our eyes, before being placed, one-by-one, onto the plate.  The first is a piece of flatfish.  There is just the right amount of wasabi, the rice is still warm, and the fish so fresh brushed ever so lightly with sauce.

Then there's abalone nigiri.  Lightly scored and brushed with sauce.  It's nice a meaty, with great flavour.

Next up, prepare for battle-ships.  As each one is made, the little strip of nori is grilled before being wrapped around the warm rice.  It is then topped with the creamy uni.  Mmm.

We then see the nice big chunk of toro we've been eyeing off all night removed front the cabinet.  Toro nigiri.  Sublime!

Next is sweet shrimp nigiri.  The flavor is delicious, I just have a bit of a problem with the texture of raw shrimp....

But then next out is salmon belly, one of my absolute favorites.  It's so smooth and tasty!

I think they seen how much we enjoyed the toro...  A norimaki roll gets made right before our eyes.  A bit of the toro is taken and lightly chopped before being added, with a little sauce.  

They have some rather unidentifiable piece of sea creature they are then trying to explain to us.  One of them goes out and gets a little book.  It's full of pictures of all things seafood, with Japanese and English names.  We work out that it's Hokkaido surf clam.  It looks a little like a tongue draped over the shaped rice, but it was delicious!

We're then each given 2 pieces of inside out tuna norimaki, with toasted sesame seeds around the outside.

Then there's a rather unusual offering.  Smoked daikon pickles.  They're a deep brown colour, and the smoke smell is intoxicating.  Three plump slices of the pickle are served with a good dollop of sour cream.  An unusual but outstanding combination of flavors.

While we are savoring our pickles, one bite at a time, some small pieces of salmon are grilled.  This is then wrapped into a little norimaki, topped with ikura and bonito flakes.  Yum!

Another thing we had been fascinated with, was a little container full of the smallest little spring onions.  They looked like something that belonged on a Barbie dolls dinner table, or in a little doll house.  We sorted of pointed and expressed our interest.  We first had a look at the container.  Each strand was so perfect and green.  They were almost the length of my thumb...

We must have spent a while oohing over them, because before we knew it was another plate.  There were batons of Chinese yam, a very glutionous yet crunchy vegetable which had been pickled with perilla (red shiso).  They had a beautiful blush pink colour too them, and were lovely and refreshing.  Sitting to the side was 2 neat slices of tuna tataki, with the same sweet glazed brushed over them, and a little drop of cream cheese on each one.  Again, a rather unusual combination that worked really well.

We all move onto a Hokkaido sweet potato shochu.  It's nice a mellow, and served in a beautiful glass.

We then all (just about) finish with a gorgeous little minegi nigiri.  It has such a delicate onion flavour....  and it is so up there in the cute stakes!

We just sit and enjoy ....  before being asked if there was anything else we would like again or to try.  During the course of the night we had seen this large pink looking thing being sliced up...  We were curious.  We found out it was whale bacon or whale tongue and both lost our curiosity quick smart.  I ask for a grilled salmon nigiri.  Oishii.

Kim has a piece of fresh water eel grilled nigiri.

Another thing we were curious about, turns out to be house-made bottaga.  Awesome.  2 thin slices are served between crisp daikon.

Then comes a plate of house-made skimono, Japanese pickles.  There's daikon, cucumber and carrots and gobo that have been dipped in nutty toasted sesame seeds.

We watch as the two chef's work in harmony to create a gorgeous platter of sushi.  This is then taken down to one of the hostess bar's in the corridor.

We are again game to try a natto roll.  They all laugh when we agree.  We both eat it, I don't mind it's nuttiness, but it is rather slimy.  Again, the whole texture thing.  I mean, it's okay, but nothing either of us are crazy about.

It really is such a privilege to be able to sit at the counter of a fine sushi restaurant.  And to be in Japan and have that honor we are both truly grateful....

As we are leaving, I notice a too-cute little nigiri clock.  Nice!

We are walked all the way to the lifts by one of the chef's.  The whole floor is now buzzing, the bars all busy and plenty of hostess ......  Who would have thought, a fine sushi bar in amongst all of this.  Oh, wait, we are in Suskino.

Here's a copy of the shop card, with address
Somewhere around Suskino
Ph: 011 513 8002