ANA to Hokkaido - Autumn Snow, Seafood and the Art of Onsen Appreciation

[yflyer]

Continuing with the TR...we headed to Jingisukan Yukidaruma for dinner...



After climbing a narrow staircase, we emerged into a small restaurant with traditional Japanese seating.

We removed our footwear, and were seated on tatami mats on the floor around a low table into which a charcoal stove was inserted.



Onto a charcoal, a large convex hotplate was placed...



A selection of vegetables soon followed...



But this was no vegetarian meal -- quite the opposite.

On offer were many different lamb cuts, from common cuts like fillets and rib eye, to more unusual delicacies like tongues and hearts...



We ordered some of everything...



The tongue and heart were delicious, but then so was everything else...



Cooking these tender chunks of meat on a hot plate was just what we needed on a bracing cold evening.

If in Sapporo, I would highly recommend sampling this local dish. There are many jingisukan restaurants and it is probably hard to go wrong when choosing one, but I would recommend this place for its local ambience and reasonable prices, not to mention delicious meat.

[yflyer]

The next day, we caught the bus to Yoichi...



This was a very scenic bus ride...



We were headed to Nikka's Yoichi Distillery...



...where Nikka Whisky was founded.



Nikka's founder, Masataka Taketsuru, established the distillery there in 1934, after determining that the weather conditions there were similar to those of Scotland, along with other factors such as the purity of the water from the Yoichi River.



Mrs yflyer had reserved slots for the popular guided tour in advance. The tour began with a presentation (in Japanese, with written notes in English) by a smartly dressed tour guide.



The presentation covered some history, as well as the process of making whisky.



The important role of peat was discussed...



This included sniffing samples of peated vs unpeated barley. What a night and day difference the peat made to the aroma!



After that a walking tour of the distillery, which was still a fully functional and operating distillery...

[yflyer]

We were shown the fermentation tanks...



...and the distillation process, done in large copper stills...



...which were still directly coal-fired.



Casks of whisky being aged in barrels...



The home of the founder was originally near the distillery. The home was dismantled brick by brick and then moved and reassembled inside the distillery grounds as a historical exhibit.



The final stop on the tour was a whisky tasting.



These small tastes were quite instructive...



...but the complimentary tasting offered as part of the tour was not going to satisfy serious whisky lovers.

For that, you had to pop over to the Whisky museum and tasting room, which was a highlight of the visit.



In the museum, one could learn a lot about Nikka whisky...


...and learn about how the founder Masataka Taketsuru travelled to Scotland to learn how to make Whisky...



...and how he met and fell in love with his Scottish wife there.



We could have spent a long time in the beautiful tasting bar.



At the tasting bar, many whiskies were offered on their tasting menu (On a paid basis).



We ordered a tasting flight...



...as well as a single cask whisky...



We had to catch a bus to Otaru next, otherwise we would have spent a lot more time there sampling other whiskies as well.

[yflyer]

From Yoichi, we caught another bus for the short ride to Otaru, to have a look at their famous canal.



This was a popular spot for paintings, and of late, Instagrammers as well.



To be very frank, I was a little underwhelmed by the canal. It was not a particularly long canal -- only a short stretch was scenic. There were some nice spots for folks to do their obligatory photo or selfie, but that was it. Maybe this was just the wrong time of the year to visit the canal.

That said, the canal was especially beautiful in the evening.



While in Otaru, we passed a small casual restaurant that specialised in uni, or sea urchin.



As this was one of our favourite foods, we stepped inside for a quick meal...



..and also to sample something quite unique: uni-flavoured ice cream. This was an unexpected combination, which was also unexpectedly tasty!



The ice cream had a subtle sea urchin flavour that was not overpowering, and the cone came with a piece of raw sea urchin for good measure!

Otaru was quite a busy town for tourists, there was an old shopping street, lined with art and craft as well as eateries, as well as a glass museum and a huge music box museum.

For us it was just a day trip top Yoichi and Otaru, and we caught the bus back to Sapporo that evening.

[yflyer]

Back in Sapporo that evening, we headed to an Izakaya that was recommended by Saito-san of Bar Owl&Rooster.



This was another excellent restaurant. This was a large, and very popular Izakaya. No reservations were necessary, we just walked in and were shown to table overlooking the busy Susukino crossing in Sapporo.



Crab was a speciality here...Mrs yflyer could not resist sampling some of the grilled red king crab...



We also sampled their tuna sushi (Delicious!) and some really huge oysters...



The crab porridge was also very satisfying.

[yflyer]

We were now in our last 2 days in Sapporo. We spent those days wandering around the city and seeing the sights.

In one of the city's parks, Mrs yflyer was approached by group of young students, accompanied by their teacher, and asked to participate in a mock interview, where the student played the role of a TV reporter (complete with cardboard microphone) and asked her some questions, in pretty decent English, about her thoughts on visiting Sapporo.



These were very young students, and some prompting from their teacher was needed, but we were very impressed by this very practical approach to learning. They never did anything like that in primary school in Singapore!

[yflyer]

We headed to Daimaru for a look around.



It was always fun to head to supermarkets and food halls in other countries to see what the locals were eating.

The supermarket at Daimaru was awe-inspiring. I was especially wowed by the seafood selection.



Mantis shrimp, a rare delicacy in Singapore, was abundant here.



Kajika or Japanese fluvial sculpin (from the Rockfish family), the main ingredient in Hokkaido's Kajika soup.



Shirako from Nemuro, on the Northeast of Hokkaido.



Shoppers here apparently took the provenance of their produce very seriously. Everything was labeled with it's place of origin.

[yflyer]

We had a memorable meal at Kappou-Hashi, which as the name implied, served Kappou-style dishes in a modern, casual setting inside a shopping mall in Susukino.



Beautiful chopsticks and sauces dishes were in the drawer under the table. A different colour for each diner...



Sake served in a metal carafe...



Semi cooked chicken liver...



Gratin served in a pumpkin...



Shirako tempura...



Lamb proscuitto...



Seared lamb...



Beef sushi that was just so flavourful...



The sushi here was also a sight to behold, with a freshness and intensity of flavour that one did not often get in sushi in Singapore...



Black soybean and kinako ice cream...



A very memorable lunch, with every dish executed to an amazingly high standard.

[yflyer]

We were in Sapporo just as the annual White Illumination event began. From late Novermber to March, there were lights and illuminations at Odori Park and Ekimae-dori.



There were illuminations across different stretches of the park.



The crowds were up and about ooh'ing and ah'ing at the sights around them.



There was also a full scale Christmas market at Odori Park...



...very similar to those in Germany at this time of year...



...and just as crowded.



Lots of food...



Beer...



...and souvenirs...

[yflyer]

The sun was out, and the sky was a deep shade of blue, on our last day in Sapporo.



We took the opportunity to do some above-ground sightseeing (As opposed to using the Ekimae-dori underground walkways) and also headed up the Sapporo TV Tower.



We walked up and down the Tanuki Koji covered shopping street...



...where Mrs yflyer bought a kitchen knife from a Miyabunhamano, a well known knife shop.



We headed to Nijo market, the city's main seafood market.



...which was a maze of narrow alleyways...



By then I think I had seen enough crabs to last a lifetime.

[yflyer]

We headed up the Sapporo TV Tower.



At 147m, it was half the height of Tokyo Tower (at 333m)...



...but the views from the top were still quite spectacular...



...with great views of Odori Park and mountains in the distance.



There was a restaurant on the lower level of the tower that had great views too, although we did not eat there.

[yflyer]

For our last lunch in Hokkaido, Mrs yflyer picked a place that served Wagyu beef Shabu shabu and Sukiyaki...



Several set menus were available. We opted for the standard course.



A beautifully presented box of appetisers...



Then the main event: beautifull marbled wagyu beef, sliced super thin, to be dipped in a choice of light, clear shabu shabu broth, or thicker, sweeter sukiyaki broth...



The set also came with a huge platter of vegetables, and udon noodles...



...and a raw egg to be used as a dip.



This was a very satisfying and delicious meal. A nice way to end our vacation in Hokkaido.

[yflyer]

That evening, we caught the bus from our hotel to Sapporo New Chitose Airport, CTS...



This was an airport unlike any other we had seen in Japan. From the bus drop off, you entered the terminal and found yourself not at the check-in counters, but in a huge food court and busy shopping zone.



There was Christmas decor up, and it was all very festive.



They were actually selling crabs at the airport!



There were stores here that would not look out of place in a market...



The Japanese had a tradition of gift giving when returning from holidays. Travellers would have no shortage of gift options to buy at this airport!



Other facilities at the airport included "Hello Kitty Happy Flight" (What on earth was that?) and "Doraemon Wakuwaku Sky Park" (Ditto...). Alas, we had no time to explore these places.

We headed to the check in counters. We first headed to the premium check in area, which Star Gold were eligible to use.



But it turns out that this was only for domestic flights. There was a separate check-in counter for pax with international connections. We would have to go there instead. But ANA customer service was wonderful, they actually had a staff member escort us to the correct check-in area.



At the counter, there was a warning notice which you did not see at Changi Airport...

[yflyer]

From Sapporo, we would be flying to Haneda before our flight to Singapore. We had a fairly short connection in HND.

At the check-in counter, the friendly check in agent informed us that our original CTS-HND flight might be delayed, and offered to rebook us on an earlier flight, which we readily accepted.

However that meant that our original plan was going to be slightly disrupted. We had arrived at the airport very early, because Sapporo's airport was one of the few in the world which had an onsen within the terminal itself. We had planned to use the onsen before our flight.

Now that we were on an earlier flight, the amount of time before boarding had been much reduced.

But we all had our hearts set on using the onsen. Our flight was departing at 8pm, it was now 6.25pm. There was just enough time!

"Let's still go..." I said, "but we must keep strictly to this timing: We must be out of the onsen by 6.50pm sharp!"

So to the onsen we went...



It was great to be able to bathe, and take in the steaming hot waters in the onsen for one last time, before flying off. 25 minutes was not a long time, but it was enough for a short soak...

Thankfully everyone kept to the timing and we we headed through the short security queue into the airside area without any dramas.

[yflyer]

The airside area at CTS was bright and spacious.



Our flight from CTS to HND was an ANA Code share on Air Do. Air Do is a Hokkaido based airline which operates a fleet of 8 Boeing 737-700's and 4 Boeing 767-300's



Operating this 1 hr 45 minute sector was Boeing 767-300ER registration JA613A, a 20 year old 767 which flew for ANA from 2004 till 2019, when it was transferred to Air Do.



Not many opportunities to fly 767's these days!



This was an all-economy aircraft, laid out 2-3-2.



We were seated in row 1.



The interior of this aircraft had been recently refurbished, and every thing was new and very comfortable. Seats were equipped with USB charging points.



On-time pushback, with ground crew standing at attention and waving goodbye, which looked to be standard practice in Japan.



Camera views of the take-off on the cabin's common LCD screen.



Nice views of the semicircular terminal at CTS as we climbed out.



Very nice cabin ambience on this flight. The 767's 2-3-2 Y cabin could more than hold its own againt the more modern 787's 3-3-3, and was far superior to a 10 abreast 777.