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Going local in Niseko

By Changmoh • Thursday, 30 April 2015 • Food & Drink, Restaurant Reviews, Travel

We have just got back from a trip to Japan with some friends, one of whom is Japanese. It was a massive treat to see the country with someone who was born there and who can speak the lingo.

One of the best dinners we had was in Hokkaido after a day on the slopes. The restaurant took the form of an utterly random bar, or izakaya as they are called in Japan, stuffed with baseball memorabilia and – more importantly – locals.

Talk stopped upon our arrival. “How did you find this place?” was the first thing Hashi was asked after we all traipsed in behind him.  It wasn’t that the bar was only for Japanese, it was only for Niseko locals (Hashi hails from Tokyo).

He ordered brilliantly from their very simple menu and we wolfed all the food down in a state of euphoria and excitement (so much so that I only managed one picture…)

Grilled squid

None of this is particularly helpful should you want to find this place yet don’t speak Japanese. I have thought of that though and asked Hashi if he could possibly translate everything, from what we ordered, to the izakaya’s name and address. If anyone makes it out to Niseko for next year’s ski season, this place is worth visiting.

Please don’t, however, come here expecting to find a beautiful establishment; the dining area looks like this:

Dining at the izakaya

Ignore the memorabilia on the walls and close your eyes as you use the baseball themed loo roll (yes I did manage to take a shot of it):

Loo roll is even baseball themed

And while you are at it, ignore the Billy Bass stuffed fish and punk fortune cat too…

 

punk kitty

The table behind us were Japanese, non-English speaking ski instructors eating with their families, which included a three-month-old baby I managed to make scream in terror. It’s nice to know that I haven’t lost my talent with newborns:

Sip your sake and place your order with the owner-chef and his wife:

May I suggest the following? Partly because it was delicious and partly because it is already nicely translated – thank you Hashi. All you have to do is point:

Hokkaido potato wedges : フライドポテト
Assorted sashimi platter    刺身盛合せ
Squid rings (pictured) :  焼きイカ
Edamame :   枝豆
Cheese-filled spring rolls (sound dubious but they were delish) : チーズ包み揚げ
Grilled chicken on sticks : つくね
Chicken wings : 手羽先
fried oysters : カキフライ
Seaweed wrapped parcels of rice with bonito fish flakes : おにぎり ( 鰹節 )
Wash it all down with some good, local Niseko sake : “蔵人衆”
Name of restaurant :  Matsu (松)
Address : 〒048-1501 北海道虻田郡ニセコ町字富士見45
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    Why the strange name? Changmoh is an amalgamation of the words Chinese & 'Angmoh' (local speak for Caucasian should you be reading this in a country other than SG) // I'm an English girl living in Singapore and love the local way of life so much that I actually think I’m half Chinese. Maybe even three-quarters // Freelancer writer, author and editor ... you read it here first.

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