Aloha Sapporo! Visiting Otaru
I’ll confess, we ate about eight times today. If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, you have already seen a good chunk of what we ate, but for those who haven’t, I don’t want to alarm you by showing you everything in one blog post. We can’t help it. There’s just a lot of good food here in Sapporo, and we have a limited time in which to try it all.
When you visit Sapporo, everyone says you need to visit Otaru, which is just a 30 minute train ride away. Since it’s a port city, the buildings are very European, thanks to the many ships passing through from various countries. The canal that runs through the town looks a bit like the Seine (only cleaner) and many Russian boats still make port calls. As you might guess, the seafood is also great here.
When we told Reiko Tokushige Rogers we were headed to Otaru and wanted to eat at Isezushi, she got very excited. As it turns out, the owner is her friend, so she was able to get us a reservation — which we didn’t know was essential if you want to eat there. We also didn’t know that Isezushi is a Michelin star-rated restaurant, which is why it’s such a big deal. When you get to Otaru, if you don’t know your way around, catch a cab to the restaurant. Otherwise, it’s an easy 10-minute walk.
Isezushi
Picture 1 of 28
If you do nothing else in Otaru, make a reservation (required) at Isezushi. This sushi bar has one Michelin star and was highly recommended by the papparazi who accosted Laurie at the airport (see previous blog) and Reiko Tokushige Rogers, who is from Hokkaido. It’s owned by Mr. Takahiro Koise, who is also the sushi chef.
Isezushi
3-15-3 Inaho Otaru
0134-23-1425
http://www.isezushi.jp
Guess how much that fabulous, Michelin star lunch cost? Just $75 per person, including the sake. Move over, Sasabune.
I’m going to post video later so you can get a better feel for what the town is like, but here are other highlights from our visit to Otaru:
Otaru
We actually found a pretty cool store halfway to the water that should be profiled here, but they wouldn’t allow pictures or video. Also, come to find out, we missed out on the area where they have glass products (like Murano) blown in Otaru. One of our friends, @TheCommonFoodie, says she stayed there for a day and a half and that wasn’t enough time. So I’ll probably have to plan a return trip so I can take in everything this area has to offer.
If you want to see all the photos I took on this day, click here.
Up next: The big ikura bowl, and the other five meals we ate!
