Today, I overslept and couldn't cook rice, so on my way back from work, I made a detour for a little side trip. It's the 6th stop on the Jalan Onsen Stamp Rally, Hotel Paradise Hills (abbreviated as Para Hill). This place has four dining options within the facility: Restaurant Sora, Rest Area Himawari, Cafe Bar Cork, and BBQ & Terrace Hotaru. Since the last order time is late, I decided to relax in the hot spring and sauna before dinner. For dinner, I chose the Rest Area Himawari, which is hosting a spicy gourmet festival. It's a self-service setup where you have to get your own water, hand towel, cutlery, pick up your order, and return your dishes after eating. I ordered the Mapo Tofu Donburi for ¥930 and waited for my order with the buzzer they gave me. After 30 minutes of waiting with no alarm going off, a staff member rushed over to apologize for forgetting about my order or some sort of issue. As an apology for the wait, they offered me a complimentary soft drink, so I got a free iced coffee worth ¥440. Lucky me! I dug into the dish and found the tofu to be a bit firm, not too spicy, with a hint of Chinese spices. It's not bad at all. The Mapo Tofu Donburi I got was different from the regular menu, but I wonder what the difference is. The complimentary iced coffee also had a slight paper pack smell that bothered me, as I'm not a fan of that type of coffee. But since it was free, I didn't mind. Thank you for the meal. I didn't get irritated this time, but please make sure to serve the food promptly next time.

While driving through Kurayama Town, I came across a sign for a natural hot spring. After exploring the area and doing some shopping and eating, I couldn't resist the urge to visit the hot spring as a huge fan of them. The entrance had a retro Showa era feel, but the facilities were modern and even had a COVID check system in place, similar to an airport. My husband was a bit annoyed by the 650 yen bathing fee, but now looking back, it seems like a good deal. The bath was larger than expected and very clean, with a nice indoor and outdoor bath. Unfortunately, the outdoor bath was closed for maintenance, which was a bit disappointing. The water was a standard chloride spring, heated but not diluted. I prefer natural hot springs with flowing water, but I still enjoyed this one. After soaking, I followed my husband's lead and drank some milk, which was surprisingly delicious. I couldn't help but joke about how it was from Hokkaido but tasted like a national brand. My body felt warm and relaxed until the evening, thanks to the hot spring. It was surprisingly quiet, maybe because there are other hot springs nearby like Yunni no Yu and Iwamizawa.

I went to a day trip hot spring as part of the Jalan hot spring stamp rally. The place I visited was Hotel Paradise Hills. I had a not so good impression of it before, but it was renovated in 2021. I checked the website beforehand. The restaurant's specialty is chanko-nabe, a dish passed down from the Isegahama stable in sumo wrestling, and there is also a light meal corner. I purchased a bath and meal set for ¥1,300 at the ticket machine at the front desk. The meal had to be exchanged at the restaurant. The voucher stated that the last order was at 9:00 PM. I wondered what I could eat. After enjoying the hot spring and sauna for about 2 hours, I took a break and headed to the restaurant. It was close to 7:30 PM. However, I was told that the last order was at 7:30 PM... It was close! They didn't mention this at the front desk... Service deduction. For the meal, I could only choose from a limited selection of lunch menu items (marked with a pink stamp on the menu photos) priced at ¥880. I couldn't have the chanko-nabe... What a shame! It was ¥230 cheaper than the set price. I ordered the shibire pork bowl. When it arrived, the bowl was filled with plenty of sansho pepper. I took a bite. The sansho pepper had a tingling sensation. It wasn't too spicy. The sweet and savory seasoning was not overpowering, making it easy to eat. The portion size was a bit small. The miso soup on the side was instant wakame miso soup with some green onions. I wish there was tofu or fried tofu. Overall, for ¥1,300, I didn't feel like it was a great deal. It's subjective though. Thank you for the meal. If there's a next time, I'll try the chanko-nabe instead of the set.

Today, as part of a big cleaning day, I removed and washed all the ventilation fans in the house. I wasn't very hungry, but I couldn't skip lunch. So, we went to a chanko restaurant inside Hotel Paradise Hills, which had a name that seemed like a mix of Japanese and Western styles. I had the Japanese-style pasta for ¥900, and my companion had the pork chop set for ¥800. Recently, it seems like Tsum is busy and not making any comments, so it's nice not to worry about hierarchy. The Japanese-style pasta came with a small vegetable salad, soup, and a course. According to my companion, it was "just delicious." As for the pork chop set, I thought it was "just delicious." It seems like many people come here to enjoy the hot springs, which is great to see. They also had a souvenir corner. Thank you for the meal.

I had no plans for the first day of my consecutive holidays, so I decided to do some summer BBQ equipment cleaning and gardening in the morning before it was already lunchtime. Since I had never been to this place that looks like a super public bath in a spa hotel, I decided to give it a try. And I only had lunch without using the hot springs. The name of the place is "Sora" located inside Paradise Hills, but I wonder if it's good based on the reviews of Paradise Hills... Oh well, let's just go for it. The Emperor ordered the Five-Ingredient Yakisoba for ¥850, and I had the daily Sweet and Sour Pork set meal for ¥680, both with a side of corn soup. Is this good enough for the picky eaters? The food was delicious, although I'm a bit hesitant to give it a full 20% approval... The Sweet and Sour Pork was amazing, the soup was great, and even the corn soup was tasty. The Emperor's Yakisoba was also delicious, with a nice crispy texture. It seems like this place excels in Chinese cuisine as well. The Lunch Department of the Household Affairs has gained my approval. Thank you for the meal.

First, the hot spring was so nice. After that, we had ramen for our meal, haha. The taste was nostalgic and made me feel like I was in the Showa era. To be honest, it was delicious, haha. The bowl had a strong design, like a teacup on a saucer. But it was really tasty. The ramen, haha. Thank you for the meal. We'll definitely come back.

2019/1/25 Revisited After finishing work today, there was a New Year's party for a certain organization. The location was Hotel Paradise Hills. Honestly, in the winter in Kurayama, there is no other hotel where you can have a banquet. Even if it's for a certain number of people, this is the place to go. In the summer, there's "Chatoreze" but it's closed during the winter. The party started with the greetings of the important people and a toast. As I am just a small fry, I couldn't really eat much of the food. Although I did end up drinking quite a bit haha. The beer was bottled and poured into glasses, so it was warm. They also had shochu, so I pretended to carry beer around and drank from a small cup. The only dishes I had were a gratin with oysters, and a little bit of sashimi. Even if I had eaten everything, it wouldn't have been anything special for the 5,000 yen I paid. After that, we went to a snack bar for a second round of drinks on an empty stomach. Well, everything ended smoothly, so that's good! Thank you, Paradise Hills, I will continue to rely on you in the future! Thank you for the meal!

I had ankake yakisoba! It was a set with a bath ticket and lunch ☺️ There was nothing particularly special about it, but it had a taste that everyone would enjoy ✨ They also had chairs for children. The hot spring here is on the hotter side, but there are places for children to play and hammocks so families can have a good time together!

Today, my partner and I, along with my partner's mother, came to a hot spring. It's my first time here and I didn't do any research beforehand. I knew from some information that the Chinese food here is good, but that's about it. First, we took a bath in the hot spring. The hot spring here has a good mix of hot and just right temperature. The outdoor bath is a bit lukewarm, perfect for a long soak. We thought about having lunch at the free rest area that also serves food, but my partner's mother can't eat much since she had her stomach removed a few years ago. So we decided to check out the restaurant area where they were having a buffet. I guess this is a dining area for guests staying overnight, while day visitors can have meals at the free rest area. Today happened to be a special day, so they were offering a buffet. I didn't have high expectations, to be honest. Even though Chinese food is popular, there's a wide range of Chinese cuisine. But you know what? The mixed vegetables dish was surprisingly delicious. Honestly, the other dishes were just okay. The curry was from a packet and the yakisoba was dry. But that mixed vegetables dish was amazing! The basic clear soup was really unique in taste, bringing out the flavors of Chinese cuisine. I poured it over rice like a Chinese rice bowl and it was so good! The staff were attentive and even though it wasn't crowded, they made sure to replenish dishes when they ran out. When the hot plate for okonomiyaki was empty, they made a sweet and sour chicken dish for us. The chef even came out a few times. It was a satisfying meal compared to other tourist hot spring hotel buffets. On our way out, I spotted a jukebox in the lobby. I love old machines, so I was intrigued and the front desk lady noticed and turned it on for us. My partner immediately put in a coin and played "Blue Light Yokohama." The hot spring quality and staff hospitality here are really nice! Next time, I'll definitely come back for the delicious Chinese food! ♫

The restaurant is currently closed for renovations until November 2016, but I visited twice this summer and fall by bicycle from Sapporo. The first time, I went on a day trip cycling to the renovated SOMA Smoothie Crazy Bar Sportif. The second time, I went camping cycling with a Surly Long Haul Trucker Diagonal Six-Packers to Kuriyama Park Campground after bathing and dinner. The dining experience here is quite affordable, especially with the option of a day trip bathing ticket with soft serve ice cream. The Chinese cuisine here is delicious and has a retro Japanese-style touch. The menu changed between my visits, but the use of oyster sauce in the stir-fry dishes was particularly impressive and I learned a lot from it. When the restaurant reopens after renovations, it will be a hidden gem worth visiting. I hope they allow bringing Chinese Baijiu, as I have a collection of over 10 types. This has led to a stockpile of wine in my cellar, waiting for the right moment to enjoy them again.

I hit my hip! I hit it, but now there's a handprint on my hip. We had breakfast in Asahikawa and left early, so we thought, "Should we stop for a hot spring on the way?" We found a facility offering morning baths, and it seemed to be the closest one from Route 12. It was the most expensive at 650 yen, but we didn't want to take a detour considering lunchtime. The exterior looked older than expected, which was a bit disappointing. I thought, "If we drive a bit further, there's another facility," but I decided, "Oh well!" I put 1300 yen into the ticket machine and pressed the button for "1 man, 1 woman." I thought, "Wait, that button doesn't exist!" I bought a ticket for "1 skinny person and 1 cool old guy" instead. The bath was okay, but the facility felt outdated. The bath area was hot, and the outdoor bath water was too hot. The water had a decent color, but for a hot spring facility, charging 650 yen was audacious. I've been to 1,000 yen baths that were better. I've never been to a facility that didn't even provide towel rentals and charged so much. The cost-performance ratio was terrible. I've had better experiences at 1,000 yen baths. I mentioned this to a 2nd grader, and they wouldn't understand. It's like saying, "There's a 650 yen bath that's more expensive than a 1,000 yen bath." I'll drink some milk, Morinaga milk. I'll drink it with my hand on my hip where the handprint is. As a Hokkaido native, I prefer Snow Brand milk. It seems like they don't value day-trip visitors. When we entered and when we left, I said "thank you" to the front desk, but they ignored me.

Draft Digging Series March 22nd (Sunday) 11:40 AM Today is a leisurely refresh day. I ate bread at the bakery Sora and headed to my destination. Today's destination is Hotel Paradise Hills in Kuriyama-cho, the hometown of Hapi☆Para Naorin. On the way, I passed by Ryokaku Satoru and Taiho, and even though it was still before noon, there was already a line forming. Inside, I first went to the natural hot spring. Maybe because it was still midday, there weren't many people, so I was able to relax in the bath. The outdoor bath is closed during the winter, but it was open today. With no one around, it felt like a private hot spring and I was able to relax. After bathing, I had lunch in the large hall which also serves as a dining area. I ordered the recommended Rusutsu pork plate and the Rusutsu pork loin cutlet set. The tender pork had a hint of sweetness and was delicious. The loin cutlet was crispy and tasty as well. I grated the sesame seeds myself and mixed it with the sauce, which added a nice flavor. The large hall had a stage and a large screen TV, with both traditional Japanese seating and table and chair seating, serving as a relaxing spot for locals. I ended up taking a nap there. The natural hot spring had a nice atmosphere and wasn't crowded, so I would like to visit again for a leisurely time. Thank you for the meal.

About a 1-hour drive from Sapporo, Hotel Paradise Hills in Kurayama Town along Route 234 is a hot spring accommodation with open-air baths and a park golf course. Dinner is at an izakaya in front of Kurayama Station, so the rate includes breakfast at 7,150 yen. The hot spring is a gentle weak salt spring with a wide communal bath, sauna with TV, charcoal bath, and open-air bath. I bathed four times - upon check-in, in the evening, before bed, and in the morning - and my skin felt moisturized. Now, onto the breakfast review on Tabelog...The dining area is in the back right of the hotel's 1st floor, in the event hall (a room for lectures or meetings). The buffet starts with a salad corner, followed by dishes like hot tofu, simmered dried radish, cabbage rolls, bacon, rolled omelette, simmered vegetables, salted fish eggs, pickles, grilled fish (mackerel, salmon), and tarako. There are croissants, butter rolls, and fruit for dessert, but no dairy products. Of course, there's rice and miso soup as well. Honestly, I didn't have high expectations for a breakfast buffet at this size of accommodation, but the freshness of the tarako and salted fish eggs was good, especially the delicious rice (even my picky wife agreed). The onigiri I had at the izakaya last night was also tasty; I'll buy some Kurayama rice before checking out. Thank you for the meal.

2013/10/27 Revisited I came back from Sapporo and took a little rest before heading out again, this time with my parents. Previously, I had purchased "Beer Garden Tickets" from the hotel's president, but I couldn't use them on the actual Beer Garden day due to other commitments. However, upon closer inspection of the tickets, I discovered that they could be used at the hotel's hot spring relaxation area on days other than the Beer Garden event! And today happened to be the last day to use them (laughs). So, off to Hotel Paradise Hills Mazu for a soak in the hot spring! My mom had a bathing ticket, which we used. The hot spring was a bit lukewarm, but it was relaxing, and I couldn't stop sweating after getting out of the bath. We then enjoyed a cold beer in the spacious relaxation area. The freshly brewed beer was delicious! We were planning to have dinner as well, but after snacking on edamame and other appetizers, both my dad and I decided we weren't hungry anymore! My wife and mom stumbled upon "handmade soba" unexpectedly, and we opted for warm soba noodles. It turned out to be authentic handmade soba, although not freshly made, so the noodles lacked a bit of firmness. Still, my wife and mom said it was good enough! In the end, my dad and I had three beers each and called it a night. A cold beer after a hot bath – what a luxurious way to end the day! Sometimes, spending a holiday like this is quite enjoyable. Thank you for the meal! ---------------------------- 【Beer Garden at Para Hill!】2011/8/6 Revisited It was scorching hot today! The heat just wouldn't let up, even in the evening. That's when my fellow reviewer "Risky☆" invited me to join him at Para Hill for a Beer Garden event. "They're having a Beer Garden at Para Hill, wanna go?" I gladly accepted. Although I rarely drink beer at home anymore, this heat called for a cold one! Risky☆'s wife drove us, and off we went to Para Hill, which is short for "Hotel Paradise Hills" in the local slang (laughs). They were indeed having the event! It was still early, so there weren't many guests yet, but Southern music was playing, and skewers were being grilled. It had a nice atmosphere! The system was all-you-can-drink for two hours at 1,600 yen. Risky☆ and I opted for the all-you-can-drink option, while his wife and child enjoyed soft drinks. It was almost 6 pm, and the heat persisted. The beer kept flowing. It was a self-serve system, so we could refill our drinks freely. The food was also excellent. I didn't expect much from the food at this type of Beer Garden, but the dishes we ordered were surprisingly delicious. Even the skewers could have come from a specialty skewer shop! Additionally, we could order dishes from the hotel's restaurant, "Suiseikka," within the outdoor dining area. Risky☆'s wife wanted to try the "Ankake Yakisoba," so we ordered it! I only had a taste, but it was quite salty. Nevertheless, it made for a good accompaniment to the drinks. I wonder how many beers I had for 1,600 yen (laughs). I definitely got my money's worth! These kinds of events are enjoyable. Applause to Para Hill for their efforts! Thank you for the meal! ---------------------------- 【Hot Spring at Para Hill!】2011/3/21 Visit We decided to relax in a hot spring, so we visited Hotel Paradise Hills, also known as "Para Hill" among the locals (laughs). As a local, we don't usually stay at the hotel, but it was nice to enjoy the hot spring today! The entry fee was 550 yen, but there was a 100 yen discount that day, so it cost 450 yen. Luckily, my wife had a free bathing service ticket, so we could enter for free. How convenient! It was a public holiday in the afternoon, so it was quite crowded. Coincidentally, they were offering a milky bath called the "Sake Bath," using sake lees from Kobayashi Sake Brewery in Kurayama. There was a tub with cloudy white water, just like a sake bath. The water temperature was quite lukewarm, but it was ===========

This is a hot spring inn located in Kurayama-cho, Hokkaido, which also serves as a designated public bath for the local community. The free resting room was bustling with local people chatting and relaxing. It seems to always be crowded whenever I visit, with families and elderly people being the majority. I was hoping to have Chinese food at the restaurant, but unfortunately, it was closed at the time. The hot spring water is quite warming, so I couldn't resist buying some soft serve ice cream. It had a commercial taste, like a 50 yen ice cream, but sometimes you just crave it! No regrets - it was a treat. The hot spring has separate indoor and outdoor baths, with a rotation system for men and women after a certain period (about every two weeks). The water quality is sodium-chloride, 17.8℃, PH 8.0, and is pumped up naturally. No additional water is added, but there is chlorine in the water. There are two types of outdoor baths, and I personally prefer the other type not shown in the photos (you can see it on the hotel's website). Day bathing is available from 7:00 to 22:00, with an entrance fee of 550 yen for adults and 250 yen for elementary school students. There is a discount of 100 yen on Mondays.

Since I visit my hometown of Kurayama about 6 times a year, I often stop by the hot springs and enjoy a delicious lunch. The Chinese food here is surprisingly high quality for a rural area, and the ramen is just as good as what you'd find at a specialty shop. I highly recommend trying the dining options in Kurayama.

After having soba for lunch at Kinsoan, my wife and I enjoyed some time at the only natural hot spring in Kurayama-cho, where we soaked in the beautifying waters. Afterwards, we had some milk! Holding the glass bottle with my right hand and placing my left hand on my waist, I took a big gulp... it was delicious! I forgot to take a picture though. The bathing fee was 550 yen, and I didn't keep track of the cost of the milk. Thank you for the meal!