Today feels colder than I thought, K66 here. Now, it's the evening of the second day of skiing in Hokkaido. I had made a reservation the day before at this place, bang-bang, and guess what!!! There are no photos of the noteworthy sashimi platter... what a shame... Well, if you just order normally here, it's quite expensive. However, if you ask for a certain amount of sashimi like this and that, they will provide it at a reasonable price. But be aware that items that can be eaten on the mainland are very expensive. So, please take note. By the way, there are no photos, but the sashimi platter with unique Hokkaido ingredients like octopus was delicious.

Banban Niseko is a great izakaya that caters to Japanese tastes. The prices are on the higher side, but the food is delicious and worth it. They offer a variety of dishes such as yakitori, salads, and seafood, as well as a good selection of drinks including well-maintained draft beer and a variety of whiskies for highballs. It's a great place for adults to enjoy a meal and drinks. I tried Kachokabaro here for the first time and it was incredibly delicious!

Thanks to the sharp decrease in inbound tourists, we were lucky to be able to enter the restaurant easily. Many items on the menu do not have prices listed, which made us a bit nervous, but the staff kindly informed and confirmed the prices when we placed our order. The sashimi included tuna, herring, squid, scallop, and octopus. The tuna and octopus were new to us, but they were very delicious and fresh! They also have a selection of high-quality Japanese sake and wine. If we have the opportunity to visit Niseko again, we would definitely want to stop by this restaurant.

I took a break and went snowboarding in Niseko! It's a dream destination. The Niseko Hirafu ski area was busier and more lively than I expected. Among the crowd, I found a great place to drink. They mainly serve yakitori with Hokkaido's unique ingredients. The hokke was huge and deliciously fatty! Truly Hokkaido! They also had ice fish, a specialty of the northern region, which was perfect as a drinking snack. The oysters we had to finish were exquisite. The cute smiles of the staff made us melt with happiness. However, we were probably the only Japanese customers. The place was filled with guests from Europe and Asia, all wondering "Where are we?"

It's pretty tasty!

The food is delicious as usual! The staff's service is good, and I felt comfortable dining alone.

Too expensive

The rice portion was too small! I just wanted one more bite of rice because the side dish was so delicious... but they coldly said it would cost an extra ¥150 for a refill. Even though the Autumn Steak was absolutely delicious - thick, flavorful, with a light sauce and a variety of vegetables - it's disappointing that they don't offer more rice without an extra charge. The portion was smaller than a Chinese restaurant's soup cup. It's too expensive to ask for a refill at ¥150! I won't be going back again, no matter how delicious the food is or how good the service is.

Date: 2013-04-05 Time: 12:25:00 Location: Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido Restaurant: Bang-Bang Theme: Hokkaido - Izakaya style I stayed at Hotel Niseko Alpen in Hokkaido, where natural hot springs abound. The hot spring at the hotel was occupied by guests from various countries, but I managed to relax and soak in the soothing waters, relieving the fatigue in my legs. The view of Mount Yotei at dusk was clear despite the strong winds and snowfall. For dinner, we planned to visit a recommended restaurant in the Yamada area near the ski resort, but it was unexpectedly closed. So, we headed to the next recommended spot, Bang-Bang. The restaurant welcomes families with young children and specializes in yakitori and local Hokkaido sake and seafood. The menu is available on their website. After drinking a 4-liter beer at lunch, I couldn't resist ordering another pitcher of Sapporo Classic beer after the bath. We started with grilled salmon roe, followed by fresh herring sashimi, which was surprisingly tender and flavorful. The fresh turban shell sashimi and squid sashimi had a delightful texture and taste. Although not directly related to Hokkaido, the recommended tuna red meat and medium fatty tuna were delicious. We also enjoyed raclette cheese on potatoes, fresh leaves, and local doburoku sake from Niseko Sake Brewery. As the night went on, my memory faded along with the photos, but it was a delightful dining experience. It seems my tolerance for alcohol has decreased over time. Address: 188-24 Yamada, Kutchan, Abuta District, Hokkaido Phone: 0136-22-4292 Opening hours: 17:30-23:00 Closed on irregular days Thank you for reading and your support!

I was taken to a izakaya in Bifuka by one of the people I was with, and it was quite crowded. The person told me that they had been here 4 times before, but only managed to get in twice. Even when we were there, it seemed like some customers who arrived later couldn't get a table. The food was a bit pricey, with dishes like hairy crab, octopus, red fish, and steak being on the expensive side. However, the quality matched the price, so it didn't feel too expensive. They also had more common izakaya dishes like potato mochi, salmon roe bowl, and hokke at reasonable prices and they tasted delicious. The staff were okay, they brought our orders and extra chopsticks after a while, but they were not unfriendly. They had a decent selection of alcohol as well. It was nice to be able to try dishes and fish that are unique to Hokkaido while traveling. For me, dishes like octopus, smoked salmon, Bifuka wine, potato mochi, and white miso porridge were all new and delicious discoveries. I would like to visit again when I have a bit more money to spare.

During the peak season in Niseko, getting a dinner reservation can be quite competitive. Luckily, we managed to secure a table for six people with varying preferences at this popular spot starting at 9 PM. We struggled to find a restaurant that would cater to both seafood and meat lovers, but eventually settled on this place where we could enjoy both yakitori and seafood. We were initially skeptical about the prices at Niseko restaurants, but this place turned out to be quite stylish and reasonably priced. While it's not cheap, if you avoid the most expensive items, the quality and location make it worth it. The seafood, in particular, stood out from other more affordable options nearby. We ordered a variety of dishes and ended up indulging in an excessive amount of sake, resulting in a bill of around 8000 yen per person, which was a bit high. However, if you exercise some restraint, you can probably keep it around 5000 yen. This place has become one of the restaurants we definitely want to visit again next season.

Foreign visitors exchanging lively Japanese phrases such as "Toriaezu nama" at the restaurant.