On Day 12, my worry was that many lunch spots were closed due to the pandemic. However, when I visited a neighboring town, I found a place that had always caught my eye open for business, so I decided to drop in. As I entered the restaurant, the owner emerged from the kitchen. He has been serving raclette since the 1980s and has had various interviews about it. My husband opted for a lunch menu, avoiding the rural dishes, while I went for the raclette set menu. The potatoes covered in plenty of raclette cheese (from Switzerland) melted on a heater were delicious. They tasted fresh, but apparently, they were from the last stock of last year's harvest. It seems that this year's harvest was poor due to the extreme heat. The raclette cheese set menu costs 2,200 yen. If you enjoy rustic dishes from France or Switzerland, I would recommend this place.

I've been curious about this restaurant for a while, but it always seemed a bit intimidating to go in, so I never visited until now. When I arrived at around lunchtime (11:55), I decided to take the plunge and go inside. The restaurant was empty, and I felt a bit awkward taking pictures of the menu while the owner watched, so I decided to order the recommended Potato Lunch for 1000 yen. However, they told me that the soup wasn't ready yet, so I had to change my order to the Curry Lunch for 800 yen. It was a bit strange that they hadn't prepared the lunch menu items during lunchtime. The curry lunch arrived after a 10-minute wait. The dish looked fancy with two sunny-side-up eggs, but they were a bit too runny. The curry sauce was sparse, not hidden under the eggs as I had expected. The taste was lacking, and I felt like it needed some soy sauce. The owner seemed chatty and engaged in conversation. Overall, the experience was okay, but I'm not sure if I would go back.

The master's personality is heartwarming.

This is a modest-looking restaurant located diagonally across from the Mushroom Kingdom. I remembered it being very delicious when my family happened to stop by about 7-8 years ago, so I decided to visit again. We went on a Sunday afternoon, and although there were two cars parked in front of the restaurant, we were the only customers inside. The restaurant is run by a cute and kind old man with beautiful white hair, who seems to be the owner. The lunch menu consists of various potato dishes, raclette, and other Western dishes. We ordered the following for two people: - Hamburger steak set 1500 yen - Cheese-in pork cutlet set 1500 yen - Raclette cheese 1500 yen The old man suggested we have the raclette first as the hamburger and other dishes would take a bit longer to prepare. He set up a heater with cheese and started preparing the potatoes. The smell of melted cheese filled the air in the restaurant! He then generously poured the melted cheese over two large potatoes, cutting them open and adding a thick layer of cheese, ensuring we could taste both the texture and flavor of the cheese. It was simply delicious! The potatoes were soft and fluffy, and the cheese was crispy on the edges, gooey, and chewy. It was a taste that screamed "This is how it should be in Hokkaido!" Honestly, I wanted another plate of raclette! After that, we had potato soup, salad, hamburger, cheese cutlet, and finished with coffee. The hamburger and cheese cutlet were also delicious, reminiscent of a local Western-style diner. If you're in the Niseko area and craving potatoes after seeing the potato fields, I highly recommend stopping by this restaurant. Around mid-July, you can enjoy the beautiful view of white potato flowers in the field from inside the restaurant. I will definitely visit again when I come back to Hokkaido!

On the way back from a fishing trip to GW Island, I was driving near Kimobetsu with a rumbling stomach, searching for a place to eat. I stumbled upon a restaurant that seemed hard to categorize based on its exterior, but I decided to take a chance and go in. The cozy interior resembled a homely Western-style eatery, with dishes featuring potatoes and cheese, typical of the Niseko area. As I looked through the menu, I found that there were only a la carte options available, with sets priced at over 1500 yen and courses at over 2000 yen. Since I just wanted a quick bite, I ordered an omelette on its own. Other customers were choosing courses, and I watched as a raclette dish was prepared in front of them, melting cheese over potatoes. The chef, dressed sharply in a cooking outfit, was working diligently in the kitchen, adding to the anticipation for my omelette. After about 15 minutes, my omelette arrived. It looked rustic rather than gourmet, but the hunger and the organic charm of Niseko's ingredients made it look delicious. Overall, it was tasty, but I felt that the individual flavors of the main ingredients – potatoes, cheese, bacon, and eggs – didn't shine through. Considering the price range, the atmosphere of the restaurant, and its positioning as a place for authentic Western cuisine, it didn't quite stand out. The country-style wooden decor and cute interior lacked attention to detail in terms of cleanliness, giving off a somewhat shabby vibe for a restaurant with higher prices. It seemed like a missed opportunity to fully capitalize on the grandeur of Niseko's nature, the allure of organic ingredients, and the rustic charm of authentic Western-style cuisine. There was a sense of untapped potential due to the pricing and menu structure, failing to create a synergistic effect.

[2011.08 Update] On the way to Noboribetsu Onsen in August 2009, we passed through Niseko and stopped for lunch. Despite my desire to visit a different restaurant, we ended up at Potato in Papa at the insistence of my friend. Memories of a previous unpleasant experience came flooding back. Upon arriving at the restaurant, we found it empty with only the owner present. After being informed of menu items that were sold out, we each placed our orders. I opted for the Raclette Set (1700 yen) and the Potato and Sausage Salad (400 yen). We started with the same "Potato and Oyster Soup" as last time. The owner then prepared the Raclette machine. The Potato and Sausage Salad was quite tasty. When the machine was ready, the Raclette was served. It was indeed delicious. This time, there were no unpleasant experiences like before, and we left without any issues. I couldn't help but feel that the owner was somewhat clumsy, especially when I observed him serving a group of about seven people who arrived later. Featured in Jalan's "Eating Journey in Hokkaido - Vegetable Edition," we decided to visit the restaurant. It is located along National Route 230, just past the town of Kimobetsu from Nakayama Pass, with Rusutsu Resort and Road Station 230 Rusutsu further down the road. We arrived early and decided to visit Road Station 230 Rusutsu before returning to the restaurant. It's worth noting that the "OPEN" sign at the entrance should be ignored, as it seems to be just for decoration. The interior of the restaurant had a log cabin feel, but the doors were in poor condition, leading to an incident where I got locked in the restroom. Despite my efforts to open the door, it wouldn't budge until a forceful shoulder tackle finally freed me, causing the whole building to shake. This incident dampened my mood before even starting the meal. We decided to order the "Two-Person Set" and an omelette (I forgot the type). The "Potato and Oyster Soup" was delicious as usual, followed by the "Steamed Milk Potatoes" and "Potato Salad." The combination of mayonnaise and potatoes never disappoints. Next, the Raclette arrived, with melted cheese on steamed potatoes, a surefire delicious combination. Even my friend, who tends to be critical, enjoyed it. However, the omelette never arrived, and we were served coffee instead. When I inquired about the omelette, the young waitress (who looked like a middle schooler but was probably a high school student) called the owner over. It seemed like the omelette wasn't even being prepared. We decided to cancel it since we had already finished our coffee. During payment, the owner mentioned that the omelette was canceled, and we were only charged for the set. This left a sour taste in my mouth. Despite feeling upset, I paid and left the restaurant. As I was leaving, the poorly installed door of the restaurant, combined with my frustration, resulted in a loud slam as it closed behind me.

I went to a restaurant in Niseko with a friend from Sapporo, passing through Nakayama Pass from Sapporo. This area is famous for potatoes, so we visited a restaurant that mainly serves potato dishes. The main dish was raclette, where they melt cheese on potatoes right in front of you. As for the taste, it was as expected - you eat the potatoes with the melted cheese. It might be a good choice for a date. Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 2.5 Theme: Restaurant Introduction Genre: Gourmet

I went to Kishibetsu from Hakodate by car because the guidebook of "Jalan" mentioned that I could eat potato dishes there. When I arrived around lunchtime, I wanted to order the Raclette, which was the specialty of the restaurant, but they told me they had run out of boiled potatoes and it would take 40 minutes to prepare more. I couldn't wait that long, so I ended up ordering a regular menu item unrelated to potatoes. It was disappointing because I had come all the way from Hakodate. Even though it was around 1:00 pm on a weekday (usually right in the middle of lunchtime), it was a let down that the signature dish was not available. There were only four other customers in the restaurant besides us at that time. If you definitely want to try their food, it might be better to make a reservation. By the way, the omelette rice I reluctantly ordered was already lukewarm when it arrived. I wish they had served it a bit warmer. Therefore, I rated the food and service critically.

When it comes to Kimobetsu, it's all about potatoes. This shop probably serves potato dishes as well. One of their dishes is a large potato with melted raclette cheese on top, and it is incredibly delicious. However, when I visited last year, there was a sign saying "Temporarily closed due to the shop owner's health issues." I wonder if they are open this year. I really want to taste that warm dish again.