Located in a residential area in the Minami Maruyama district, TAKAO is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Hokkaido that has been featured in many international media outlets. It is a place known for its hospitality towards celebrities and prominent artists. TAKAO respects Ainu food culture and explores the benefits of nature to enhance the natural flavors and aromas of ingredients without compromising their quality. The menu for today included: - First course: King of the silver salmon, Ginsei, accompanied by 11-month aged sweet Kitaaakari and chef's own marinated ikura. - Second course: Mountain essence 2019, a soup made with the essence of 20 mushrooms that will make you smile instantly. - Third course: Pasta with matsutake mushrooms harvested by the chef in Teine and fallen leaf mushrooms from Niseko, along with smoked seasonal Pacific saury. - Fourth course: Pasta with cheese made by an Italian cheese artisan using Hokkaido milk and enriched with the aroma of domestic truffles. - Fifth course: Sorbet made from a fruit called "dede," providing a unique fruit-eating experience. - Sixth course: Braised Tokachi beef cheek with a pumpkin sauce that leaves a lasting impression. - Dessert: A Mont Blanc dessert edited by TAKAO with caramel sauce drizzled over ice cream. TAKAO's team is truly exceptional, offering a culinary experience that showcases the seasonal flavors of Hokkaido. Before indulging in sushi in Hokkaido, be sure to savor the seasonal Hokkaido delicacies at TAKAO.

Today's visit was to TAKAO. TAKAO is an Italian restaurant located in Minami 3-jo, Sapporo, Hokkaido. Known for its focus on using local Hokkaido ingredients, TAKAO has become a popular restaurant in Hokkaido. In addition to using local ingredients, they also incorporate Hokkaido's history into their Italian cuisine, creating a new style of Hokkaido cuisine that transcends ethnicities and eras. Chef Ryo Takao aims to create a new style of Hokkaido cuisine that goes beyond traditional boundaries. He actively incorporates ingredients and fermentation techniques passed down from the Ainu people. Takao still ventures into the mountains several times a week to search for ingredients such as nuts. The courses at TAKAO give off an impression of Italian cuisine with a touch of French influence. Through the theme of "cooking the forest and adding value to the forest," we decided to try the ¥19,800 dinner course at TAKAO this time. The dishes truly allow you to feel the essence of Hokkaido's forests. From the Sansho pepper and hop chicken to the homemade bread with bear garlic butter, each dish is a flavorful experience that showcases the bounty of Hokkaido's forests.

It's not Italian cuisine in the forest, but Hokkaido gastronomy. That's the feeling. The category of Italian cuisine is no longer necessary. Chef Takao's world view. All the dishes are simply delicious and wonderful. And all of them reflect the essence of the forest. My husband and I were moved! The cuisine conveys the chef's personality, which seems sharp but is actually very delicate and sensitive.

The dinner course was around 20,000 yen, I think? It has definitely leveled up a lot since last time!! The service has improved significantly!! Everything was delicious!! It's definitely on my list to visit again soon!! \(//∇//)\ \(//∇//)\ \(//∇//)\ \(//∇//)\ \(//∇//)\ \(//∇//)\

The atmosphere is nice, almost like being in a French restaurant for a moment. Abundant use of Hokkaido's unique ingredients. You can feel the essence of the mountains. They put a lot of effort into it! The explanations are detailed and long, so if you don't listen carefully, you might forget what each ingredient is (lol). The bread is of the hard variety. The butter is said to be made with garlic. Innovative. This is sure to be well received - the garlic flavor is completely smooth, very delicious. It looks like a bear's cookie! The pasta with crab was rich and delicious. The pasta had many of Hokkaido's blessings. It had complex flavors but they matched well. It was al dente, which I like. The meat was a bit disappointing. Maybe it was just that time? It had clean fat, but it wasn't to my taste. Overall, it was an elegant time. Thank you for the meal.

"Sapporo Minami 3 Nishi 23 'TAKAO' is an Italian gastronomy restaurant in Hokkaido that respects Ainu culture. The chef, who ventures into the mountains and forests, focuses on the theme of adding value to the forest through ingredients and dishes. On this day, the 'Forest Style' menu included chicken tsukune skewers wrapped in spinach with a stimulating blend of sansho pepper and hop powder, enhancing the umami and sweetness. The 'Hair Crab and Turep Pasta' featured a special pasta made with Rumoi wheat and Turep (giant lily root), along with a rich crab sauce. The meal also included various specialties like soup made with distilled water of Ezotsutsuji and bread using fermented acorns. The strong aroma of monk garlic butter was notable. Overall, it was a delightful meal. Dishes: - Spinach and chicken meatball Forest Style - Sansho pepper and hop powder - Monk garlic butter and bread - Mushroom and mountain extract soup (distilled water of Ezotsutsuji) - Scallop wrapped in black Ezomatsu extract - White president shiitake mushrooms from Shiraoi, shimeji mushrooms, maitake, and Dattan soba pasta - Hair crab Rumoi Rosso pasta with Turep (giant lily root) - Kitakobushi granite - Oguni beef tri-tip roast with Kamisapporo Inca's Awakening aged komatsuna sauce - Autumn mountain beets, pumpkin, and spinach langues de chat - Caramel gelato, Mont Blanc cream, Shibukawa simmered apple confiture, mountain grapes and apple skin chocolate - Kumazasa tea cookies - Kumazasa tea wine by the bottle / Kuma Cola / Sapporo Fujino Winery"

You can somewhat understand the aim of aiming for a forest style. It includes Hokkaido-like elements, Ainu culture, things found in the forest, and dishes reflecting the chef's artistic sensibility. The dishes may not immediately convey deliciousness intuitively, so preferences may vary. This restaurant caters to connoisseurs who can find something interesting in it.

I visited this restaurant the other day as I had been curious about it for some time. The interior was nice, modern, and chic. They only offer one course. I ordered a drink and we made a toast. The food was brought out at the perfect timing and it was all delicious. The concept was well thought out and executed, and I had a great time enjoying the meal.

"Casa di Hokkaido" The entrance of the Hokkaido House Restaurant is inscribed with this phrase along with the restaurant name. When I wondered about its meaning, I felt it during my meal. It truly felt like being invited to a house in Hokkaido. The dishes include unique ingredients born in the nature of Hokkaido, such as grasses, herbs, mountain vegetables, and those that the Ainu people have been eating since ancient times. The cuisine is a fusion of Italian, innovative, and fusion, with the addition of Ainu elements, also known as "Ainu Italian." The dishes are generally served in small portions, making them healthy and not heavy, which I personally like. Dinner is by reservation only. ★Young bamboo shoots/Fuki no Tou/Ankake beans... A dish like Japanese cuisine with chopsticks. Bamboo shoots cut into small pieces with miso sauce made from Ankake beans. ★Bread keeps coming. A slightly sweet and delicious baguette-like bread. Butter carved into a bear shape. ★Mountain essence... Mushroom soup made with 30 mushrooms per serving, a dish that condenses the umami of mushrooms. It includes the distilled liquid of the Ezoyatsugatsutsuji, a unique species in Hokkaido, white birch yeast liquid, and fresh cream, creating an exquisite soup. After being told that "the taste diminishes when it cools down, so please enjoy it quickly," I hurriedly took a photo and had a taste. I never knew there could be such a shocking delicious soup. The compatibility with the scallops served together was also excellent, and I was charmed in an instant. ★Spring herring/Walnut/Green asparagus... Pasta made with spring herring smoked with an Onigurumi tree to give it aroma, combined with green asparagus. It includes crispy buckwheat grains for texture. ★Snow crab/Tulep... The second pasta dish. Tulep, a type of lily root eaten as dumplings by the Ainu people, is crushed and mixed with water, then combined with wheat flour to make pasta noodles. The texture is chewy with a good bite, and it combines well with the sauce. The sauce made using 20 kg of snow crab has a natural sweetness despite its heavy appearance. ★Naginatakoju... A sour sorbet. ★Beef cheek/Yam grape/Strawberry/Acorn... Beef cheek meat cooked in a sauce made with whole clusters of mountain grapes instead of red wine. It also has a spicy flavor. Served with pumpkin paste, Inca awakening, and more. ★Fuki no Tou panna cotta ★Herbal tea and petit fours... No coffee, only herbal tea is served. The attention to detail is present until the end. Nowadays, restaurants are required to have "originality" and "individuality." In such a time, I have rarely seen a restaurant as unique as "TAKAO," which has established a new genre called "Ainu Italian."

Located in Sapporo, the Italian restaurant "TAKAO" is currently gaining attention. This restaurant has been awarded one Michelin star and a score of 16.0 in Gault et Millau, with its main feature being the incorporation of Ainu food culture into Italian cuisine. For those unfamiliar with Ainu cuisine, like myself, visiting "TAKAO" provided a glimpse into this unique culinary world. The restaurant operates on a dinner-only basis and requires advance reservations. The dinner course costs 16,000 yen and includes dishes such as bamboo shoot appetizer, mushroom soup, spring herring pasta, snow crab pasta, sorbet made from a plant called na-gi-na-ta-kouji, beef cheek with a sauce made from mountain grapes, and fuki-no-tou panna cotta for dessert. The attention to detail in combining Ainu ingredients with Italian cuisine is truly impressive. The staff also provide detailed explanations of each dish, making the dining experience both educational and enjoyable. Overall, "TAKAO" is a wonderful restaurant that successfully blends the unique flavors of Ainu cuisine with Italian dishes. I highly recommend visiting this place to experience it for yourself! For more details, you can check out the link provided.

Regular customers recommend visiting this restaurant for its Mountain Essence and Snow Crab/Tulip dishes. The Mountain Essence, which requires advance reservation for a large portion, is undeniably delicious and you can have as much as you want. It's a specialty of the restaurant. The menu includes dishes like Bamboo Shoots, Butterbur Sprouts, Edamame, Mountain Essence, Sea Urchin, Green Asparagus, Snow Crab, Tulip, Naganatakoju, Beef Fillet, Mountain Grapes, Mountain Wasabi, Acorns, and Cherry Blossom 2021. Don't forget to try their homemade herb tea.

The 13,000 yen dinner course had a strong emphasis on ingredients. Many of the ingredients are sourced from the mountains in Hokkaido, where the Ainu people eat, and I tried many new foods for the first time. I also had my first taste of domestically grown black truffles from Yamanashi Prefecture. All the dishes were of high quality, especially the two pasta dishes and the main course of beef cheek meat. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was also very pleasant.

This is a restaurant that I have been wanting to visit for a long time. Although it is categorized as Italian cuisine, the term "innovative" seems more appropriate. Inspired by Ainu food culture, the chef's imagination led him to create a unique world of fermentation by allowing trees to ferment, making yeast, and applying it to dishes. The chef who creates such dishes in Japan is truly a blessing for food enthusiasts. The dishes I tried included Marimo, Mountain Essence 2020, Whitefish with Komatsuna, Snow Crab with Acorns and Tulep, Hokkaido Haskap, Sea Urchin, Akizan, Herbal Tea, and Petit Fours. Each dish was unique and creatively prepared, using ingredients like Marimo cheese, grilled scallops, Matsutake mushroom soup, and more. The restaurant operates in a way that seems to cater to one group per day, so making a reservation well in advance is recommended. I would definitely love to revisit this amazing restaurant in different seasons.

Italian omakase course in Maruyama for 13,000 yen (excluding tax and service charge). - Marimokkori: A ball-shaped blue cheese cake coated with sansho leaf powder, resembling a rich cheese dessert. - Bread - Mountain extract 2020: Extract of Tokachi mushrooms without using water, with essence of azalea and white birch, grilled scallop mushroom juice with a strong salty flavor. - Whitefish: Aomori whitefish and homemade karasumi pasta with komatsuna, al dente pasta with delicious salt sauce and crunchy komatsuna texture. - Forest pasta: Cheese cream pasta with domestic black truffle, incorporating matured acorns and giant lily into the pasta dough for a unique texture and delicious cheese cream. - Campbell: A refreshing dessert with a blend of Hokkaido grapes and wood branch aroma, providing a tart acidity and refreshing flavor. - Sheep: White Koji town lamb with beet powder and mustard seeds, served with matsutake and natural yeast bread, incredibly tender and flavorful meat with a surprising softness and delicious aroma. - Autumn mountain langues de chat: Caramel gelato with Mont Blanc cream, mildly sweet with a strong apple sauce acidity. - Herbal tea - Truffle chocolate and kumasasa cookie, kumasasa tea: Chocolate glass scented with kiwifruit seeds, wine foam white red, a unique and quirky world view with meticulous attention to detail in ingredients and flavor combinations. A pursuit of undeveloped seasonings and ingredients that may become commonplace in the future. The world has always been like that, even those who claimed the earth was round were considered eccentric at the time.

It's been 3 years since I last visited TAKAO. This time, I was invited so I didn't take many photos. It seems that the female sommelier who was here before has left. We started with a toast with champagne, which was dry and refreshing. The octopus was incredibly tender, highlighting the quality of the ingredients and flavors. The "Mountain Essence 2020" dish had a creamy texture with a strong aroma and delicious scallop sweetness. The shrimp and broccoli pasta was light and allowed the flavors of the ingredients to shine. The crab, dokudami, and tureb pasta was surprisingly delicious, with a crab aroma and easy-to-eat taste. The North Ezo granita with kiritanpo plant was a refreshing palate cleanser. The dish with tomusan-kaku and acorns incorporated into bread was beautifully cooked with a hint of sweetness. The dessert with red Ezomatsu, wood mint, and pineapple sorbet was decorated with rose petals and was light and refreshing. The herbal tea at the end was easy to drink, accompanied by truffle chocolate on a branch and a water mochi-like sweet. It was a delightful experience to visit after a long time, with a strong focus on mountain ingredients in the dishes. Everything was delicious and unique. Thank you for the meal!

First visit to TAKAO. I never knew there was such a wonderful Italian restaurant in Hokkaido. The unique sense of bringing out the best of local ingredients with great attention to detail shines through in the delicious dishes. Thank you for the meal! #takao #italian #italianfood #innovativefusion #maruyamapark #sapporo #sapporogourmet #seaurchin #uni #unipasta #seasonal #savortheseason #trip #travel

Celebrating the owner's birthday with a visit to "Takao" restaurant. The interior is spacious, with a nice simple style of white and wood accents. Dinner consists of a set course priced at 10,000 yen, with an additional 6,000 yen if sea urchin is in season. Starting with champagne, the first dish is corn fritters with a Sapporo beer-infused batter, offering a perfect balance of sweetness and crunch. The second dish, "Mountain Essence," features a rich soup made with birch bark and other wood extracts, along with scallops, providing a hearty and wild flavor. Next, paired with white wine, is a sea water pasta made with cold pasta soup using Uni from Shakotan. Absolutely delicious. Following that is a dish of fresh pasta with burrata cheese, fragrant and well-seasoned without being heavy. A palate cleanser of Kitakobushi, a sherbet made from the essence of flower branches, is served before the main course of Wagyu sirloin, which is tender and flavorful, accompanied by various condiments for customization. The dessert includes basil ice cream, almond tofu, and dried pine with a tomato sauce, topped with champagne for a sophisticated touch. Overall, the dessert was average. Coffee is served with small sweets, water drop-like jelly, and chocolate with mountain berry powder. The chef, who loves mountains, often goes for ingredient hunting. The sommelier, a friendly woman, selected wines that paired well with the dishes, making for a very satisfying dinner. The owner was pleased, so it was a great experience. The chef at "Takao" is a disciple of the chef at "Azurro" in Lake Shikotsu, which I frequent as it is a favorite spot. As expected, it was perfect. I will definitely visit again.

Visited the restaurant located at 2-10 Condo Maruyama KIRARI1F, Minami 3 Jo Nishi 23-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido on November 3, 2018. I had made a reservation for my partner's birthday. Although the restaurant has parking, I decided to take the subway and walk there as I wanted to enjoy some drinks. The simple yet stylish exterior and small entrance made me excited to see what kind of dishes they would serve. The main focus was on my partner, and I was eager to see their reaction. The sommelier, a female staff member, escorted us to our table. The table setting with white tablecloth, stones, and ginkgo leaves exuded a sense of seasonality and boldness. The menu for the day included dishes like squid, fermented vegetables, eggplant, mountain grapes, and kelp, among others. The anticipation of what dishes would be served using these ingredients added to the excitement. We started with a toast with champagne and waited for the arrival of the dishes. The squid dish was visually appealing and tasted heavenly. The mushroom soup with fish was rich and flavorful. The smoked saury with walnuts, corn, radish, and komatsuna was a unique and delicious combination. The pasta with red king crab, red lettuce, and truffle was a highlight of the meal. The dessert with chestnut, caramel, and maple leaf was a delightful end to the dinner. The staff's service was excellent, and we had a wonderful and memorable dining experience. I would definitely visit this restaurant again for special occasions or just to enjoy their delicious food and great service. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

The reservation phone response in the residential area of Minami Maruyama was very polite. It is not a complete replacement system, but there are two designated start times. The atmosphere is luxurious yet somehow homely. Only a 10,000 yen chef's choice course is available. The dishes were delicious, with a smoked saury appetizer, a rich mushroom soup, two pasta options, a well-cooked beef tongue dish, a Mont Blanc dessert, and a choice of coffee, herbal tea, or espresso for drinks. The portion sizes were a bit small overall. The staff provided detailed explanations of the dishes during service, although some may find it a bit lengthy. The review mainly consists of "delicious" comments, with little reflection of the explanation content. The staff were calm, pleasant, and lovely people. I would like to visit again someday.

The emotional atmosphere is wonderful, and those from outside Hokkaido will be hooked by this restaurant with distillation and extraction processes that tickle the scientific mind. The chef personally sources ingredients from Hokkaido's nature, creating a fantastic dining experience. The portion sizes are small, but the experience is truly amazing!

The dishes at TAKAO in Minami Maruyama may not have sophisticated or expressive adjectives, but they were all very delicious! #Sapporo #Maruyama #TAKAO #GoEmiyo

The delicate dishes enjoyed in the stylish space at TAKAO in Maruyama are irresistible! Even though I'm not good with wine, I find myself wanting a glass here! #Hokkaido #Sapporo #Maruyama #TAKAO