This is a cafe and sweets shop located on the first floor of the ANA Crowne Plaza Sapporo. I visited twice, once for takeout cakes and once for a leisurely coffee break. For takeout, I bought the Gâteau "Tamaneji" SAPPORO for 480 yen, which I had tried last year, and a Chocolate Chou for 230 yen. The Gâteau "Tamaneji" won the grand prize at the Sapporo Sweets Competition 2016, made with a special Sapporo yellow onion. The cake has a distinctive onion flavor that prompted me to buy Sapporo yellow onions from JA and enjoy them throughout the winter. The cakes I took out were enjoyed by myself (the Chocolate Chou) and my companion (the Gâteau "Tamaneji"). The Chocolate Chou had cocoa in the dough and chocolate in the cream, offering a nice balance of bitterness and richness. The Gâteau "Tamaneji" was still delicious with its unique onion flavor. During our leisurely coffee break, we had an iced coffee for 800 yen and a lemon squash for 700 yen. It was nice to have a relaxing time as it was not crowded on a weekday afternoon.

I arrived at Sapporo Station and made my way through the underground shopping area towards the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel. Along the way, I saw many new and interesting items being sold in the shops, but I didn't have time to stop as I was running late. I couldn't help but feel a bit regretful as I entered the hotel. As I walked to check-in, I spotted a shop decorated with cute Halloween decorations! In the display case, there were adorable ghost cakes lined up. The shop also had a café next to it, so you could enjoy the cakes there or take them back to your room. I decided to purchase two types of cakes and some cute Halloween-themed icing cookies to enjoy after dinner. It was already past 6 o'clock, and to my surprise, they even gave me a discount! The ghost cake had a jelly-like surface, with a light and refreshing cheesecake mousse inside, and red bean paste in the middle. The combination of the sweet red bean paste and the lemon-flavored mousse in the generously-sized cake was surprisingly not too heavy, and it was really delicious!

This is a pastry shop attached to a cafe on the second floor of the Sapporo ANA Hotel. There is a poster displayed at the storefront stating that the pastry chef here won the grand prize at the Sapporo Sweets Competition 2016 with a pastry called "Onion Gâteau". It is made with a special Sapporo yellow onion that becomes sweet when cooked. I decided to buy it as it seemed interesting, even though I have never tried desserts made with onions before. It cost 450 yen for one. After opening it in my room, I observed that it had a brown cookie base topped with white cheese mousse, along with cube-shaped cookies and thin chocolate as toppings. The cookie part contains caramelized sweetened onions, and the chocolate is designed to resemble onion skin. When I tasted it, the strong flavor of onions spread in my mouth. The sweetness of the cookie was indeed from the onion, but I'm not sure how I feel about it being a sweet onion. I tried to find Sapporo yellow onions at supermarkets and the JA store at the airport, but I couldn't find any. After returning to Tokyo, I found out about a restaurant called Wanko Curry that uses Sapporo yellow onions in their curry, but it was too late. I definitely want to try it next time and not forget.

I went to a dessert buffet only available on Sundays and holidays. The buffet table was lined with cakes, which got me excited. There were also some baked goods and bread. They also had a system where you could order sweets and drinks, and they would bring them to your table once they were ready. There was a bit of a wait at times due to the orders, but it wasn't too bothersome. The staff were friendly, there were no shortages, and everything was replenished smoothly, so I was able to enjoy myself without any stress. It seems like there is quite a turnover of cakes and ordered sweets, so I look forward to seeing what they have next time. Since there aren't many seats, it's best to make a reservation.

I stopped by this cafe called "Cafe Minamo Patisserie Boutique" located on the first floor of Sapporo ANA Hotel when I went there for a meal in October 2014. This cafe replaced the former "Lobby Shop" that was closed for renovations. It is considered a new store by the hotel, not just a renovation. The cafe offers hotel-made cakes, pastries, bakery items, and even some Godiva products. The prices are reasonable, and I bought a delicious fruit tart cake and a baguette. The tart had a crispy base, moist center, smooth custard cream, and a variety of fruits on top. The baguette was crispy on the outside and fluffy inside. The cakes are usually ready by 10 am, while the bread is baked around 11 am to 12:30 pm. Overall, the hotel cakes are reliable and I look forward to trying more in the future.