One of the guys here at BUIE Gakuen works at one of the top four restaurants in Sapporo, Nukumi, and as he is a very ambitious worker (as most Japanese indeed are) he had decided to sample other top kitchens to better his own knowledge. He asked me if I would like to try it out too and of course I took the chance.
The Sapporo Grand Hotel is one of the finest hotel in Sapporo, built in 1934, and hosting several restaurants catering to customers that wants that little extra. Waraku is one of these, and their speciality is the Japanese kitchen. The reception and service was of that instant kind that I makes you feel an extra appreciation for the food.
The menu. You should definitely bring a Japanese speaking guide as the helpful explanations during serving and the details of the menu otherwise mostly gets lost. Still, ordering was mostly a case of choosing between one of four courses, in which I chose the "B", which had eight different dishes, while my friend chose the C, adding another one. The Japanese menu just held a more detailed description of every dish, which for a fine dining novice like me really didn't make a difference.
To this I tried some Plum wine, which was superb!, landing me on a total 9500 yen (630 SEK/100 USD)., which was completely fair when evaluating what I got for it.
Every dish was served in a unique way, with new and in itself exciting tableware. As it is with this level of dining, the amounts of food are smaller, but I found myself feeling satisfied in that sense too afterwards.
The white is fish roe looking like twisted yarn. Like much else served I was often surprised what hid behind for me unexpected forms.
This was another excellent example of the unexpected, at least for me as a westerner. What would you guess the above is? Pork? Well, it is something that I actually often enjoy back at home but then in this form:
Yes, it is sardine! But taken from a much larger specimen, and then treated more like meat. The skin is left and was all crispy like bacon. The olive looking things are sweet red beans, used often in east asia almost like a sweetener/dessert. You may also notice the white and orange balls, which were the daikon (swedish: rättika) and carrot (in some vinegar that heightened the taste and consistency). They was used in many of the dishes.
The red fish is tuna fish
This may look like a dessert but it is actually fish pieces (don't remember what) on top of daikon and carrot.
The rice, a dish on its own in Japan. In the background
This was my friends dessert.
When first tasting the dessert, with gold leaves on top, I was struck by a taste similar to the gruel you serve infants (in itself a pleasant taste), but then a sweet flavor followed. Another helping revealed bits of something like Turkish delight. Another crucial feature of this dish was the consistency, which I believe is as important a characteristic as the tastes of sweet, sour, salt, bitter (and umami). The gruel had a little lingering feel on the tongue more than the usual gruel has. This somehow prolonged the tasting experience. Again, hidden layers.
All in all, a really nice experience that I think one should enjoy a few times in life at least, even though the prices and time needed for it is not for everyday consumption. The element of experiencing Japanese cuisine beyond the all-pervading sushi haze of Sweden also was a big bonus. (^_^)
(click here for the next day)
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