By the tip of my keep in Sapporo, I used to be starting to grasp my good friend Megumi’s recommendation. There had been filling bowls of soup curry and gamy lamb barbecue cooked on domed grills often called Jingisukan, for his or her resemblance to Genghis Khan’s helmet. There was an extended, luxuriant lunch at Suginome, one of many metropolis’s oldest ryōtei, a style of restaurant that, not so way back, supplied leisure by geisha and non-public rooms the place businessmen and politicians made offers over elaborate dinners. This one nonetheless gives exact, flavorful meals served on wooden dishes made by Ainu craftsmen practically 70 years in the past, when the restaurant first opened. The showstopper was a two-and-a-half-pound horsehair crab, one of many glories of Hokkaido’s coastal waters, offered complete and then steamed and shelled.
Our final and favourite meal passed off at Tempura Masa, which may be laborious to seek out as a result of it’s tucked inside one other restaurant. Among the entire nation’s eating traditions, high-end tempura—flash-fried in sesame oil to attain the lightest attainable batter and offered because the centerpiece of an extended coursed meal—might be the least recognized outdoors Japan. Thirty-something Masayuki Murai, who gave up a shot at a baseball profession to grow to be a tempura chef, created a meal that encapsulated every thing I’d come to like about consuming in Sapporo. An entire smelt often called shishamo, about 4 inches lengthy, encased in batter as delicate as frost, nonetheless haunts me. After serving a aromatic tempura of shiitake, Murai unexpectedly pulled out a bottle of Domaine Takahiko Pinot Noir, explaining apologetically that the winemaker permits him to pair it solely with the umami-rich mushroom course.
Unsurprisingly, the meal ended with ice cream, served with out toppings or garnishes. When I tasted it, I noticed why. It had the grainless texture of ripe mango, with waves of taste that surged and then ebbed on my tongue. Standing over us with the posture of a drained however victorious matador, Murai defined that the ice cream required 14 hours of simmering, then laughed to acknowledge that it was an absurd period of time for such a easy dish. But additionally, I believe, from the pleasure of getting made one thing we would keep in mind for an extended, very long time.
Stay
For an onsen with a view, test in to centrally positioned JR Tower Hotel Nikko Sapporo. Royal Park Canvas Sapporo Odori Park involves life after-hours with its buzzy rooftop bar. Outside the town, close to Shikotsu-Tōya National Park, Kasho Gyoen is a straightforward ryokan with in-room onsens. In 2027 the Trunk model will open its first Sapporo property that includes a spa and theater area.
Eat
Head to Noa Hakobune for domestically sourced grilled seafood. Fine eating spot Cucina Italiana Magari spins Hokkaido components into modern Italian dishes. Stand in line for miso ramen at suburban Menya Saimi. At Tempura Masa, battered delicacies are served alongside a powerful wine record. The latter is simply as worthwhile at Kamuy contained in the Royal Park Canvas. For an extended lunch, make for Suginome, the town’s oldest ryōtei. And do not miss the shime sundae at Nanakamadou.
This article appeared within the March 2026 situation of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the journal here.