Snow Explorers

Fergbaker was the last pie stop before heading off to the airport. Some skiers we met on the trip recommended the Pork Belly with Apple Sauce. I would usually steer clear of a sweet flavours, but this did not taste like that at all. Maybe it's the mustard? I am not going to pretend I know what they did but this combo was amazing. More succulent than beef with the belly fat melting into the sauce. Oh man.. Having withdrawals as I am typing this.

Connoisseurs of outdoor sports are going to gasm when they walk into this shop. So much great gear for playing in the mountains from hiking, climbing to skiing with an emphasis on backcountry. Books and mags for inspiration. Sadly no snowboards. The Small Planet Queenstown branded merch looks pretty good too. There is also a workshop in the back to get your skis tuned.

Father son day with the youngest at Remarkables. Blue skies and groomers. On our last run we stopped by the Ice Bar on the Centurion trail. Sucked up the sales tax on drinks for this awesome view.

Katsu curry - crumbed schnitzel and curry sauce on rice. Didn't quite taste like what you get in Japan, but the kiddo liked it.

You can choose to have breakfast and dinner included during your stay. Tonight's 3 course dinner give you a choice of rib eye roast or Aoraki king salmon. The beef was superbly tasty, we wolfed this down fast before calling it a night.

Fairlie Bakehouse was our second pie stop and is located between Ohau and Queenstown. Was very popular with a constant line of customers. The Salmon & Bacon and Beef Mince pies were both very good and got two thumbs up from the kids.

They named this pie the Ultimate Steak & Mushroom and I am definitely not one to go past the pie to end all pies. It lived up to its name with big chunks of steak and crunchy pastry that was topped with a hint of melted cheese.

These two almost had to make their own way down the International by themselves because they missed the turn off to Back Paddock. Bad move as it was foggy as hell and they had never been on that run. Thankfully older sister's wisdom prevailed and they turned round and hiked back up.

Chicken Tenders, chips and mince pie from the Sky High Cafe. Pretty average resort food. Kids gotta eat.

Mt Hutt's impressive Nor'West Express chairlift. This 8 seat beast gets you the top in 2 minutes and shifts over 1500 people an hour. Nice comfy cushions too.

On the first leg of our road trip we stopped for a break at the World Famous Sheffield Pies. Decided on the Venison & Whiskey relish, Chicken & Bacon and traditional mince. All were delicious with light flaky pastry and generous amounts of meat. You can eat in with cutlery and plates and they had complimentary bbq sauce on each table. They make a damn good coffee too.

They have 2 ski board tuning stations with all the tools, waxing iron and a wax bar with different types of wax for various temps. Can be a bit of a line at night when people are getting their sticks waxed up for a powder day.

Solomon skier Tenra Katsuno teams up with videographer Tatsu on Sasurai, a video with New Zealand's resorts as their playground. Check out the incredible tricks and lines taken in sub optimum snow conditions. They will open up your mind as to what is possible in bounds.

Oborozuki is a delightful sushi restaurant offering omakase (degustation) which changes daily based on the freshest local ingredients of the day. Located in the enchanting Harete region of the city, Oborozuki is as tiny as its neighbouring bars and restaurants so go early if you want to be guaranteed a seat. We took our two children and while there is no kids menu per se, the chef was very accomodating in preparing them a meal that was kid friendly yet did not compromise on quality or flavour. There was no English menu but we got by fine with Google Translate. The chef and his assistant were incredibly welcoming and friendly, and we had one of the best meals of our Japanese trip. Highly recommend.

My kids still rave about this meal. Pork soup (tenjiru) with the most delicious rice balls in the world. Comfort food at its best! Will return to Kamui just for this!

Enjoyed this famous Asahikawa ramen which is served with curly noodles and has the right balance between pork soup and shoyu. Service is quick and efficient. You can also order miso ramen if you wish, or ramen with extra vegetables.

Managed to book a session with the Powder Company to demo a Gentemstick. They set me up with a Rocket fish High Performance. Dang. this thing looked soooo beautiful. Shiny black top sheet like a hand shaped surfboard. I was a bit nervous about putting any scratches on it. There was fresh pow at Annupuri, but crazy warm conditions 2 days ago meant there was a sheet of ice beneath just waiting to throw you off. Even in these conditions the Rocket Fish felt great. It turned on a dime and made it fun to go slow, hunting for banks and leaning into turns before hitting the lip like you would on a wave. Really need to try this board on a powder day.

The Day is a mobile tuning station in Niseko. The truck is usually parked at the base of Hirafu and you can get a hot wax for only 2500 Yen.

Venison burger with meat sauce. This was so good I can’t believe we only tried this food truck on the last day. Messy but yummy! Went down well with a can of Sapporo Classic.

This was the best Sapporo miso ramen I had on the trip. Nothing over the top, just amazing balanced flavours. Loved the log cabin look. Great service with English menus. Even though Daishin is outside the main Niseko area, in Kutchan, the tables filled up fast with locals and tourists, some who were happily slurping away in their snow gear.

Spiderman is heading to Hakuba Valley to have some ski. Come let’s join and have some fun !

The magical singing tree. Like Studio Ghibli on LSD.

Steamboat cafe at Isola was our favourite lunch spot. The Hamburg curry was one of the best I have had on resort. Went down well with Rusutsu Love beer.

Annupuri Nook’s King Katsu Spaghetti. We had this over 10 years ago and have been dreaming about it since. Pile on the free Parmesan cheese.

Powder Company located in Annupuri resort is a base for powder surfers, carvers and backcountry boarders. They have the complete range of Gentemstick models which you can demo. Very helpful when answering questions. You can try out a board before plonking down some serious money. They run guided tours and carving classes and you can even pick up some energy bars and cans of Sapporo Classic 🍺!

Chthulhu rising!! Ika odori don may be too much if you are squeamish. But this was the freshest squid I've ever tasted and it wasn't slimy at all. Each bite was crunchy and full of flavour. If you are going to try one thing in Hakodate this is it.

Squid fishing was a popular attraction with tourists. They will prepare and serve your fresh catch up sashimi style.

Hakodate is famous for squid and at Begirama you can opt for a squid ink base for your soup curry in addition to their standard and coconut flavours. The recommended Hakodate special is served with deep fried whole squid, grilled scallops, crunchy vegetables and seaweed in a squid ink curry broth. Flavours reminded me of the sea. Modern looking restaurant with minimalist decor, professional kitchen and skater looking crew. Must visit again.

You can get Hakodate seafood and souvenirs here. Check out the variety of Ika meshi - squid stuffed with flavoured rice.

Not as well known as the Morning market. The seafood market in the Kanimori warehouses has cheap takeaway sushi and seafood bowls.

When you are in Hakodate, you just have to try Shio ramen the city is known for. Shinano is a small brightly lit shop conveniently located just across the station which specialises in the the salt based stock made with chicken and pork bones. Went for the recommended bowl and a serve of gyoza with Sapporo classic. The soup was flavourful and because it was so clear you could see a fair amount of oil on top. Make sure you let it cool because it retains a lot of heat.

Stunning day at Nanae ski resort. Everyone took out their phones for a snap.

The katsu curry set at Sanroku Cafe in Hakodate Nanae. This was pretty nice. It was made to oder. Had a bit of furikake on the rice and a larger portion of curry. The cafe had a very retro ski lodge diner vibe.

Wasn't much but I did find some powder! Top of the 4 person lift on the side of the Challenge course.

If you are after some snowboard gear in Sapporo be sure to check out Mojane an Indy snowboard shop at 2F location in Tanuki Koji. They carry some 👌 gear both International and local, and the owner was really helpful with advice. Picked up a nice Home Mountain board bag from there when they didnt have the right one at Burton.

Finally got to try Ikinari steak on this trip. The Jaoanese sizzling steak chain is located near Tanuki Koji. The steak comes perfectly seared but still underdone in the middle and is sliced up so you can grill each piece to your liking before eating. Ikinari add a sauce and some mustard which brings out the taste of each succulent piece. It’s really good value with the largest Wild Steak at 300g and vegetables costing only 2300 Yen. Seems popular with snow trippers looking to reset their taste buds from ramen and sushi and get that needed protein.

One of the best soup curries I have had. Ordered the chicken thigh and vegetables with a heat level of 7 out of 10. The spice profile was very exotic, with a bigger punch than other restaurants. Probably my favourite soup curry so far. The place was pretty cozy with an underground feel. Jazz, skateboarding posters. I got in just before it opened for lunch and the place packed out quickly.

Located in Tanuki Koji, Sapporo's shopping street. Ramen Zero serves miso and shoyu ramen with a signature massive piece of grilled spare rib which is so big it wont fit in your bowl. Its so good! The juicy fatty slab of meat just melts in your mouth with every bite. The soup tasted quite nice and had a layer of hot hot oil on the surface, so be careful when attacking the noodles.

Kakuryu in Denuki Koji is where you were meant to go for the best Ankake Yakisoba - an Otaru special fried noodle dish with seafood served with a thick savoury sauce. It was good. but not sure if it is as good as Hokkien Fried Mee. One guy runs the whole operation so be prepared to line up and wait.

Finally succumbed to the aroma from WDC Waffles. That sweet savoury smell greets you at the end of every day. Got a waffle dog before the ride back to the hotel. Delicious!

Don’t really rate the Tomato Tan Tan ramen at Brasserie Akaigawa. Thought I would be getting a fiery hot bowl of sichuan flavoured soup noodles. But got ramen noodles in tomato soup instead. No heat at all.

Favourite run. Yoichi 2, Kiroro

Found my fav meal at Kiroro. This is the Yuzu Scallop ramen at Akaigawa bistro. Look at the size of those Hokkaido scallops.

There are 2 tuning stations opposite the Vainqueur ski shop near the lockers. You can also drop your skis and boards at the shop for a wax and tune.

Huge 50cm dump overnight coincided with the Murasaki Sports demo day on the weekend. Good snow but the lines were the longest this week.

The first thing we did in Otaru was seek out Tokaiya. It’s a small space and there was a bit of a wait but it was worth it. We came for the special pork miso ramen which was recommend by a friend. The charred pieces of pork was something I have never had and it tasted 🤤!

A selection of the street food I had when the fam was shopping on Sakaemachi dori. Wagyu beef croquette and Otaru beer, Zangi fried chicken and Nama cheese danish and coffee from DANI a LeTao cafe.

This standing bar is just off Heiwa dori shopping street in Asahikawa. They have a wide selection of Japanese craft beers. You can choose from the menu over the bar and get a tasting paddle to try. The bartender is very helpful with recommendations. Also ordered a serve of monkfish liver pate and keema curry which were tasty and salty complimenting the cold beers perfectly. They were playing an 80s mix when we arrived which always means a fun time.