My bowl of Chu-toro - medium fat tuna, salmon, octopus and uni.
They had an Balmuda toaster oven there for you to crisp up your toast and pastries.
Senbei jiru is an Aomori special from Hachinohe. Senbei rice crackers are added to a shoyu based stew. Wait for the crackers to absorb the soup before tucking in. It's almost mandatory to stay more than a night in Dormy hotels to try all the food.
Dormy's signature Kobachi Yokocho - small bowls alley. Little bowls filled with a variety of dishes for you to try.
This is the diy Mettara don station - where you combine marinated tuna, scallops, okra and seaweed into a delicious seafood bowl.
Pretty amazing fry station at the Dormy Aomori. They had the usual karaage chicken and french fries are good as always. This hotel also served Aomori specials like Ika Menchi - fried minced squid patties and Fried Hotate - Scallop and Ebi Fry - fried prawns.
There doesn't really seem to be a place to grab an apres drink at Rockwood hotel. The Iwaki Lounge doesn't open till 5pm and the vending machines are beer free. Your only choice is the souvenir shop with their resort prices and there isn't much choice for nibbles. Definitely BYO.
My usual breakfast at Rockwood, hotcakes, scrambled eggs, wieners, bacon and coffee.
The tuning / waxing station at Rockwood is pretty basic. Just a table, stands and a screwdriver. If you need waxing done you can drop it overnight at the ski rental counter in the gondola station.
You can find the Muskaan food tuck in the carpark near the visitor house. They have an Indian menu with chapati rolls, tandoori chicken, chai and lassi. Eat your takeaway in the warm visitor center and bring your rubbish your back to the truck when done.
Small selection of facemasks, goggles and gloves available at the rental centre in the gondola station. They also do hot waxing and will have your skis and boards ready by 8am the next day.
Nice wall art at Rockwood. There are snowboards and skis donated by past champions.
Aomori Springs has a nice and easy tree run section next to a main run that beginners can try.
Iga menchi katsu or minced squid cutlets is one of Aomori's specialties and you can try it at Rockwood's buffet.
The bar in the corner of the dining hall serves local Aomori sake, beers, sochu and wine.
Torifito always has a hearty hot food selection with japanese curry, grilled fish, fried potato croquettes, ankake yakisoba and succulent grilled Hokkaido Makkari pork which is raised near Mt Yotei.
The Ankake Yakisoba at breakfast is an Otaru specialty. You make this dish by adding the seafood mixture and lots of gravy to the crispy fired noodles. Eat it like the locals with vinegar and a hint of mustard.
One of Otaru's gourmet specialties is seafood kaisendon. Torifito's breakfast includes a DIY seafood bowl with endless bowls of salmon roe, finely sliced squid and pickled herring. Try dipping it into the crab miso and scallop shoyu.