1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #422 - Ramen Alley, Sapporo

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #422

- Ramen Alley, Sapporo

(Can one go ramen-crazy in Japan, and in Sapporo, no less? The answer is yes. Regarded as the ramen-capital in Japan, we dived into ramen everyday in Sapporo - almost. After 4 servings, our vote goes to Karyu Ramen, with king crab legs and scallops. It is right inside the Ramen Alley here. If you can go past the grouchy chef who insisted "no photos!", his ramen is soft and his broth, extra flavourful. Anthony Bourdain's name stands tall on its wall, which makes his insistence on no-photos a little hypocritical. Next best was the ramen from Ajisen, which was easily located at the Hakodate train station. We can still smell the broth..hmmm)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #421 - Otaru town, Hokkaido

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #421

- Otaru town, Hokkaido

(The old-world charm that is Otaru is delightful. From the sidewalks to the pastry shops to the restaurants with red lanterns, they brought out the best of a small Japanese town like Otaru. The pastry shops here give out samples enough to keep you coming back for more. And that man who sells the sweet potatoes from his van? His song is so addictively good..)

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #420 - Otaru Canal, Otaru, Hokkaido

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #420

- Otaru Canal, Otaru, Hokkaido

(Our morning train ride from Sapporo to Otaru was shorter than we thought, with the bright sunshine providing warmth for the 5C morning. We walked straight to the main attraction here - the Otaru Canal, regarded here as one of the most romantic in the country. And we can see why. Old stone warehouses have been restored with restaurants and together with 60 gas-lit street lamps, they turned this canal into a must-see, especially at night, when the reflections on the canal doubles up on its beauty. With white snow still hugging the sides of the canal, it is quite a sight. We waited for the night lights to come on before hopping on the Otaru Canal Cruise - very serenely romantic indeed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #419 - Goryokaku Park, Hakodate

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #419

- Goryokaku Park, Hakodate

 

(The Goryokaku Park was within easy reach by using Hakodate's trams - our first time on a Japanese city tram. The view from the Goryokaku tower at 107m high was spectacular, accentuated by the fading daylight. This star-fort was built in 1855 to fight against the Russians then. It is now famous for its unique shape and the 1000 cherry blossom trees. But alas, we were 1-month too early! Ah well, another good reason to return here, I suppose)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #418 - Squid Fishing, Hakodate Morning Market

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #418

- Squid Fishing, Hakodate Morning Market, Hakodate

(Squid fishing, with on-the-spot serving of squid sashimi from our catch? We signed up at the Hakodate Morning Market, despite the queue - and was rewarded for our patience. The fishing was fun, and the sashimi, fresh! Together with strawberries, the taste with its ginger soy sauce was deliciously different. The seafood market here gave us all the big-3 seafood we were interested in - Alaskan king crab, giant scallop, giant clam, and together with their salmon and tuna donburi rice, they made the morning walk and early lunch a total seafood delight. At 3,000yen, the Alaskan king crab is so inexpensive!)