Maccarina Restaurant — Restaurant in Makkari

Maccarina was an absolute delight to visit. My wife and I had a great time while we stayed here as part of our honeymoon. We were lucky to visit here out of the typical busy season and we were by ourselves in their private hotel space and restaurant. Lots to review here, but here I go.

My wife and I didn't have a car, so getting here is a bit of work and a lot of patience. I want to get that out there for anyone that wants to visit, but lack the means to get a car. From Sapporo, it'll take from 2-4 hours depending on your luck with the public transit. With a car it's only about 90ish minutes. So I ding this place based on it's location namely for that, but don't let that disencourage you from coming here.

We visited during the off season for this place, so we got to have the whole hotel space and restaurant for ourselves. For the hotel space near the restaurant there are a few options. There is the hostel about a 10 minute walk you could try. There is also the onsen hotel that is a 5 minute walk from the restaurant which is worth it considering the view from the open air bath that place has. As for the space we stay in, it's like an AirBnB for those that like those accomodations. It is a 4 bedroom house area each room has 2 full-sized beds and there is a shared common area with ammenites to make coffee, tea, and enjoy different alcohols. If you feel inspired, you can even make your own cocktail with their shaker set on the bar. The beds are comfy, though I had some issues with how soft the pillows are, but that is more of a me problem. It would be a great venue for anyone wanting to bring a group here considering the size of the place.

Now to the restaurant, they do a seasonal/rotating menu, and I can say I was not disappointed with their choices when we were here in the beginning of September. While we were here it started with a simple fish tartare with a rice cracker plate. Followed with a beet and yogurt appetizer, where both was locally sourced and tasted so savory and wasn't bitter but had a crisp fresheness to it. After that, they introduced a vegetable medley with a few seafood inclusions that were to new to me. The dish itself is not to be underestimated because as you go around the plate the different vegetables each bring a different flavor and offer a nice break as you enjoy the different bites of fish. Admittedly, I wanted to cut each part up to savor it more. After that, was a Saba(mackerel) fish dish that I was not expecting to be as good. However, I was quite surprised that the fish was so good because the flesh of the fish was soft and savory, while the skin was cook to a crispy level and gave each bite a hint of smoke and flavor I wish I could find elsewhere. To me, it paired well with Pinot noir I was enjoying at the time. As for the main dish, my only complaint is I wanted more. They offered us a cut of prime Wagyu steak with mashed potato in a soft sour merrange. To go with this dish was a cut of a mild pepper that helped decorate and flavor the plate as well as a small cut of eggplant flavored with some spices that didn't detract from the natural flavor of eggplant. I wish I got more steak because that was just too good with the amount of tenderness matched with peppery bite/sweet umami the chef prepared. As for the dessert, my biggest complaint was that they said no to me taking an extra serving home to the room. It followed a similar process as American peach cobbler, the dough was a sweet and soft like texture that enhanced the sourness you got from the prunes they used as a substitute for peaches. The dessert is not to be underestimated, when you paired it with the milk sorbet they specially prepared, it was too good. I was almost willing to accept the punishment of taking my wife's portion. Let's just say I am glad the choice was taken out of my hand as she also had a hard time not devouring the dish. Then to close out the night we were treated to some tasty coffee and small delectable treats that apparently were made specially in-house, a small assortment of cookies...

For a 1-star Michelin restaurant, this place does NOT live up to the hype.||||We arrived on a rainy evening after driving 30 minutes from Niseko resort. The staff were not at all personable, and "service" was virtually non-existent throughout the evening. ||||Having opted for the "luxe" tasting menu, we were anticipating a gastronomic experience. What followed was a mix of basically OK dishes (given the Michelin star rating) and others that were simply below par and entirely underwhelming.||||The first course was the salad starter, which was, to be fair, nicely presented. The ingredients were fresh, but the actual cooking was just okay. Nothing in particular to bring out the flavours or set it aside from any other decent French restaurant.||The second course was a joke - a piece of braised Chinese cabbage with a bit of gravy. Presentation was awful (see the photo). Easily the most disappointing dish of the evening. It did not deserve to be on the menu.||Third course - Corn soup, which was probably the best dish of the night. The flavour was intense, sweet and fresh. Had everything been up to this standard, perhaps the Michelin star would have been warranted, but sadly, it was not to be.||Fourth course - Tasteless, forgettable, pan fried fish with a champignon sauce that had no taste either. Boring presentation.||Fifth course - Beef fillet. After the corn soup, this was the second best dish of the night. The beef was tender and flavourful, the red wine sauce nice. Vegetables were done nicely. Presentation was decent. ||Fifth course - black sesame pudding. Nothing out of the ordinary, at least coming from an Asian perspective (similar desserts are easily made at home or can be bought in Asian dessert shops). Boring presentation.||Sixth course - caramel ice cream with pears and puff pastry. It was decent, but again, nothing surprising. Presentation looked lazy.||||All in all, we felt that the food itself did not live up to the hype, and was certainly not particularly novel or interesting. The ingredients were decent, but were not used to the best of their potential. The staff were detached and robotic. The setting was not very atmospheric (save for the interesting fireplace in the lobby which was not lit despite the cooler weather). ||||If you are in the Niseko area and considering whether to make the trek out to this place, it may not be worth it unless you have tried the restaurants closer to town and are looking for somewhere else. There are plenty of other good restaurants in and around the Niseko area that are closer to town and offer better value (think Lupicia, Prativo, The Barn, etc.). They may not have the Michelin star, but on the whole, their ingredients are just as fresh, the setting cosier, the staff friendlier, and they are much closer to the resort.||||We will not be back to Maccarina anytime soon. It was an okay but not particularly mind-blowing meal, and the drive out is not worth the time or hassle...

For a 1-star Michelin restaurant, this place does NOT live up to the hype.||||We arrived on a rainy evening after driving 30 minutes from Niseko resort. The staff were not at all personable, and "service" was virtually non-existent throughout the evening. ||||Having opted for the "luxe" tasting menu, we were anticipating a gastronomic experience. What followed was a mix of basically OK dishes (given the Michelin star rating) and others that were simply below par and entirely underwhelming.||||The first course was the salad starter, which was, to be fair, nicely presented. The ingredients were fresh, but the actual cooking was just okay. Nothing in particular to bring out the flavours or set it aside from any other decent French restaurant.||The second course was a joke - a piece of braised Chinese cabbage with a bit of gravy. Presentation was awful (see the photo). Easily the most disappointing dish of the evening. It did not deserve to be on the menu.||Third course - Corn soup, which was probably the best dish of the night. The flavour was intense, sweet and fresh. Had everything been up to this standard, perhaps the Michelin star would have been warranted, but sadly, it was not to be.||Fourth course - Tasteless, forgettable, pan fried fish with a champignon sauce that had no taste either. Boring presentation.||Fifth course - Beef fillet. After the corn soup, this was the second best dish of the night. The beef was tender and flavourful, the red wine sauce nice. Vegetables were done nicely. Presentation was decent. ||Fifth course - black sesame pudding. Nothing out of the ordinary, at least coming from an Asian perspective (similar desserts are easily made at home or can be bought in Asian dessert shops). Boring presentation.||Sixth course - caramel ice cream with pears and puff pastry. It was decent, but again, nothing surprising. Presentation looked lazy.||||All in all, we felt that the food itself did not live up to the hype, and was certainly not particularly novel or interesting. The ingredients were decent, but were not used to the best of their potential. The staff were detached and robotic. The setting was not very atmospheric (save for the interesting fireplace in the lobby which was not lit despite the cooler weather). ||||If you are in the Niseko area and considering whether to make the trek out to this place, it may not be worth it unless you have tried the restaurants closer to town and are looking for somewhere else. There are plenty of other good restaurants in and around the Niseko area that are closer to town and offer better value (think Lupicia, Prativo, The Barn, etc.). They may not have the Michelin star, but on the whole, their ingredients are just as fresh, the setting cosier, the staff friendlier, and they are much closer to the resort.||||We will not be back to Maccarina anytime soon. It was an okay but not particularly mind-blowing meal, and the drive out is not worth the time or hassle...