KINOTOYA BAKE Pole Town store — Restaurant in Sapporo

The BEST place ever for its soft serve, cheese tart and apple pie. Its soft serve is definitely one of the best in Sapporo; it's close competitor being Sapporo Agricultural School at Level 1. Anyway, its parent company is also Kinotoya. Kinotoya's soft serve is absolutely to die for as it tastes so fresh and creamy. I must say that the milk fat content has got to be at least 42%. Just a mouthful will send you into pure bliss.

Its apple pie is so good I wish I could gobble up all they have on their tray. Yes, this is how good it is. The crust is so flaky and buttery, and the natural sweetness of the apple shines through. And then you have the custard; it is so creamy and rich without that overpowering eggy taste that is normally found in inferior custard pastries.

Its cheese tarts are also gobsmackingly delicious, even though its tarts were a bit crumbly.

I wish I...

The shop is easy to find, thanks to the irresistible aroma of freshly baked pastries. The menu is quite simple, offering only a few items: baked cheese tart, baked apple pie, and soft-serve ice cream made with Hokkaido milk.

Our initial plan was to try the soft-serve ice cream since we aren’t really fans of pastries or cheese. However, after seeing the neatly arranged baked cheese tarts on display, we were tempted to try one as well.

The baked cheese tart was absolutely delicious—the tart shell was incredibly crunchy, while the cheese filling was creamy and savory. We loved it so much that we returned the next day just to buy more.

The soft-serve ice cream was also amazing, with a smooth texture. Although Hokkaido milk has a richer and creamier taste compared to other types of milk, it was still very enjoyable. The cone was also...

While walking through the underground pathway between Sapporo and Susukino, I noticed a long queue of Japanese customers at a particular shop, indicating its popularity and tasty offerings. Curious, I decided to join the queue. I ended up waiting for about 25 minutes, but the wait was interesting because you can see them cooking from outside the shop.

You don't need to buy many pieces—they offer individual portions for just 240 yen, as I recall, neatly packaged in a tiny paper bag. The taste was average and slightly sweet. I had higher expectations, but it turned out to be just okay. However, if there's no queue, I suggest giving it a try. It might be worth...