TAKAO — Restaurant in Sapporo

Takao is a one star Michelin Japanese self-described Italian restaurant. While excellent pasta certainly was a key course, the concept transcended both cultures. I never made it to Faviken in Finland before it closed, but based on what was shown on Chef’s table that would be the closest comparison. Chef Takao calls it “Neo Hokkaido cuisine” in the way of the Ainu, the indigenous people of this region. personally forages , cures and/or ferments and also curates all manner of local herbs, mushrooms, nuts, vegetables, spices and more from all around the Hokkaido countryside and used these items to complement the best I of Hokkaido meats and fish, What I loved was that each exotic ingredient was first brought to the table for us to touch/smell/taste etc. often with background text that explained its respective origin, historical references and even health benefits. I wish I could list all the specialized ingredients here but with the language barrier it was a bit hard to understand the names. The experience was a little bit fine dining meets Science museum but as someone who always asks lots of questions that often are never answered about what I am eating I loved it. The dishes themselves were luxurious without being too fussy and were thoughtfully balanced for colors, textures, as well as sweet, sour, umami, salt, and even bitter. There are only 3 tables in an ultra luxe setting with a semi-open kitchen. The wine list included an eclectic combination of Japanese , Italian, and some California wines. We paid the highest corkage of all the restaurants in Japan - 8000JPY ($64)...

An Italian Journey Through the Flavors of Hokkaido

This restaurant masterfully blends the natural bounty of Hokkaido with Italian culinary traditions, creating dishes rich in flavor and originality. Drawing from Ainu ingredients and the region's unique produce, the menu features inventive offerings like scallop soup infused with an extract from 30 different types of mushrooms and dishes that evoke the forest through the natural essence of Hokkaido’s Ezo pine.

While the approach is less focused on the intense natural aromas and theatrical presentations found at Denmark's Noma, the restaurant excels in delivering originality within a familiar culinary framework. If you're looking for an even deeper connection to the forest, you might consider Le Muse. However, the balance of flavors here makes it a great choice for anyone seeking something both different...

オッジの高尾さん

といえば、札幌で知らない人がいないくらい有名なイタリアンシェフ。 それなのにこれまでご縁がなく、一度もありつけたことがなかった。

この足袋我が家の結婚14周年ということで、 高尾さんのことをよく知る友人にお願いして予約を入れていただきました。

確認したところ14周年のサプライズケーキを用意できますということで、 ぜひお願いしますと。追加料金など確認してませんでしたが、記念日なので多少高くついてもいいや！と。

で、当日。

初めてなので、近くを車で2周してしまった。 事前にグーグルマップなどで場所を確認しておかなければね。 どかーんと看板があるような感じではありませんから。 店名にも「TAKAO casa di...