In Snow-Covered Sapporo, Eating Prized Seafood and High-End Tempura

"Fall's scarlet and gold was fading from the mountains around Sapporo as I sat with a small group around a heavy wood table with a charcoal grill in the center. We watched a chef cook channel rockfish over the coals. This northern Japanese delicacy is cherished for its meltingly sweet flesh, which takes on a light pink color because of the species' shrimp-heavy diet."

"Hokkaido fishermen forged this style of cooking, known as robatayaki, during long days at sea, and for strong flavors and sheer spectacle, it has little in the way of domestic competition. What gave this meal an especially surreal edge is that we ate it inside possibly the weirdest building in all of Japan: a concrete Brutalist imagining of Noah's ark designed by the British architect Nigel Coates."

"The restaurant, Noa Hakobune, which translates to 'Noah's ark,' epitomizes the experience of eating in Sapporo, home to Japan's most fascinating food culture as well as an exciting wine scene. My friend Megumi Nakajima, an oboist who lives in Tokyo, takes semiannual trips to the city 'just for the food.'"

Sapporo, Hokkaido's capital, features a distinctive food scene centered on local seafood and innovative dining experiences. The city's robatayaki tradition, developed by Hokkaido fishermen, showcases fresh local catches including channel rockfish, mackerel, king crab, abalone, and scallops from nearby Lake Saroma. The dining experience extends beyond cuisine to include unique architectural settings, exemplified by Noa Hakobune, a Brutalist restaurant designed by British architect Nigel Coates that resembles Noah's ark. Sapporo's food culture attracts visitors from across Japan, with the Tokyo-Sapporo flight route ranking as the world's second busiest, drawing food enthusiasts who make semiannual trips specifically for the culinary offerings.

Read at Conde Nast Traveler