I want to visit this restaurant every season. — There aren't many encounters in life that add such color, but "OTTO SETTE TOMAMU" (hereafter, "Otto Sette Tomamu") is precisely that kind of restaurant. It satisfies all desires at once: "I want to eat Hokkaido's finest ingredients," "High-quality Italian is wonderful," and "But I do love French cuisine too."

"Otto Sette Tomamu" is an Italian restaurant that opened in July 2019 as the main dining room of "Risonare Tomamu." It might be a bit long, but first, let me give you a rough explanation of the situation in which "Otto Sette Tomamu" is located.

"Risonare Tomamu" is located within "Hoshino Resorts Tomamu," a vast resort in the center of Hokkaido, about 90 minutes by bus, car, or train from New Chitose Airport. "Hoshino Resorts Tomamu" is one of Hokkaido's largest destination resorts, covering an area equivalent to 123 Tokyo Domes. It boasts 29 ski courses, one of Japan's largest indoor wave pools, hot springs, and a wide range of activities to experience Hokkaido throughout the four seasons. You can even have a wedding ceremony at the "Church on the Water" designed by Tadao Ando. What, you don't have plans to get married? Don't worry, you can visit without getting married from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM! In August 2018, "Farm Hoshino" was established on the premises, engaging in agricultural production. There are two accommodation facilities ("The Tower" and "Risonare Tomamu") and up to 20 restaurants (varies by season), so it takes considerable effort to play and eat your fill in just a few days. Also, regarding the "Unkai Terrace," which is indispensable when talking about "Hoshino Resorts Tomamu," I will introduce it again later.

Returning to "Otto Sette Tomamu." The concept of "Otto Sette Tomamu," born as the representative restaurant of "Hoshino Resorts Tomamu," is "Calendario Gastronomico," which means "gastronomic calendar" in Italian. Like Tomamu, it uses cooking methods from Piedmont and Liguria, regions located in the Italian mountains and blessed with both sea and mountain ingredients, to create original Italian dishes using Hokkaido's finest ingredients.

By the way, what comes to mind when you hear "delicious food from Hokkaido"? The ingredients themselves are delicious, given the abundance of nature. That's where the passion of Chef Manabu Takeda, originally from Asahikawa City, Hokkaido, comes in. "I want people to taste the ingredients themselves, the ones that people think of as Hokkaido's best," says Takeda. "

Takeda was originally a French chef. "When I was a child, I saw French cuisine on TV and thought it was cool (laughs)," which led him to aspire to be a chef. He honed his skills at "Kihachi" and "Ginza L'ecrin," and served as sous chef at "Four Seasons Hotel Marunouchi Tokyo." After that, he returned to his hometown and worked as head chef at "Asahikawa Grand Hotel." Yes, all the restaurants and facilities I've mentioned so far are French establishments. However, when it came time to create "Otto Sette Tomamu" at "Risonare Tomamu," the choice fell upon Takeda, a French chef. Isn't that quite remarkable? But he himself is unfazed, saying, "I don't think there's much of a barrier between French and Italian cuisine. I didn't feel much of a disconnect."

"OTTO SETTE TOMAMU"
Location | Risonare Tomamu South, 31st Floor
Hours | 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM (Reservations required, available for non-guests)
Price | ¥13,000 (excluding tax and service charge) *One course only

"During my time at Asahikawa Grand Hotel, we invited chefs from Italy every year to hold Italian fairs. At that time, the Italian chefs mentioned that Italian cuisine was heavily influenced by French cuisine, and many chefs used to study in France regularly. Fundamentally, I feel that Italian cooking methods, which don't involve much manipulation, are more suitable for bringing out the best in Hokkaido's ingredients than French techniques that employ a lot of skill."

Italian cuisine, which doesn't involve much manipulation, is more suitable. — That might be true. Hokkaido's ingredients are delicious as they are. However, once you actually taste it, you'll realize that Takeda's dishes are delicate and incredibly elaborate. Even I, who am not knowledgeable about cooking methods, can tell that a lot of effort has gone into them.

For example, the autumn menu (an 8-course meal, ¥13,000) features a cold appetizer, "Salmon and Ikura Cornets with Crispy Skin." The star is autumn salmon, which has stored nutrients and is rich in fat as it swims upstream. "I want you to enjoy the crispiness of the salmon skin and the plumpness of the salmon roe. We primarily use autumn salmon from Rausu, which is exceptionally delicious among Hokkaido's salmon," says Takeda. The salmon is further concentrated in flavor by marinating and then grilled to a rare finish, inspired by Hokkaido's traditional 'ruibe' (frozen raw fish). A sauce flavored with potato espuma and chives is also served.

You see, this is where you can feel a touch of French influence.

The warm appetizer is "Botan Shrimp and Crostace Toast with White Balsamic Foam," a dish born from Takeda's desire to let guests fully enjoy botan shrimp, a representative autumn ingredient from Rumoi. The botan shrimp, slowly cooked at a low temperature of 65 degrees Celsius, offers a simultaneous experience of plumpness and tenderness. The toast beneath is soaked in a creamy and rich sweet shrimp bisque. You can enjoy a magnificent duet of botan shrimp and sweet shrimp.

The pasta dish is "Pork Ragu and Oboro Kombu Tagliatelle." The pasta used is "tagliatelle," a traditional dish from Piedmont made with egg yolks and semolina flour. This is paired with oboro kombu, cultivated in Hokkaido's seas, and a pork ragu. It's a masterpiece that makes you slap your knee and exclaim, "That's the way to do it!" Takeda's cuisine often features unexpected combinations of ingredients, all of which are astonishingly delicious! For instance, the "Sea Urchin and Tomato Tagliatelle" was a huge hit on the summer menu. The acidity of the sauce, made with fresh tomatoes, created a superb harmony with the rich flavor of the sea urchin.

The fish dish, "Kinki with Gorgonzola Sauce and Onion Gratinata," features kinki, which is in season and rich in fat, steamed with spumante. Gorgonzola is added to the soup infused with the kinki's umami. Finally, it's finished with a flourish of truffle grated tableside. The accompanying onion is baked whole in the oven with béchamel sauce and clams inside. The spiral element is potato. "We went through a lot of trial and error, but by winding it around an iron rod and baking it, we finally got it right (laughs)," says Takeda, showing his uncompromising attention to detail.

*Detail of the main cut on this page: From the autumn menu, the cold appetizer "Salmon and Ikura Cornets with Crispy Skin."

The meat dish, "Beef and Mushroom Cartoccio Hidden in Fallen Leaves," features tenderloin beef, known for its tenderness and rich flavor, slow-cooked with tripe and three types of mushrooms, then baked in a salt crust. Baking slowly in the salt crust draws out the meat's umami and allows the juices to permeate the other ingredients. "I want guests to experience the ingredients and culture that are unique to Hokkaido," says Takeda, pointing to the pot with Ainu patterns, which was custom-made for this dish.

While some wines are from local Hokkaido wineries, the selection primarily consists of Italian wines. If you enjoy alcohol, we also recommend the wine pairing course (an additional ¥8,000) that complements each dish!

Takeda's cuisine is not only delicious but also highly entertaining. Each dish tells a story and offers a fresh surprise, building excitement like climbing a staircase. The presentation is also exquisite. He mentions that he studies plating by referencing paintings and cookbooks, and "When I was young, a senior told me that department store display windows are also good references for spatial composition, so I actively look at them," says Takeda.

When asked about his strengths as a chef, Takeda unhesitatingly replied, "My relationships with producers, which I've maintained since my Asahikawa days. I procure the best ingredients based on information from them." The foundation of "Otto Sette Tomamu's" cuisine—leveraging the natural flavors of ingredients while employing both Italian and French techniques to further enhance them—may lie in Takeda's deep affection for Hokkaido and its produce. Tokyo has many high-level Italian restaurants, but the cuisine at "Otto Sette Tomamu" is something only Takeda can create, and can only be eaten here in Tomamu.

As a side note, Takeda is currently working away from home. He often brings his homemade bento boxes to work. I'd love to try those! Perhaps they could be sold during the pleasant seasons (laughs).

Salmon Room
Price | From ¥39,100 (per person for double occupancy, tax included, includes dinner and breakfast)
Capacity | Limited to 1 group per day
How to Book | Book via the official website

Now, if you want to thoroughly enjoy salmon, a representative ingredient of Hokkaido, without any hesitation, stay in the "Salmon Room," a unique concept room with only one available in "The Tower." This room is overwhelmingly salmon-themed: the walls, curtains, sofa, cushions, mugs, and even the room key are all about salmon. The headboard features a panel depicting a bear hunting salmon in a river. The blue carpet represents a river, and on the bed, you'll find a nightcap and pajamas designed with a salmon motif. Of course, they are original items. ... If these were sold in the gift shop, I'm sure many people would impulsively buy them. Or, if you received them as a souvenir, you'd be quite delighted. The jet bath allows you to enjoy a soak that evokes an ikura-don (salmon roe bowl). Salmon, which I had only thought of as 'food,' suddenly became endearing.

The "Salmon Smoking Experience" activity (until October 31, 2019; ¥8,000 per person, ¥8,200 per person from October 1) is also popular. In a tent in the farm area, with staff support, you create smoked salmon. You can compare the taste of thoroughly smoked salmon with one that retains a rare finish, using two types of smokers! It's incredibly fun. And the Nikka whisky, born in Hokkaido, pairs wonderfully with smoked food (laughs). You just can't stop. Besides salmon, smoked dried mango and cheese were also superb.

As is true for all Hoshino Resorts facilities, "Hoshino Resorts Tomamu" is truly dedicated to "delighting guests" (laughs). This atmosphere emanates from the staff, and the sheer variety of activities and events makes it difficult to keep track of everything.

When I visited at the end of August, in the "Farm Area," which utilizes the vast grounds of a former golf course, sheep and goats were grazing freely. You could enjoy the "Sheep Nap Hammock," where you can relax at the same eye level as the sheep, the "Pasture Lounge" with sofas made of grass, and the fluffy "Grass Beds." The "Goat Mailman" was also adorably cute to the point of making you squeal! You send a letter made of leaves, but since it's a goat's favorite food, it might get eaten (laughs). At the "Milk Stand" within the farm area, you can enjoy milk and soft-serve ice cream from cows raised at "Farm Hoshino," as well as "Toma Shake." Speaking of milk, the "Fluffy Cream French Toast," made with Tomamu milk and bursting with flavor, is a must-try at breakfast (served at the buffet dining hall "hal").

The "Safari Drive Tour by Buggy," which utilizes golf carts, a relic from the golf course days, is also exciting. If you venture a little further, you have an 80-90% chance of encountering Ezo deer, snowshoe hares, or red foxes. In the summer, events like the "Touki Beer Garden" and "Melon Champagne Festival" were held, sparking excitement. In autumn, there's the "Potato Festival" and the "Farm Gala Party" to celebrate the harvest. In winter, the "Ice Village," an ice town that takes advantage of Hokkaido's cold, appears, allowing even those who don't ski to enjoy Hokkaido's winter.

There is so much I want to convey that this has become quite an extensive piece, but there is one more thing that cannot be omitted when introducing "Hoshino Resorts Tomamu": the "Unkai Terrace," an observation deck located at an altitude of 1088 meters, accessible by gondola for about 13 minutes, open from May to October.

The "Unkai Terrace" is located on what was once a ski slope, and the occasional appearance of a sea of clouds in the early mornings from spring to autumn was information known only to a limited number of people, such as ski resort staff. In 2006, the "Unkai Terrace" was opened with the desire to share this beautiful natural phenomenon with guests. Since then, new facilities have been added almost every year. For example, "Cloud Walk," which gives you the sensation of walking on clouds, and "Cloud Pool," a giant hammock, are strategically placed to enhance the enjoyment of the magnificent scenery. This summer, "Cloud Bar" opened, allowing you to climb a 3-meter ladder and view the spectacular scenery of the sea of clouds and mountains from a premium vantage point. At "Tenbou Cafe" on the Unkai Terrace, you can enjoy "Instagrammable" drinks like coffee inspired by the sea of clouds and "Unkai Soda" topped with cotton candy. In winter, the "Unkai Terrace" transforms into the "Kori Terrace" (Frost Terrace), where you can experience "frost flowers" (rime ice) that form when water vapor or mist in the sub-zero environment adheres to trees. This is also quite magical.

The occurrence of the sea of clouds depends on luck. Unfortunately, the reporting team could not witness it this time, but this must mean we need to revisit and try again. I also have to try the "Otto Sette Tomamu" menu in a different season (even though no one asked me to (laughs)), so I'm currently contemplating when to visit Tomamu next.

Risonare Tomamu Design Suite Five
(with observation jet bath and sauna)
Price | From ¥20,500 to ¥53,200 (per person for five-person occupancy, tax included, breakfast included)

Risonare Tomamu Design Suite Twin
(with observation jet bath and sauna)
Price | From ¥24,500 to ¥81,100 (per person for double occupancy, tax included, breakfast included)

*Detail of the main cut on this page: Beef and Mushroom Cartoccio Hidden in Fallen Leaves