Nukumi

True enough, Sapporo's Nukumi isn't any average kaiseki restaurant. It is owned by the famous, award-winning Yamamoto Masaki who personally serves the guests behind the counter, at his restaurant perched at the top of Nakajima Park, in the centre of Sapporo City. It once shared the position for highest-rated restaurant in Sapporo in the Michelin Guide Hokkaido, getting three stars in the 2012 edition of the Guide. It was forced to relinquish these stars when it moved out of its Susukino premises to its current location in 2016 — but reopened just in time to snag two stars in the 2017 edition of the Guide. Not only are seasonal ingredients and cutting-edge techniques emphasized at Nukumi, but also the passion and warmth put into preparing them. To Chef Yamamoto, a dish isn't as good if there isn't genuine effort put into it. That's not a problem at this restaurant, though, as he is always pouring his heart out into every creation. It's in the name, after all; the characters in the restaurant's name mean "warmth" and "flavor," and both are in abundance here at Nukumi. While there is a special focus on Hokkaido-produced ingredients, Nukumi also gets other ingredients from all over Japan, including Kaga vegetables from Kanazawa, pufferfish from Kyushu, and Kyoto's famously flavorful vegetables. The dashi stock also has a unique flavor too. A mixture of different brews come together to create this exquisite medley, topped off with bonito from Sapporo itself. Nothing about the service, decor, or menu at Nukumi has been overlooked. Chef Yamamoto made sure that everything's in the right place for the guests to experience the best of what one of Hokkaido's finest kaiseki restaurants has to offer. Michelin Guide: 2012 - 3 Michelin Stars 2017 - 2 Michelin Stars