Year-Long Wait Worth It? Niseko Luxury and Soba Mastery

Foreign and welcome back to the Channel. Today we're trading our warm weather for a winter wonderland as we head over to Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz Carlton reserve hotel nestled in the heart of Japan's Niseko Ski Resort. This luxurious, luxurious escape promises an unforgettable experience for both skiers and non skiers alike. Let's start with the journey. Getting to Niseko Village requires a bit of planning. While it's about a three hour drive from New Chitose airport, we encountered flight delays that forced us to take take an expensive taxi ride. To avoid this hassle, I recommend arriving early and booking a charter bus for a more budget friendly option. Nice. From the moment we step in, you're welcomed into a world of luxury and comfort. Floor to ceiling windows offering breathtaking views of the snowy landscape, while a cozy fireplace and inviting bookshelf create a warm and inviting atmosphere. It's the perfect place to unwind after a day on the slopes or just bumming around all day. Coming in, I like this little wood divider thing. Yeah. Classy closet, classy bench, classy sliding door. It's very closed. When you come in. It looks very small. I like the mural, the hanging lights. You have a laundry bag, laundry valet, some clothes probably Japanese size. You have a couch and some free snacks that they offered us because they don't have room service. And the kitchen or I guess the restaurant closes at 10. It's 11 right now. We get free beverages. And then we have something behind this curtain number one or another curtain. What's behind this? Oh, snow. So you get a nice view of it's snowing outside though. Hi. All right, I can show you the bathroom. So it's pretty, pretty small room. We're in room 203. We're not going to be here by the time they see this. So. Yeah, I feel like the bathroom is like half of the room at least. There's a nice tub in there for tubness. Little shower. Oh, I guess big shower with a big spa. I don't know with foam. So. Oh, and then there's. I don't know how you open that. You got. Oh, no. All right. Oh, okay. There's a button over there. Open it up slowly. Opens. And while it opens, I guess it comes with a wash towel and your own cup of salt with a spoon. So the salt at the last place didn't dissolve. Oh yeah. The salts at the last place didn't dissolve. So hopefully these do. So while you're tubbing, you can look at the snow. So I guess the most impressive thing about this room is this little tub. It's the big tub. But all in all, nothing too special about the room. And here's a toilet with all the bunch of food. So all in all, pretty basic room. Nothing too crazy. So. Oh look, all the food we can't eat. That's it. See what the daylight brings? All right. To get out, I guess you gotta press this thought I locked myself in there. Spa on Central Restaurant. Alright, so you gotta put your card. I forgot that. Boop. To your room. Got more beer. Cause we did not get dinner and we were not able to get our rental car because the rental car place closed at 8 and our plane landed at like 8:10. So no rental car. Had to spend like 300 bucks. Get to Niseko Village and taxis stop around midnight. There was a ramen place that stayed open till like 3am 2am but no taxi, so no ramen. So just beer and cookies for dinner and some fruit. Shout out to moon for bringing us some snacks. What was that? All right, bye. Tomorrow, Niseko Village is a skier and snowboarders dream come true. The hotel's back door opens directly onto the ski lifts, making it incredibly convenient to hit the slopes. You can also rent your ski equipment there, so no need to lug it around. While we didn't have the chance to ski due to still having another week of travel across Japan, the resort's proximity to the slopes is a major plus. Oh, it's right, right there. Yeah, yeah. Oh, okay. So it's super close. Oh, holy cow. So it's right, right outside. Okay. Yeah. I have to see if she wants to do like half day or something or just walk around. No, no, I didn't. We didn't. We had a pack light, so. Or you can mentor. Okay. For half day maybe. Half day. I'll. I'll see if she's interested. Stand up. Upgrade. Upgrade. Little expensive. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But no, I'll see if she wants to try. If not, we'll probably just walk. Walk around or hang out or do the onsen. One of the highlights of our stay was the onsen. It was one of the top two best onsen experience I had while on my two week journey across Japan. The indoor onsen is nice, but the outdoor onsen is where it's at. Imagine soaking in scorching hot water while being kissed. Snowflakes. It's a sensory overload in the best possible way. Ah, the gym. A perfect place to grab some free water. Oh, gotta Pump that iron before we go get some noodles. It's locked. You can't leave, so you have to push the button. We're not trapped anymore. Hooray. The gym is equipped with modern machines, but we didn't spend much time here other than going in to grab some water bottles. With stunning winter scenery right outside, it's hard to resist spending time outdoors, going out and hitting the slopes. Not too bad though. Our room was spacious, beautifully decorated and incredibly comfortable. Can't even enjoy the Onsen style bathtub club. It's the perfect place to relax after a day of exploring. Food options at the hotel are somewhat limited and prices are on the high side. The breakfast buffet offers a decent selection, but the cost is steep. We opted for lunch at the famous Raku, which I'll talk about in a moment. For dinner, we decided to stay in and enjoy the hotel's bar menu. The main reason for our trip out to Niseko Village was to experience the legendary soba at Rakouchi. Reservations are notoriously difficult to get with. Your only chance of getting in is by booking out a year out. But they' recently changed it now to six months. The soba was absolutely incredible and lived up to the height. It's a must visit for any food lover. Niseko Village is a truly magical place, especially for winter enthusiasts. While the limited dining options and transportation challenges were minor drawbacks, the stunning scenery, luxurious accommodations and world class onsen made the stay unforgettable. I would definitely return, but with a better plan for exploring the surrounding areas. We are headed to lunch at the master soba noodle making. So gonna get a taxi there and then from there we're gonna make our way up to Yoichi to the distillery to try some tasty, tasty whiskey. So. And then we'll come back to onsen. So stay tuned. Let's go. Thank you, thank you. Thank you. No, thank you for getting it for us. Thank you, thank you. You're the best. Thank you, thank you. Did she give you the address? That's cool. We will tell him. Hi. You go eat soba at his restaurant. Yeah. You. You go eat at your friends. Yeah. Our journey to Rakuji soba was nothing short of chaotic. Getting to the Ritz Carlton definitely wasn't a breeze. But the real adventure began when we tried to get transportation to the restaurant. A snowstorm had made taxi scares and we ended up arriving over an hour hour late to our reservation, even after reserving a taxi the night before. Luckily, the hotel kept Midori updated on our progress. And the leisurely pace of the two hour meal gave us a chance to fully savor the experience. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so, so much. No, thank you for getting it for us. Thank you. Thank. Thank you. Thank you. Bye bye. Did she give you the address? We will tell him. Hi. You go eat soba at his restaurant. Yeah. You. You go eat at your friends. Yeah. Securing a reservation at Rakuichi is no easy feat. Once being booked over a year in advance, it's now possible to book six months in advance. Even then, dinner reservations are snap up quickly. Thanks to my planning skills and staying up for reservations to become available right at the six month mark, we managed to score lunch reservations. I was aiming for dinner reservations, but they went so fast and the meals are the same between lunch and dinner. I wasn't mad. Thank you. So we made it 45 minutes late, but hopefully they'll feed us. It is. It's snowing. It's snowing. Snowing. Holy cow. Oh, okay. Right there. Oh, sorry. Wow. From the outside, Rakuichi Soba is an unassuming gem. Housed in a traditionally Japanese wooden chalet next to the chef owner's own home. It's accessible only by a narrow wooden bridge, which is easily overlooked by any foreigner. But this unassuming exterior hides a culinary treasure. The restaurant gained worldwide fame after appearances on Anthony Bourdain's no Reservations and again on Netflix World Amazing Vacation Rentals. For me, it was a bucket list destination and drew us to Hokkaido. Located in Annapuri, part of the renowned Niseko ski resort, Rakouchi is easily accessible by air train or car. Scenic beauty of Hokkaido, especially during autumn when a special steam locomotive service operates, adds to the allure of the journey. Inside Raku, it is an intimate space with 12 seats at the bar and four extra. Behind the heart of the restaurant is the open kitchen where soba master Katsuru Rai performs his mesmerizing craft. Watching him transform Niseko. But wheat flour and spring water from the nearby mountains that attract thousands of foodies from all over the globe is truly a captivating experience. Thank you. Yeah, we can do pram line. I have no idea what anything is. The multi course kaisaki menu is a symphony of flavors. Each dish with a masterpiece showcasing the finest local ingredients. From the delicate cured mackerel to the melt in your mouth toro tartar. Every bite was a revelation. The gently fried tempura was a standout. Its crunch was a perfect balance of texture. The daikon dish was both simple and refreshing. A great pit Stop in the sea of flavors. While the bonito dish was a fun surprise, the otoro tuna sashimi thick, fatty slices of toro won me over. They were a melt in your mouth delicacy. The shabu shabu course allowed us to savor the tender Iberian pork loin in a rich and flavorful broth. I can't fail to mention how exceptionally well they accommodated Chan's vegetarian preferences. The restaurant went above and beyond, creating stunning and flavorful vegetarian dishes that rivaled my own. The steamed vegetables were particularly memorable. It was evident that great care and attention were given to me, ensuring everyone had an unforgettable dining experience. It's very hot. Thank you. I thought it was an onion, but I did just kind of one bite it. Yeah. The process of tattoo Tsuru san making the noodles was as enjoyable as eating them. It's crazy to think he gets flown all over the world to do this one specific thing. Something he's dedicated his life to perfecting. Something he's done so long. He measures only by sight and feel of the dough. A true soba master. Tatsuru san's handmade noodles were perfection. Delicate, flavorful, and with a perfect bite. Dipped in the mensuyu, they offered a pure and satisfying experience. The Yusuf sorbet. A finishing kiss to an amazing meal. Despite the chaotic start, our lunch at Rakuichi was a culinary dream come true. Surrounded by fellow food enthusiasts, we enjoyed not only the incredible food, but also the shared experience. Thanks for watching. Till next time. Peace. It.