Google "best sushi in Hakuba" and you will undoubtedly be sent numerous links to reviews for Kikyo-ya. Don't trust the inter-webs? Then maybe you should have a look at the writing on the wall. Here are just a few of the enthusiastic messages written by Kikyo-ya's devoted customers:

Kikyo-ya is on the 148 not far from Hakuba Station, directly across from the Boarding Co. Look for the Japanese cherry-blossom emblems outside. I suggest you sit at the counter for the ultimate sushi experience, and watch the master chef at work as he slices the most delicate fish to create Japan's most celebrated cuisine. The charismatic owner will also help you choose another sake, while their extensive seafood menu (also in English) will make you want to come back for more.

Open: 11:00-22:00

There is a new burger shack in town and what a pretty shack it is! This is actually Little Alaskan's second location. Their first cozy cabin is still up and running on Olympic Road near Happo One Ski Resort while this colourful second shop is conveniently located right across Escal Plaza at Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort.

Both locations serve excellent chargrilled gourmet burgers. They have a choice of beef or chicken paddies and offer a huge assortment of toppings including the less obvious avocado and pineappple. The Olympic Road location also serves a fish burger which I am hoping they will add to the menu in Goryu.

A gourmet burger of your choice is around ¥1000. French fries or homecut fries are an extra ¥300 to which you can add toppings like cheese dip for another ¥100.

To wash it all down they serve beer on tap, soda, and juice.

Open: 12:00 - 20:00

If you are craving some western food while on the mountain, you might want to try Pizza House Luis. They are conveniently located just below the gondola station at Hakuba 47.  Luis Pizza House offers 4 different sauces to choose from; garlic sauce, basil sauce, codroe and mayonaise sauce, and your standard tomato sauce. These thin crusted Italian style pizza pies only come in one single serving size and cost ¥1200 - ¥1500 each. They also offer quick snacks like hashbrowns, fried chicken, curry buns, and saugages for ¥200 - ¥500. And serve draft beer and Italian wine to help you wash it all down and work up a bit more courage for your afternoon on the mountain.

Gu~ Steak House in Goryu has tender juicy steak to fit every budget. Set menus with slabs of sizzling meat on a hot plate and a bit of corn start at ¥800. Customers can help themselves to rice, soup, green tea, and water.  They have a picture menu making it very easy for anyone to order. The above meal is a 150 gram steak alongside a 230 gram chicken fillet which comes with a side-salad, and all-you-can-eat rice and soup for ¥1000. If you go there for lunch, you can take ¥100 off each set. They also have minced meat paddies, rib steak, and if you want the best, their wagu beef is ¥4000 for 300 grams.

Gu~ is about a 15 minute walk from Lodge tabi-tabi, you can also find it on our walking map here. It's very close to Genryu-no-yu Onsen so many of our guests like to do both.

Lunch: 11:30 - 14:30 (last order 14:00)
Dinner: 17:00 - 20:30 (or until the meat runs out)
Closed: Wednesdays

There are soba shops all over the Hakuba Valley but my favorite sansai soba is from Yamato Soba. Sansai means mountain vegetable, these wild and nutritious plants are loaded onto a plate of cold soba noodles along with some grated daikon, green onions, shredded nori (seaweed) and wasabi. You have to pour over the soba tsuyu (sauce) yourself. It comes in a ceramic flask, make sure you mix up your plate well then dig in and slurp away. Yes, it's OK to slurp your noodles in Japan. In fact, the locals feel that you will be missing out on some flavor if you don't. 

If you get zaru soba (plain noodles in middle pic below) you will get a small cup of soba tsuyu where you can add your desired amount of wasabi and daikon. Then you load up on noodles with your chopsticks and dip it into the cup, slurp, chomp, and swallow. 

Yamato Soba has cold and hot versions of all of their dishes. You can also order udon (a thick white noodle) instead of soba (brown buckwheat noodles). 

There are always a few specials to choose from like the seasonal tempura and okowa (sticky rice mixed with beans, see pic below). Today they also had kurumi soba which is a walnut dip instead of the usual soy-sauce based dip. Oishikatta (It was yum)! 

Yamato Soba is about a 10 minute walk from Lodge tabi-tabi. You can also find it on our walking map here.

Hours: 11:00 to 16:00  (and sometimes 17:00 or 18:00)
Closed: sometimes  

Nagano prefecture is known for Shinsyu Soba. Shinshyu is the old name for what is now known as Nagano Prefecture and soba is a buckwheat noodle soup made with a simple soy based broth. You can find Soba restaurants all over Hakuba and the rest of the prefecture. Tonegawa Soba has got to be the best soba restaurant in the Hakuba village. As you can see it is set in beautiful old Minka (Japanese farm house) complete with irori (a sunken hearth used for cooking and eating), kotatsu (heated tables), and hand-made hanten (a quilted robe for guests to wear).

Tonegawa Soba Shop is a 15 or 20 minute walk from Lodge tabi-tabi. You can also find it on our google map here.

Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday John will be serving up yummy Tex-Mex to satisfy even the hungriest of Texans. I highly recommend you start with the Smokey Quesadilla, a large flour tortilla sandwich of melted cheese, sauteed onion, and smoked chipotle chillies served with a side of fresh guacamole, salsa fresca, sour cream, and a bit of cabbage. The quesadilla could be shared as a starter or eaten whole as a vegetarian meal (¥850).

Pescetarians, and lovers of seafood, should try the Baja Style Tacos (see picture above), where 2 soft tacos are stuffed with beer-battered fried fish, guacamole, cheese, cabbage, salsa fresca, and sour cream.

For meat lovers he's got "nice tender chicken" served in the chicken enchiladas and El Grande chicken burritos. All of Arriba Arriba's Main Plates (¥1000) are served with a side of Spanish rice, re-fried beans, and chopped cabbage.

Their tostada salad served in a deep-fried tortilla bowl sounded delicious but I wanted to leave a bit of space for a Mexican style hot chocolate. Their spiced hot cocoa is not on the menu but may be available on quieter nights. Just ask!

Complete your Mexican meal with a Corona or tequila shot for only ¥400!

Arriba Arriba is about a 10 minute walk from Lodge tabi-tabi. You can also find it on our recommendation map here.

An izakaya is a Japanese style dining bar that serves many small dishes to be shared with everyone at the table. At an izakaya you eat and drink, eat and drink, and then drink some more. This izakaya however, doesn't serve the usual Japanese izakaya food. Instead, they have come up with unique pizzas in Japanese flavours like sansai (wild mountain vegetables) and pizza crusts covered in toasted sesame seeds served with wasabi tartar sauce. They even have a fried banana pizza for dessert. There is more than pizza at pizzakaya though, they have salads, green curry, risotto, yummy hors d'oeuvres like stuffed shiitake mushrooms, and snacks like shrimp crackers, and a variety of cheeses. 

The shop is warm and cozy, owners are very friendly, and everything is served on beautiful original pottery. It's popular with locals and tourist alike so get there early or drop in late.

Pizzakaya Country Road is about a 10 minute walk from Lodge tabi-tabi. You can also find it on our recommendation map here.

Open: 18:00 - 24:00 (last order 23:00)
Closed: Monday

Canada Tei is a Japanese izakaya with tasty local dishes, great service, and a comprehensive English menu.  Shige (shee-geh) the friendly owner speaks English and is happy to make recommendations like sukiyaki, nabe, or "salted squid guts". You've got to try their okonomiyaki, and make sure you ask about their daily specials, last time I was there they had excellent tuna and salmon sashimi. They carry a good selection of Japanese nihonshu (sake) and shochu, and of course have beer on tap. Canada Tei is a 5 minute walk from, or a 10 minute stumble back to, Lodge tabi-tabi. You can also find it on our recommendation map here.