WHERE TO EAT IN NISEKO

Singaporean chef Willin Low is well‑known for his modern Singaporean, or Mod‑sin cuisine, which he explored to great acclaim at his now‑closed restaurant Wild Rocket. During the winter season, you will find him temporarily based in Niseko with his restaurant, Roketto, a noodle bar which also offers omakase dinners. When he is not in the kitchen, you will find him exploring the village for a comforting meal. Here are his favourites.

1. TEUCHI-SOBA ICHIMURA

“I eat here more than any other restaurant as it’s near my restaurant, and we love the soba here. I prefer cold soba (more bite) and always order it with mixed tempura. Don’t forget to order a side of maitake, or oyster tempura (depending on what is in season). There are long queues, so get here early.”

2. NISEKO SANROKU PARLOUR

“Near the Hilton Niseko Village hotel, there’s a quaint shipping container converted into a café with good sandwiches. It’s run by a local family—the husband works at the back-of-house, and the wife and daughter run the front-of-house. Try the venison burger with home-baked buns for something different.”

3. JAMII

“Soup curry is basically a Hokkaido speciality— sometimes it’s easy to forget that when you’re surrounded by resort restaurants. This popular restaurant and bar located next to Niseko train station has a laid-back Jamaican charm. Besides great soup curry, live music is available some nights.”

4. SUSHI SHIN BY MIYAKAWA NISEKO

“So far the best sushi-ya I have been to in Niseko. From the hinoki counter to the seasonal fish sourced mainly from Hokkaido, this refined Edomae-style sushi restaurant is a luxurious delight and a good break from the crowds.”

5. ROKETTO RESTAURANT & BAR

“Of course I have to recommend my own restaurant. During the day we run a casual selfservice noodle bar with either snow crab broth laksa udon, or rotators pork bak kut teh ramen. For dinner, we transform into a Mod-sin omakase restaurant utilising seasonal local ingredients.”