WINTER HOKKAIDO FAIR 2012 AT TAKASHIMAYA – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW, LET’S EAT!!

Hi there,

After knowing there is a Winter Hokkaido Fair 2012 at Takashimaya, I have decided to go there promptly and check what goodies I can get from there, hee hee.. couple with New Year, great backdrop for some feasting, Let’s Eat!!!

First thing first that caught my eyes, huge king crabs! I was there when the staff was weighing one huge claws, cost around $98 each! they have samples for you to try and the staff was chopping it up for the customers. The crabs look so pretty actually, 🙂 bright red and pink, and the flesh actually look like very fluffy and soft too.

Next, I moved over to the croquette store, it is actually quite a huge store, partly because they have so many to choose from!

I got my hands on quite a few croquettes, some mini croquettes made of salmon, scallops and crabs, you can get it for $1.5 each for 1 mini croquette, or $8 to have a mixture of 6 pieces.

Then I was totally absorbed by the big poster which said $15 for some magnificient huge croquette! For $15 you get 3 piece, which is filled with mouth watering chunks of scallops, crab meat and shrimp.

They only strictly have 100 pieces per day, so go early and crab yours. I like the huge croquette partly because each mouthful is more satisfying, biting into pieces of crab meat and scallops. The mini one is actually not bad but because they were a little tough on the coating, so I find it a little chewy.

Actually you know what? I think this is the must buy in this fair. I just reheated it in the oven and tried it. (the next day) It tasted even better!! The crab meat croquette was filled with so much crab meat (near half) and the prawn flavor has this milky taste with the really nicely seasoned fluffy potato mash. My best buy from the Hokkaido fair!

Nevertheless, you can taste the salmon and crab meat when you pop half of it in your mouth. I brought it back home and drizzle with some tonkatsu sauce and japanese mayo, heavenly.

You can check out below photos, I have cut half of each flavour so you can see how fleshy it is, haha… My recommendation is still pop it into the oven after you brought it home, unless you wanted to eat it on the spot. 🙂

They also sell various japanese fish cake, you can sample it out on the spot, as they grilled some there too. Although I didn’t get it, it actually looks like quite spongey and also filled with a lot of ingredients.

They also sell king crab claws, for $6.5 I thought it was a little steep, but if you want to indulge, by all means. 🙂

They have the small counter, where you can choose your seafood sashimi and then place on to rice box, to make it sushi bento box. Cost between $20 to $25 bucks, tempted to get it, but my husband ended up wanted to try something else, so we actually went to get some yonehachi sticky rice just right next to the fair.

Over there, although it was packed with a lot of customers, and samplers, the staff was very prompt and eager to give out samples for people to try too. Some of it are grilled items, and also stewed fishes and scallops.

They have the corner where they sell packets of ramen, there are also cha siew for sale, 4 pieces for $15, a bit steep too, but the cha siew was actually quite thick, if you don’t mind to cook yourself, you can buy the hokkaido corn, bamboo shoots slices, ramen and soup base to cook it at home.

They were handing out bowls of ramen samples as well, and my husband said it was quite good. Just next to the ramen counter is the place where you want to chill and eat your hearts out from this fair. Kudos for the organizers.

They have various seaweeds and also roasted scallop, didn’t try it but looks good, as they pair the cooked seaweed with dressing to make it seaweed salad.

Next, is the grilling counter, where there are lots of squid grilling action, lots of people there, getting scallops and squid and also Hokkaido grill corn. Yummy.

You can also get some dried scallop and squid over there too. I find this fair have many squid items, like sticky rice in stewed squid, grilled, dried, fried, the squid look thick and juicy, I guess they are good too.

A japanese staff over there was grilling the squid, and he was very nice, even chatting with customers while grilling it, no stress 🙂

Ah.. desserts, how can you leave hokkaido fair without desserts, especially winter hokkaido fair, where, they have many nice creamy desserts and cheese cake to choose from. First stop, cake roll, there are strawberry roll, matcha roll, cost about $18 – $20 per roll, of palm size, extremly fluffy sponge cake, and very light cream. Samples available.

However, as my husband has interest in the fruits roll, I got one of that instead. there is a pastry chef who make these on the spot, caught a glimpse of it. a piece of thick sponge, wrapped over slightly sweetened light cream with banana in it, and sprinkle of mixed fruits, yummy. $4.5 each of quite a decent size, I light how they call it omelette, actually it does look like one. Dessert omelette.

From this pictures, you can see how colorful they are, make you happy just by seeing it. 🙂

Oh cheese cake too! thick cheese cake, with dense flavor yet easy on the palate, Make with hokkaido cream and milk. Must try.

There are japanese gelato, I see many people buying it, they are scooped and “mounted” on a big cone, good to share for 2 people.

Their pudding are also for sale, $6 each bottle, I saw some customers buying in half dozens, wow.

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I remember in the Tampines Hokkaido fair, the puddings were the ones that were sold out the fastest, I wonder if this is similar to the milk pudding I wanted to get last round, but having to carry my son and also buying so much stuff from here, I decided to give it a miss, hopefully next time I can try it, it should be very thick and creamy, and in bottles like this, make it kind of luxurious to eat it huh? 🙂

Lastly, there are pumpkin pudding, the staff were giving out samples to try on, I overheard a few aunties saying it was really good, not very sweet, perhaps you can try it for yourself too. 🙂

For pricing and details of food at the fair, you can check out my other post about this Winter Hokkaido fair 2012 at Takashimaya.

So this is the lowdown of the winter hokkaido fair at takashimaya shopping center, so don’t miss this opportunity to try out these declicious morsels of samples of hokkaido delicacies. As today is New Year’s Eve, there were lots of people shopping to celebrate the New Year.

So here I would like to say HAPPY NEW YEAR to all readers & may 2012 be another new year full of delicious adventures for you and your loved ones. 🙂

Food Fairs : Winter Hokkaido Fair 2011 & 2012 at Takashimaya Department Store

Locations : Food Hall, B2, Takashimaya Department Store

Date : 29 Dec 2011 (thurs) – 8 Jan 2012 (sunday)

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Cheers,

Dawn