04/08/2025
Wrapping up a seven day cycling tour exploring the best culinary and cultural stops along the way. It is a pleasure to introduce local restaurants and hidden gems like The Kumadel Cafe and their delicious apple pies and smoothies.
Shout out to a newer accommodation and restaurant in Shari named “BOTH” A stylish place with a super friendly staff and excellent set meals. I’ll be taking new guests there in a few weeks. No tour to central Hokkaido would be complete without a visit to “Takushinkan” photo gallery and The Goto Sumio Museum. If you are savvy and early to book, you might secure a reservation at “SSAW”. Otherwise, Farm Chiyoda down the road has Venison burgers and potato wedges that are my favorites. Cafe IPPO, on the way to Kanayama lake, is open for lunch, serves organic and macrobiotic meals featuring home grown produce. Cafe Goryo and Kaneko Coffee Cafe are also on my top ten list and not to be missed.
Many locations in Hokkaido do not accept reservations so arriving early or thinking about your group size before showing up is important. I notice that many people who love “slow food” are impatient (like me) Needless to say, waiting in line for Furanoya curry is just part of the experience. Much gratitude to Tetsuya and Saki from “Ride Experience” for making the trip to Hokkaido. We have put together a few new routes (secret) and will be offering these unique bespoke tours for summer 2026. You can bring your own bike or a quality rental is available from Rhythm or G.S. Astuto (if you know what’s good).
