Parco Fiera (snowy Sapporo, Tabelog 4.44)

Had a ‘long’ lunch at Parco Fiera a couple of weeks ago in the midst of Sapporo snowstorm. We finished our lunch around 2pm and only retuned to our hotel at 10pm due to transport issues and conditions.

Parco Fiera is an 8-seater Italian kappo-style restaurant with curing & fermentation as the fulcrum.

Nakajo-san has its own salumi factory in Yoichi and stores about 50 varieties made of different meat, curing method and aging period. All seasonings such as sauces, vinegars, and powders are self-crafted in house except for salt and olive oil.

Took a cab to the restaurant located around 10km from downtown as trains were suspended. Only the three of us honoured the reservation while other guests called force majeure and didn’t turn up.

All salumi were cut paper thin using a motorised Berkel slicer machine in front of us. We had 4 salumi dishes and they all tasted deliciously light and nuanced without any saltiness overhang.

In addition to salumi-led dishes, the lunch also showcased an array of Hokkaido’s amazing seafood, meats and vegetables, such as octopus paired with sweet Amaou strawberry and unapologetically pungent fermented sweetfish sauce; oysters in a delicate fermented turnip & kombu broth; matsukawa flounder fritto; and succulent sika deer grilled over coals teamed with Japanese bitter kale & various fermented vegetable powders.

Drink pairing is mandatory and included in the meal price; either 30K yen for food including non-alc flight or 36K yen for food including wine program.

Trains & buses remained non-operational throughout the day while GO taxi & uber were uncallable. Nakajo-san suggested we waited at a nearby shopping mall for a higher chance of getting taxi and drove us there in his SUV.

After 6 hours queueing in the cold (and a kombini dinner), we finally got our taxi and reached the hotel at 22.00, almost 11 hours after we first made our way for lunch.

*Menu:

1. Amuse Bouche: terrine & pancetta.

2. Fresh Mozzarella, 18 months aged Prosciuttoz

3. Steamed octopus from Otaru, Amaou strawberry from Fukuoka, fermented ayu fish sauce.

4. Oysters from Akkeshi, wild spinach, fermented turnip soup.

5. Fried Matsukawa Flounder from the sea of Okhotsk, abalone puree, fermented abalone powder, wild garlic.

6. Salumi Plate: 6 types of salami and prosciutto made from sheep, wild boar, pork and beef.

7. Gnocco Fritto fried bread , Mortadella.

8. Fusilli made with Hokkaido flour and Ragu sauce containing slow cooked Takasago beef from Asahikawa.

9. Ezo deer from Kunnokubo, charred norabouna, beet powder, spring onion powder, fennel oil.

10. Jersey milk ice cream

11. Pistachios ganache, Brûléed Kumquat.

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