Getting Lost in Japan - Chicken Karaage at Cafe Zill Sapporo, Things to Find and Buy in a Local Japanese Supermarket in Hokkaido


May 21, 2013 (Tuesday)

I didn’t want to go out today because I actually missed blogging while I’m here in Hokkaido. I’ve been here for more than a week now - touring, walking and eating just about anything - without internet connection. This is the first “me-time” I got in Hokkaido so let me tell you about why I’m so happy today =) I’m so thrilled that I got lost in Sapporo (Sapporo is a city in Hokkaido, Japan) - just a few hours ago hahaha.

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Yesterday, I got tired of going from site to site in Hokkaido as if there’s no tomorrow. I went with a 7-day Hokkaido tour group and all the places we went to were amazing (I will tell you more in the next Japan posts). This is my 9th day here and I stayed behind with a few people to experience Sapporo a little more =) Today, I wanted to take things slow, write about some of my experiences, actually enjoy this teeny Japanese apartment a bit more and have a sense of what it is like to live here. While I do understand that I’m not certain when I’ll be able return here, I’m pretty sure that I want this time to recover, get lost on my own and travel at a snail’s pace for now.

For lunch, I looked for Café Zill Sapporo and found it eventually in 南 14 条 7 西 near Lawson, just across from 東光 (subway N10 green line).

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My sister (who lives here now) recommended that I eat here if I wanted to go out for a while (in case I’m starving haha). I followed her map, apparently misunderstood it and got lost for around 45 minutes in the other direction 4 big blocks away hahaha. FYI, you can just go in a convenience store (konbini) like Family Mart, 7-11 or Lawson and ask for directions. They will reply in Japanese but you might be able to figure it out after a while (ask them to write it down) ;) Sometimes, the signs are partly in Chinese characters so I can understand a little in writing =D You can see this sign from far away. 

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You just cross to the other side to get to Cafe Zill.

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I found out that I ordered the Chicken Karaage – fried boneless chicken strips in potato starch and almonds.

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They had no English menu for lunch but a little sign language helped.

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Squeezing the lemon was fun with this thing and it pairs well with the chicken – a little “bitin” because you can’t have extra.

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I would order this dish again - it's good enough for me for the price and taste. They offer cheaper lunch menus in restaurants here although I’m not sure about this one - 700 yen comes with small rice and around 6 big pieces rice topping style. A single order according to the dinner menu costs 480 yen but maybe fewer pieces and no rice yet. They have dishes like lamb and tandoori.

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The ambiance of the place is different like an enclave of sorts from the time I came in.

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But it almost became like a Japanese conversation hub with ladies at the corner talking loudly and the sound bouncing all over the place..

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 There’s also a floor-style dining experience available. 

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Here's all the info you will need to find Cafe Zill. It closes at 2:30 p.m. for lunch then opens again for dinner.

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I crossed the street and headed to the big supermarket 東光. I found a simple slip-on (light and bendable) walking shoes for 1980 yen – converting that to a very reasonable price of 940 pesos. I successfully dodged that one or else I will overspend again. Oh, the things I find in the supermarket haha.

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I walked for a few meters and there was the pharmacy/cosmetic shop inside too. I bought these transparent waterproof tapes for my travel kit and picked up these breath right strips out of curiosity (I want to test it on people when I get home). Hahahaha.

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I have a weak spot for supermarkets and its always fun to kill time going from aisle to aisle. At this particular local supermarket, there were ready-to-eat food like sushi, karaage (half the price of what I just ate but not so special looking hehe), mocha, tempura, etc. At the very last moment, I knew what I was going to get! Those juicy Hokkaido strawberries for 598 yen (I got a hold of much sweeter ones in the mountain a few days back for 1000 yen, no sugar needed)!!!

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I also saw pre-cut Hokkaido’s special melons for 498 yen (I saw one whole costs 780 to 2980 yen probably depending on the farm and type!)=D

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This is going to be dinner – a very nice break from all the binge eating here hahaha.

That's it =) I could stay in the apartment happy and catch on more blogging in Sapporo without having to worry about going out again for dinner hahahaha.


Getting Lost in Japan - Chicken Karaage at Cafe Zill Sapporo, Things to Find and Buy in a Local Japanese Supermarket in Hokkaido


Do you go to local supermarkets when you go on a trip? What do you look for and what can you recommend for a particular place? (Sample: Hokkaido - Buy melons!) It can be at your own local supermarket that is a specialty in your area. Feel free to comment below =)