MOS burger, sake and the Susukino Ice Festival, Japan

MOS Burger

I don't eat a lot of fast food, but in Japan, even the humble hamburger is elevated to a new height of deliciousness.


Daiso 100 yen shop

After our morning walk to the Nijo Fish Market, we'd stumbled upon a five-storey Daiso building. Daiso is a chain of 100-yen shops, usually quite large in size. This five-storey building was the biggest one we encountered on our travels - five dazzling floors of kitchenware, bakeware, bathroom products, clothing, toiletries, haberdashery, confectionery, gadgets and more. Almost everything is 100 yen plus 5% sales tax. We spent hours in there, trapped in a maze of ridiculous consumerism, helplessly piling our baskets high with things we didn't need but couldn't resist.


MOS Burger

Laden down with our 105 yen shopping, MOS Burger was the ideal pit-stop for lunch. MOS stands for Mountain Ocean Sun, and The menu is similar to most burger chains, but its fans swear by its freshness and the alarming but welcome similarity between the burger photos on the menu, and the burger each and every customer receives.


MOS hamburger with tomato and lettuce 420 yen

Our burgers are delivered to our tables in a wicker basket. The MOS cheese hamburger is almost jaunty in appearance, a slice of fresh tomato so thick that the airy bun on top sits at an angle. Being presented with a fast food hamburger that is neither squashed nor flattened is a welcome delight.

A pile of finely shredded lettuce is green and crisp, a beef patty spread liberally with a tangy onion and tomato sauce. The buns are soft and sweet and the abundance of salad adds a notion of healthiness.


MOS cheeseburger 350yen (about AU$4.40 in Feb 2010)

The MOS cheeseburger is also generously sized. A slathering of tomato sauce studded with onion adds sweetness. It's fast food but not as you know it.


Onion rings 230yen

Onion rings are covered in a light batter that is crisp and golden. Inside, the onion is soft, sweet and almost clear. The small portion size is a surprise at first, but only goes to show how excessive portion sizes have grown to be in Australia.


White grape soda

The soft drink menu goes beyond the usual Coke, Fanta and Lemonade. Pocahontas opts for the white grape soda which tastes much like Maison. Glasses of water are provided for all patrons.

Upstairs is an enclosed space that looks like it's a hangout for the cool kids, until we realise it's actually the smoking room! Japan is dotted with these, allowing smokers to congregate as one.


Sapporo Chitosetsuru sake museum

Pocahontas and I head to the Sapporo Chitosetsuru sake museum for a brief wander. Most of the information panels are in Japanese but there is an opportunity to sample the sake.


Sake samples

The sake is dry and crisp, a specialty in this region where water is never in short supply.


Water from the well

Sake has been made here for over 130 years, using water drawn from a well that lies 150 metres beneath the sake factory. Sourced from the Toyohira River, the pH level of the water is medium hard, a perfect balance of minerals that is said to be optimal for brewing sake.


Sake ice cream 300yen

Despite the fact it's 2C outside, we still find an appetite for ice cream. Tubs of sake ice cream are frozen rock hard and the flavour of sake is a little hard to discern.


Sake soft serve ice cream 350 yen

It's easier to detect the flavour of sake in the soft serve ice cream, a slightly heady aroma that builds on the back of the palate.


Susukino Ice Festival

In the evening, we take in the ice sculptures of the Susukino Ice Festival. Susukino is known as the red light district, an area filled with bars and clubs. During the Sapporo Snow Festival, the main street is lined with ice sculptures, clear blocks of ice carved with chainsaws. Dragons, swans and egrets, there were even carvings with blocks of ice imprisoned with real fish and crabs.


Ice blocks with real crabs and fish inside


Dragon


Ice carver at work with a chainsaw


Dragon


Snack stall made with walls of ice


Grilled scallops 2 for 300 yen

To combat the cold? Grilled scallops straight off the heat.


Ice slide

The kids love the ice slide which rapidly builds up speed, and whilst adults can't have a go, they seem more than happy with the motorcar, made from ice of course!


Father and son in an ice-carved motorcar

The 61st Sapporo Snow Festival ran from 5-11 February 2010. This annual event is held for seven days in February.

Chitosetsuru Sake Museum
Minami 3 jo, Higashi 5 chome (Chuo-ku)
Sapporo, Japan
Tel: +81 (011) 221 7570

Opening hours:
Open 7 days 10am - 6pm

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