Ern in Tokyo: Hokkaido Fair in Yoyogi 2009 / 北海道フェア in 代々木２００９

A week before this event, quite a few department stores were having their own Hokkaido Fair. We went to the one at the Seibu store in Ikebukuro. Mikako found some items that she used to buy all the time but are not available in Tokyo. I had to pick up a variety pack of Hokkaido microbrews but I will write about those another time. I mentioned to her that there was going to be a big Hokkaido Fair at Yoyogi Park during the weekend, so of course we went. At the same time as the Hokkaido Fair was taking place, there was also an Earthday Market as well.

このイベントの一週間前、いろんなデパートで北海道フェアが開催されてた。私たちも池袋の西武に行ってきました。そこで美香子が懐かしいものを次々と発見、そのものを買いました。六花亭のストローベリーチョコとラムバタークッキー。僕は北海道の地ビールのバラエティパックを買いました、でもその話はまた今度。美香子に教えてあげたんですが、週末に代々木公園で北海道フェアがやるよって。もちろん行きましたよ。同じ日にアースデイマーケットも開催してた。

The Earth Day Market / アース・デイ・マーケット

Our first stop of the day was at the Matsuo booth which featured a dish called "Genghis Khan" which us Americans would actually call Mongolian beef. There was quite a line but it was moving forward at constant pace so we didn't have long to wait for our first bite of the festival. But the lamb steak looked to good to pass up so we order one of those as well.

最初に行った屋台は松尾のジンギスカン。行列があったが、結構順調に進んでたので、待ち時間はそんなに長くない。頼んだのは松尾ジンギスカン皿盛。骨付きラムステーキも美味しそうに見えたので、それも注文。

The Matsuo "Genghis Khan" booth

松尾の屋台

Mongolian Beef Plate / 松尾ジンギスカン皿盛

Lamb Steak / 骨付きラムステーキ

We then found a booth featuring curry with scallops. Unfortunately, more wouldn't be ready for another thirty minutes so we went in search of something else. We decided to have some miso ramen from a place called Tsubasa, but the line there was quite long as well, so we bought a freshly roasted corn-on-the-cob to munch on while we waited in line.

次発見したのは帆立カレー。でもちょうど切れてたんで、３０分待ちになると言われた。別のものを食べに行くことにした。つばさの究極の味噌ラーメンの看板に目が行って、次はそれだ！でもそこも行列が出来たので、並ぶ前にともうろこしをゲット。

Roasted Corn / とうもろこし

A very large corn-on-the-cob / 結構でっかいともうろこしでした

The Tsubasa Booth

らめん処「つばさ」の屋台

Miso Ramen from Tsubasa / 「つばさ」の究極の味噌ラーメン

But the fair isn't only about eating the food. There were booths featuring fresh vegetables, dairy products, and wines that are only available in Hokkaido which you could buy at this fair. While we were waiting in line to buy some ice-cream, I stumbled across this interesting looking machine called a toumi

フェアは食べることだけではないですよ。僕はその目的で行きましたが。他の屋台は野菜やワインなどの北海道限定物もずらりと並んでる。アイスを求めて並んだ列に入ったら、不思議なものを発見。サインを読むと、この機械は「唐箕（とうみ）」とゆうものです。

Old Farm Implement (explanation in Japanese below which I'm not going to bother to translate)

昔の農具（説明は下記の写真を読んで下さい）

The Ice-Cream Booth / アイスの屋台

Caramel Ice Cream / キャラメルソフトクリーム

After dessert, it was time to search for another filling item. We chose a plate of char-shu.

デザートを食べたあと、次は別盛チャーシュー

Char-shu / 別盛チャーシュー

We decided to end our eating spree with the previously unavailble curry with scallops.

帆立カレーで今日閉めおと思って、それがあった屋台に戻った。

Curry Rice with Scallops / 帆立カレー

Oh my, what a disappointment this was. It didn't even taste all that great. Well, the scallops did but the curry was awful. It tasted like some instant brand. Mikako said it tasted nostalgic and reminded her of Valmont curry (run of the mill brand). I didn't want to leave the fair on this low note so we went in search of one more item. And what we found was butter-fried crab! Now, that's the way to end a hearty day of eating. The next food fair will be featuring Kyushu - can't wait!

わ～、何これ？今日で一番不味いです。帆立は良かったけど、このカレーは何？美香子が食べたら、「懐かしい味がする。バーモントカレーかも」と言ってた。僕はこれが今日の閉めで納得出来なかったので、もう一品を探しまわった。最後に見つかったのは蟹のバター焼き。や～、これで今日の食旅が終了して満腹になりました。次の食旅は九州フェアだ、待ちきれないね。