This bistro in a lovely wood house set just behind the main street serves up absolutely delicious food with a nice selection of organic wines. Chef executes everything perfectly. His caramelised onion tart was so sweet and rich in lovely onion flavour. The pâtés we’re smooth and beautiful. His meats whether pork, mutton or venison are pink perfect. His seafood have luscious richness. The chocolate slice was sticky rich and absolutely moreish. Can’t wait to make it back again some time soon. If you’re in the area, be sure to make a feast stop here!

I put a 5 star review so as not to lower the rating, but we did not actually eat here. The restaurant was closed and had a sign saying they require reservations one month in advance because they have to source the ingredients.

A tiny, excellent French restaurant. The owner chef serves a handcrafted degustation menu of local ingredients on a regularly changing menu.

🌿「Vraie」, a French restaurant in a standalone house in Higashikawa, Hokkaido Vraie is a restaurant in a standalone house quietly nestled in Higashikawa, Hokkaido. Soft light streams through large windows, and in a space where the warmth of wood and a refined atmosphere blend together, I enjoyed French cuisine that let me feel Hokkaido's four seasons and its land. ⸻ 🍽 Course experience The opening plate A bite of organic beet and tuna tartare, finished with bottarga and raspberry vinegar. From the very first moment, the balance of acidity and umami captured my heart. Hairy crab, cauliflower, tomato A cold dish starring hairy crab from Okhotsk. The mellowness of the cauliflower mousse and the freshness of the tomato jelly were exquisitely matched, and I could feel Hokkaido's sea and land. Porcini, Oniiguchi mushroom A warm appetizer that locks in a rich aroma. Taking it into my mouth was like tasting the depths of the forest itself. Sea urchin, Hokkaido wheat Cold capellini luxuriously made with Hokkaido sea urchin. The homemade noodles, made from Hokkaido wheat using the Okinawa soba method, had a surprising chewiness. It was like "a fusion of sea and land." Zucchini flower, green chili A roasted stuffed zucchini flower with a green-curry-style sauce. Slightly spicy, and I felt the energy of summer. Grilled eggplant An appetizer of cold fragrant eggplant soup, prepared in a caviar style. The nourishing flavor of summer vegetables is concentrated and soaks gently into the body. Field plate: soybeans, soil, roots Organic vegetables from Biei expressed as "the field itself." From soybean hummus to a powder imitating "field soil." A surprising dish that is exciting both to look at and to eat. Roast young goat (choice for +5,000 yen) The tender meat pairs superbly with the potato purée. A simple yet deeply flavorful main. Higashikawa rice cooked in a clay pot Rice cooked in a clay pot with only salt, water, and corn. Sweetness spreads with every bite, and it seemed to calm the mind at the end. Dessert Peach compote and a crémet d'Anjou with fromage blanc. The aroma of basil is refreshing, and it was a perfect close to summer. Herbal tea & petits fours The herbal tea, which seemed to reset my mouth, and the lingering sweetness of the petits fours completed a happy time. ⸻ 💰 Price Course: ¥12,600 Change of main (roast young goat, etc.): about +5,000 yen ⸻ 📝 Impressions "Vraie" is truly an experience of "eating Hokkaido." The bounty of the sea, the blessings of the land, and the scents of the season are delicately crafted, and every plate was a time of new discoveries. A hidden-gem French restaurant in Higashikawa that is worth going out of your way to visit. I would love to recommend it to anyone seeking a culinary journey.

+3

It's a French restaurant, but the food is easy to enjoy casually. You can tell that good ingredients are cooked carefully and delicately, and that the preparation takes a lot of time. In every dish I could feel the chef's personality and his wife's affection, and it was very gentle, wonderful food! Places like this are rare these days. I've become a big fan 😃 The espresso is also the best‼

+1