Espe Yuki is an influencer who travels around Japan's ski resorts as a slope ambassador, promoting the charms of each resort. As a "ski food pro," he introduced his recommended gourmet food and sweets to STEEP. This time, we'll be introducing his "large-portion ski food," which is his forte, and sharing his recommended large-portion ski food from around the country that he tried during the 2023-24 season
Hello! I'm Espeyuki! I shoot photos of snowy mountains all over Japan and share local information!
From this alone, some people might imagine me as someone who enjoys outdoor sports. But don't worry. I'm a chubby girl weighing 123kg (as of April 2024) who doesn't do any exercise other than skiing. When I visit various ski resorts, I sometimes come across huge portions of food, and of course I can't resist eating them!
I would like to introduce the huge portions I ate in the two seasons of 2023 and 2024
Espeyuki's definition of "large servings of food"
In the Reiwa era, a time of warring states for food courts, there are a wide variety of deca-portion menus. It would be endless to introduce them all, so for now we will define "deca-portion food courts" as anything that meets the following criteria:
- It is a ski resort meal. Lunch is served at a restaurant adjacent to a ski resort or slope
- I (Espeyuki) will be able to eat and drink everything and then ski. I will be able to enjoy a delicious meal
- There is no all-you-can-eat option or free refills
- The menu must be available during normal times and not be a special menu item only available during interviews or events
For example, our previous article , has a special menu item called the "Espe Special Plate" (the equivalent of about five crepes), but it is not eligible because you cannot ski after eating it (②, a double whammy of quantity and sweetness!) and it is a party menu that requires advance reservations (④).
The all-you-can-eat Genghis Khan at Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort was excluded from the survey because the amount of food eaten can be adjusted (③)
Even though they are called "dekamori" (large servings), the portions vary in size. This time, I've ranked them based on my impressions of the most challenging dishes!
Is this amount still considered a regular serving? 5 Makushita-level Gere meals
First up is the Makushita-class Gere meal. This is still a regular portion (for me)! Let's enjoy it
Hiroshima Prefecture Osorakan Snow Park's specialty dish, "Pork Kalbi Rice Bowl"
The fatty pork topped with mayonnaise is sinfully delicious! The good thing about Osorakan is that they serve a generous portion even in the regular large size
Hokkaido Fu's Snow Area (Fujino Outdoor Sports Exchange Facility) "Double Cutlet Curry"
This approximately 1kg menu includes double the amount of pork cutlet and 2.5 times the amount of rice. It comes topped with freshly fried pork cutlet
Dynasty Ski Resort's "Mega-sized Ankake Yakisoba"
Another dish from Hokkaido. While there are many Gereshoku Ankake Yakisoba in the Sapporo area, this one is a monster value at 1,100 yen. It's served fresh, so please be patient while it's being cooked
Appi Kogen Ski Resort, Iwate Prefecture Indian Restaurant Pasupatti "Mega-sized Tandoori Chicken Fried Rice"
...Huh? It's a mega portion, right? To be honest, I thought the portion was small! It's incredibly delicious and stylish, but it's still in the lower ranks. Next time, I'd like a huge portion
Yamagata Prefecture Asahi Nature Snow Park "Mega Ramen Miso"
There is no information about mega-sized portions on the website, but they were sold at the ticket machine, so we decided to eat in! Gereshoku Ramen in the Tohoku area is generally a hit, so even the mega-sized portion is delicious♪
A plethora of classic gere cuisine dishes! 3 komusubi-level gere cuisine choices
This is a komusubi-level gere meal. It's delicious and you can easily eat two bowls of it. There's not a small amount, so don't be careless
Geto Kogen Ski Resort in Iwate Prefecture will be serving a hearty meal in the 2024 season: "Large Serving of Fried Chicken Rice with Sweet and Sour Sauce."
This is a deep-fried chicken dish that is thoroughly tossed in sauce, and comes in a quantity of about 15 regular-sized pieces of fried chicken
Oguna Hotaka Ski Resort, Gunma Prefecture "Hagemori Sauce Katsudon"
From the Hagemori (meaning "very generous portion") series in Katashina Village, Gunma Prefecture, comes the "Hagemori Sauce Katsudon" from Oguna Hotaka Ski Resort! I visited the resort completely off-guard, but it was the perfect bowl that satisfied all tastes and tastes
Hyogo Prefecture Kannabe Kogen Manba Ski Resort Lodge TEN "All-topping curry"
Lodge TEN is located halfway up the slopes of Banba Ski Resort in Kannabe Kogen, Hyogo Prefecture. I was interested in the popular double katsudon, but I chose this one. There may be more fried food than listed on the menu (?!), so be careful
The ski resort food that is popular among skiers is ranked! Ozeki-grade ski food
Finally, it's Ozeki-level Gere meal. No matter how delicious it is, it's tough to eat two bowls... there's a lot of it
This time, there is only one item that fits the bill: the "Mega-sized Super-Amazing Pork Belly Rice Bowl + Cheese and Soft-boiled Egg Topping" from Hibiki Mountain Restaurant, located in the MID BASE rest house halfway up the slopes of Kandatsu Snow Resort in Niigata Prefecture
So this is what came out
Meat, cheese, and eggs! It's the perfect combination! Next time, I'll try the amazing kalbi bowl ♪
Who will be crowned the winner of the prestigious Yokozuna-class Gereshoku award?
The final bout is a Yokozuna-level Gereshoku! If you take on an opponent of this caliber without thinking, you may end up losing (leaving food uneaten)
There is only one item that fits this description. It is the Yamanouchi Taishoken "ESP Special" at Ichinose Family Ski Resort in Shiga Kogen, Nagano Prefecture. As you may have guessed from the name, it is a collaboration menu with me (Espeyuki) ♪
This dish fulfilled my wish to "eat all the toppings" and "eat a satisfying amount." The soup is made a little thick with everything on top. This is because there is a lot of noodles, so it doesn't get too watered down, but since there are so many toppings that it's difficult to soak the noodles properly, it's just the right amount
The noodles weigh over 2kg! You have to hold the bowl with both hands to lift it. In fact, you might worry that the tray will break under the weight
Please watch the uncut video to see how he actually eats it all
If you think you can do it, try conquering Taishoken's large portion menu
At the end
What did you all think of this article? As you gain weight, the fresh snow spray will increase dramatically, so I recommend large portions to STEEP readers too (?). If there is a large portion menu item that you would like us to try, please let me know. I'll go and eat it!
We also introduce food from all over Japan on social media and YouTube, so if you're interested, please take a look. We're also looking forward to your recommendations for food from the top of the mountain!