The perfect taste this winter! Popular ski resort dining options when on the slopes!

April 08, 2021
In addition to having a blast skiing and snowboarding, Japan’s ski resorts offer a full buffet of dining options available right on the slopes! Each ski resort offers unique restaurant options and special menu items, making each dining experience something special. However, without knowing what menu options are available in advance, you may find yourself furrowing your brows when it comes to choosing what to eat. With this in mind, we have chosen to shine a spotlight on seven menu options that are particularly popular at Japan’s ski resorts! Keep a lookout for these when next grabbing a bite to eat on the slopes.

Piping hot ramen to warm up a frigid body

Ramen noodles
Hot ramen remains an ever-popular menu option for those braving the chilly slopes. The piping hot soup combines with al-dente noodles to form this exquisite dish.

Anyone who spends two to three hours up on the slopes is bound to want to chow down on something warm. Drinking piping hot soup on the cold slopes instantly warms up a body that has been frozen stiff.

This is also a typical Japanese dish, making for a wide variety in flavors and ingredients unique to each slope. This delectable mainstay is something not to be missed for anyone visiting Japan!

Rice bowl dishes perfect for those looking to fill an empty stomach

Oyakodon
Rice bowl dishes (donburi) have ingredients lavishly spread across a bristling warm bowl of rice. This voluminous dish is sure to fill even the emptiest of stomachs!

What also sets rice bowl options apart is the sheer variety of ingredients and preparation styles on offer, including oyakodon, katsudon, gyudon, butadon, and tendon. Easy to eat and offered at reasonable prices, this slope menu item is extremely popular among active skiers looking to quickly finish off their lunch and head back to the slopes!

Oshiruko - a traditional dessert that is an old favorite

Oshiruko
Oshiruko is a traditional dessert where rice cakes or rice-flour dumplings are added to warmly boiled sweet red bean soup.

As it is not exactly a contemporary-style dessert, it’s mainly offered at Japanese sweet stores and old Japanese restaurants around town. However, oshiruko makes for quite the popular dish on the cold slopes of a ski resort. This classic sweet is an overwhelming favorite of ski-goers both young and old, male and female, looking for something to warm them up!

The famous curry rice - a staple slope dish

Curry rice
Ever-popular, especially among the younger generation, curry rice is a staple favorite at any ski resort. This simple choice offers the complete package in a single dish, with a delicious taste to boot! Easy to eat, this is a popular choice when looking to get in and out during crowded times.

The wide range of toppings available vary from ski resort to ski resort, and tasting famed curry rice dishes unique to the slope you’re heading to is an experience not to be missed. This popular dish sits high atop the favorite slope dish rankings, no matter the age group!

The versatile pizza, perfect for dining alone and in groups

Pizza
Pizzas boasting a piping hot pizza base with creamy melted cheese on top remain a standout favorite for large groups of skiers!

Ski resorts with large food courts often offer pizzerias serving up genuine Italian pizzas. Many stores offer small-size pizzas for those dining alone, making pizza a highly versatile dining option, regardless of group size.

Cup ice cream
While some may recoil in shock from the thought of eating ice cream at a freezing cold ski resort, the ice-cold ice cream offered at ski resorts can be a surprisingly delectable delight!

Ice cream remains a steadfast favorite among the younger generation, with many proclaiming the sheer delight of having an ice cream against the magnificent backdrop of a ski resort. For those whose body has turned frigid with cold, sitting back and slowly enjoying an ice cream in a heated rest area may not be so bad after all.

Hot drumstick chicken you can stick your teeth into

Drumstick chicken and French fries
Steaming hot drumstick chicken is an especially popular snack up atop the slopes.

The recent popularization of KFC and other standout fast food chain stores has brought easy-to-eat, succulent meat snacks to the masses! This light, yet voluminous snack is the ideal treat when on the slopes!

Watch that your mouth doesn’t leave an oily gleam after your meal.

The slopes are packed with delicious dining options on offer!

So that about does it for this roundup of popular dishes worth a try when you next hit the freezing slopes!

If you’ve made it all the way to the slopes, don’t just stop at skiing and snowboarding, try out the wide variety of dining options available as well!

Pricing information and schedule may not be up to date and are subject to change without notice. Please check before your trip.