Gifts of the North: Furano A Chef and Maître d'hôtel

Unique flavors from Hokkaido

2022

Documentary

In 2016, a famous French restaurant in Tokyo closed its doors. The chef Otsuka Kenichi and his wife Keiko fell in love with the rich local foods in Hokkaido and relocated to Furano city. They collaborate with local producers to make attractive dishes that you could have nowhere else. Unique dishes with local ingredients, such as freshly harvested asparagus and corns, oysters and scallops, also melons and haskaps. Beautiful 4K footage captures the nature of Hokkaido and the colorful cuisine.

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Production

NHK WORLD-JAPAN, NHK

Language

Status

Ended

First Aired

August 20, 2022

Last Aired

February 4, 2023

Where to Watch

Region US · Lang EN

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Seasons & Episodes

Select a season to view episodes. Reddit links may contain spoilers.

Season

Part1: Spring and Summer

Air date: 2022-08-20

Leaving a popular Tokyo restaurant, Otsuka Kenichi and his wife Keiko relocated to Hokkaido Prefecture six years ago. There, they offer enticing, unique dishes with local flavors found nowhere else.

Part2: Autumn and Winter

Air date: 2023-02-04

Chef Otsuka Kenichi creates new seasonal specialties for autumn. The specialty is venison caught by a local hunter. Garnishes include giant shallots, potatoes, cauliflowers, and log shiitake mushrooms. The main dishes are seafood such as sardines and oysters. They work with locals to source delicious ingredients even in the harshness of the northern winter.