The set menu now comes with a mini salmon roe bowl instead of rice starting this year.

After exercising, it's time for protein loading. The menu has changed significantly from last year. I visited twice during my stay. The first time I had a set menu, and the last day I ordered a la carte. The set menu no longer includes a bowl of rice and dessert. Instead, there is a variety of grilled meat options. For the main dish, you can choose between a bowl of rice with minced Japanese beef or a bowl of rice with premium fatty tuna. On the a la carte menu, there are various options of Shiraoi beef that were introduced this year. The raw lamb is a good deal at 80g for 500 yen. I chose the raw lamb, Shiraoi beef, and Texel lamb. The meat had a fine texture and a distinct lamb flavor without any unpleasant smell. The price was 5-6 times higher than the lamb, but this is something you can't eat on the mainland, right? For dessert, I had a chocolate parfait, which helped me finish my healthy dinner at Rusutsu Resort.

We visited the annual barbecue at Rusutsu, as usual. Although it is a barbecue restaurant, the specialty here is Genghis Khan (grilled lamb). They offer all-you-can-eat Genghis Khan sets as well. We ordered the course set for two people called "Yezo Mountain Set". It includes kimchi and rice, so it's a complete meal in itself. The kids were exhausted and we predicted they would fall asleep before finishing their meal, so we ordered three portions for two people to avoid wasting food. Last year, two portions of the Yezo Mountain Set were enough for us. The kids were energetic until the food arrived, but once they started eating their favorite pork, they gradually got sleepy and ended up falling asleep halfway through the meal. The most delicious dish was the Rusutsu Pork Genghis Khan, which was not too strong in flavor, making it suitable for children as well. Since the kids were asleep, only the adults finished their meal quietly. Carrying a sleeping child back to the room after a meal is quite challenging.

On the second night at Rusutsu Resort, after a full day of skiing, even my energetic brother was feeling exhausted. However, he was still full of energy and excitement. For dinner, we decided to dine at Lamp House, the Genghis Khan and Yakiniku restaurant at Rusutsu Resort. We had to walk a bit from the South entrance, and upon arrival, we were lucky to find some available tables. We quickly ordered the "Yotei Mountain Set" which included Rusutsu Highland Pork loin, Nametoko chicken thigh, raw lamb meat, grilled vegetables, scallop soup, kimchi, and rice. We also ordered the "Hokkaido Beef Rib Roast" and "Rusutsu Highland Pork loin" a la carte. The food was served promptly, and my brother, a fan of pork, quickly devoured the delicious pork loin. The overall impression of the meat was average, with the Hokkaido Beef Rib Roast being a bit tough. The atmosphere of the restaurant was pleasant, and the staff were efficient. In terms of cost-performance, ordering the set menu was more affordable compared to last year. Overall, having a barbecue at a ski resort is a great experience.

During this stay, I had dinner at Lamp House twice. Even though it was the same 3 servings, the presentation was different each time. The Texel lamb meat that was available last season has disappeared. So this time, I ordered the Suffolk lamb as well. The subtle scent of lamb at the end was delightful. In the past, Lamp House stood out as a separate Genghis Khan house in a different location. The set menu at that time was impressive with an overwhelming amount of food, including shrimp and scallops. Since last season, the location has changed, and the menu no longer includes seafood, becoming more compact. With the current set menu, extra meat is a must. While it's not raw lamb, you can enjoy regular lamb for under 500 yen for 80g. There is only one type of sauce available. My daughter wanted to try something unique, so she compared the high-grade Texel lamb with regular lamb. The Texel lamb was from the Rusutsu Ranch and had a chewy texture, but at over 1500 yen for 80g, it might not be worth the adventure. There was also the famous Suffolk lamb available for over 1500 yen. There are even all-you-can-eat lamb options, so those craving Genghis Khan should definitely consider visiting. Compared to the previous location, the ventilation has improved, and the LP gas cylinder is no longer visible, making it more modern.

In the vicinity of Rusutsu Resort, I was undecided on what to eat and ended up choosing a casual and easy option - yakiniku. It was conveniently located right after getting off the monorail. Depending on the time, there was about a 30-minute wait, but they guided us patiently. The yakiniku was decent for the resort price, and overall satisfied me. The lamb was quite smelly, and the beef was thin (lol), but the chicken, pork, lettuce wraps, and pickles were all good. The scallop soup was sweet, and the small scallops were cute. The atmosphere was cozy, and the drinks were delicious. I think it's a recommended place even for groups.

On the first night of the ski trip, we had a buffet dinner at the hotel and enjoyed various dishes including crab. However, we felt that consecutive buffet meals at resort hotels can be a bit bland, so on the second night, we opted for a Mongolian barbecue restaurant within the hotel. We ordered the Lamb House Set for two people, along with drinks, rice, and other side dishes. The set included lamb, chicken, pork, and beef, as well as sausages, vegetables, scallop soup, kimchi, and dessert, making it a great value for the variety of meats included. The meats were of good quality, with brands such as Shiretoko Black Wagyu, Rusutsu Highland Pork, and Umoto Chicken. The lamb meat, in particular, was delicious without any strong flavors. The children in our group enjoyed the meal as well, but they ended up falling asleep before finishing their food, as they were quite tired from skiing all day. The Mongolian barbecue was tasty, with the meats being well-prepared and not too fatty. Overall, the restaurant had a cozy atmosphere with friendly staff who provided excellent service. The total bill came to 12,000 yen, which we felt was reasonable for a ski resort restaurant. In conclusion, dining on Mongolian barbecue at a ski resort was a nice change of pace, and we enjoyed the variety of meats offered in the Lamb House Set.

When you come to Hokkaido, you have to try Jingisukan~♪ So, we went to Lamp House located inside the Rusutsu Resort Hotel where we were staying. We were a group of over 10 people and wanted to sit close to each other, so we arrived before the opening time to wait in line. While waiting, we carefully checked the menu list on the exterior wall. Although we could have chosen individual items, we all agreed to go for the "Jingisukan All-You-Can-Eat for 60 minutes (3240 yen)". Once seated after the opening, we all ordered the all-you-can-eat set and our favorite drinks to enjoy. There weren't many people lining up besides us, and the restaurant was quite spacious, so it didn't seem crowded at all. However, after we entered, more and more customers started coming in. The seats quickly filled up. The staff all seemed to be part-time workers, some even looked like exchange students and they were all young. Despite being quite young, their service was a bit slow and disorganized during the busy dinner time, which was disappointing. While everyone else ordered draft beer, I ordered oolong tea, which took quite a while to arrive. By the time my oolong tea finally arrived, the foam on the draft beer had disappeared, and I was a bit concerned. After about 20 minutes of waiting, I asked about my oolong tea, only to be told that it was out of stock and they were currently arranging (shopping for?) it. It would have been better if they had informed me earlier so I could have ordered something else. And they didn't even apologize for the inconvenience. This was the disappointing part! The food was delicious and we had a good time eating, but it left me with a slightly awkward memory. By the way, when you order one serving of green pepper or pumpkin, they come as one piece each. This was the first time I had seen this, and it was interesting.

When I come to Rusutsu, I always go here! I don't even know how many times I've been here, haha. Since the old lodge days... I still feel like the Genghis Khan here is the most delicious. The beer and meat after snowboarding are irresistibly delicious, maybe that's why. It's always crowded, so I recommend going right when they open!