「厨房観測＃３」～北海道・人気ホテルバイキングの厨房の裏側密着～

We got a behind-the-scenes look at Sapporo's wildly popular breakfast buffet! We observed the kitchen. Reservations are full for next month! Behind the Scenes of a Huge Breakfast Buffet Our setting for this episode is Vessel Inn Sapporo Nakajima Park, which is bustling with activity during Golden Week. This hotel's greatest pride is, without a doubt, its breakfast buffet. It's ranked highly for five consecutive years in a major travel site's "Best Breakfast Hotel Ranking," and even non-guests visit for this breakfast. It's so popular that reservations are booked until the end of May! The secret to "enthralling everyone"... We specially installed multiple cameras in the kitchen to observe the behind-the-scenes of this popular buffet! The work begins the night before. Staff: "Only tuna is served with two tongs." Tableware is prepared the night before. The next morning, 2:50 AM. Staff: "The total amount of rice we'll be using today is 12 sho, or 120 go." Staff: "Gas cookers are known for their ability to cook rice fluffy, and we cook it close to the time we'll be serving it, so we use freshly cooked, fluffy rice and prepare it in a way that goes well with the dishes." Staff: "I think we'll prepare about 140 slices today." We've prepared 140 slices of tamagoyaki, a breakfast staple. Staff: "This is Kuroge Wagyu beef from Tsukigata Town. It's a really good cut. It weighs 10 kilograms in total." Staff: "We have a live kitchen for breakfast, where we grill this meat on a hot plate and serve it to customers on the spot." The breakfast buffet offers about 80 different menu items! But there's no one in the kitchen to be the leader. Manager Fujisawa: "Our hotel does not have an executive chef, or what we call a chef, always in the kitchen." In fact, we purposely do not have a chef. Instead, we ensure that anyone can prepare high-quality dishes. The executive chef oversees the menu and teaches the "secrets of cooking" to employees! We have created a system that ensures that food is always served in perfect condition. Staff: "The salmon roe is about 10kg in total. We pour it over with alcohol-free sake." Staff: "Pouring sake over it gives the flavor depth and richness, and it has a refreshing lingering taste that makes it less heavy. It's the kind of device that makes you want to eat the salmon roe again and again." Next up is Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan is also carefully prepared. Staff: "We intentionally separate the vegetables from the meat." By adding the vegetables after frying the meat, the heat from the meat and vegetables keeps the vegetables crisp, allowing them to be served in the best possible condition. Staff: "This is pork bowl. I think we've got about 3 kilograms in total today." Because the meat is soft and crumbles easily, it's mixed gently by hand. They're careful to keep the pieces large and maintain their shape when they're served. 30 minutes before opening. The dishes are brought out in order of their completion. Customer: "I had a Kuroge Wagyu steak. It's so delicious. I can't believe it. It feels like I'm at a nice restaurant. I want to have seconds and seconds." Staff: "Can I help serve the food for a moment?" "Okay." Staff are constantly patrolling the dining area to ensure they never run out of stock. Customer: "It had absolutely no peculiar flavor, and each grain was sweet, so I could eat as much as I wanted." Customer: "It wasn't too heavy, which was great. There was no fishy smell. I had three bowls. The one at the hotel yesterday was too salty and ruined my meal, but this one was so delicious I had three." Customer: "I've never had a chance to eat Genghis Khan before...The meat was tender, but the vegetables were crunchy, and the balance was amazing." Customer: "It's different from the image of a typical hotel breakfast. It was the first breakfast I've ever thought was delicious." 260 people visited the restaurant that day! Apparently, they ate 10kg of salmon roe, 7kg of Genghis Khan, and over 3kg of pork bowl. [Vessel Inn Sapporo Nakajima Park Breakfast Buffet] Address: Minami 9-jo Nishi 4, Chuo-ku Price: (Non-guests) Adults: ¥3,200, Children under 12: ¥1,600, Infants: Free Hours: 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM (Last admission: 9:30 AM) *Please check the website for reservations *The content is based on information available at the time of broadcast (April 29, 2025)