Anybody and everybody who goes to Nozawa Onsen, Japan will inevitably stop at Haus St Anton Café, if not for their coffee, then for their hot steamed buns which they sell on the main street. Haus St. Anton is also a jam factory and a café and you can stay at their hotel also; and did I mention they have the best ice cream in town.
Oyaki from Haus St Anton Café
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Look for the distinctive wooden boxes with steam rising from them and a crowd of hungry skiers waiting patiently for their oyaki. The hot steamed buns, called oyaki are made on site. This is Japanese street food at its best, particularly after a day shredding the powder slopes that have made Nozawa Onsen internationally famous. They are the crowd-pleaser of the village, with Shimeji (mushroom) Oyaki, Pirikara, Apple, Azuki (red bean) Kabocha (sweet pumpkin) and each only 200 yen, about $2.00. The oyaki are all made in-house. You can even attend a cooking class and learn how to make these yourself.
Ginger tea, or hot ginger wine.
Order the ginger tea or hot ginger wine, which is full of aromatic herbs, and is perfect to soothe the throat.
Homemade Gelato in Winter?
For some odd reason, homemade gelato in winter works, even if the temperature says minus in front of it. Like everything at Haus St Anton Café, it is all home made.
Seriously Good Coffee
I guess there was no choice when so many Australians ski in Nozawa Onsen for somebody to step up to the plate and make good coffee. Actually, there are many great coffee shops in Nozawa, including St Anton Café, and the quirky Napa Café near the cooking onsen,
Jams at Haus St Anton Café
All the delicious jams are made on site. You can buy them or enjoy them on site.
Street Music
Most evenings there is street music out the front, from the guy who makes our coffee, serves us our oyaki, and is just pleasant to everyone, as the entire family and team are.
Stay at Haus St Anton
Haus St Anton is an Austrian style hotel owned by Mikio Katagiri, a two time former Olympian who is now the head coach for the Japanese National ski team. Cosy rooms are available as either Japanese tatami mat rooms to premium Western style rooms. Latest Trip Advisor Reviews and prices here.
Haus St Anton Café, Nozawa Onsen, Japan is well loved in town, and with good reason.
