August 02, 2024
Elezo Esprit
Meat-based culinary community carries on Tokachi’s pioneer spirit
From among the 10 Destination Restaurants 2024 honorees, Elezo Esprit was chosen as the Destination Restaurant of the Year 2024. Located in Toyokorocho in Hokkaido’s
Nakagawa district, the area lies at the mouth of the Tokachi River, and the small hill on which the restaurant is situated faces the Pacific Ocean.
Elezo Esprit’s owner-chef, Shota Sasaki, gained experience in French cuisine at a Hoshino Resort restaurant in Karuizawa and Bistro de la Cite in Tokyo. In 2004, he returned to Obihiro, where he helped out at his family’s cafe-restaurant. In 2005, he established the business Elezo for meat processing and distribution in Obihiro, his hometown. At first he focused entirely on processing wild game obtained from hunters and selling the meat. establishing strict rules for the handling of game animals, including specific hunting methods and the time needed to transport animals after hunting. For this, the meat produced by Elezo gained popularity.
In 2009 Sasaki moved his activity base to Otsu in Toyokorocho. There he built a comprehensive meat-processing laboratory on a 14-hectare site. Through unique methods, Sasaki is creating a new meat-based culinary culture. In 2022, Sasaki opened Elezo Esprit, an inn-style hotel made up of three accommodation buildings. The main dining room has six counter seats. The restaurant, which offers a course menu for ¥28,000 ($185), is open to hotel guests and nonguests alike, but overnight guests currently make up 90% of its customers. Meats made on the premises, including assorted charcuterie, roasted pastured pork and venison fillets, are presented in simple and refined ways. Meat dishes of equivalent quality can be enjoyed at an Elezo Group restaurant located in Toranomon, Tokyo. But the cuisine experienced here is truly the taste of life itself. “We mustn’t waste a single drop of blood,” Sasaki said.
Address
Elezo Esprit
127 Otsu, Toyokorocho, Nakagawa-gun, Hokkaido
https://esprit.elezo.com
Naomichi Suzuki
Governor of Hokkaido
As the governor of my home region of Hokkaido, I am very happy to announce that Elezo Esprit has been selected as the winner of the Destination Restaurant of the Year 2024 list.
Elezo Esprit is located in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region, where you can enjoy the bounty of life and wonderful cuisine in magnificent natural settings near the vast Pacific Ocean.
We invite you to come to Hokkaido and experience the unique attractions that only this region has to offer.
Takeshi Anda
Mayor of TOYOKOROCHO
I would like to congratulate Elezo Esprit’s owner-chef, Shota Sasaki, on this prestigious award. I am convinced that his belief that food should reflect the background of the region and its industries has achieved this result.
On behalf of the town of Toyokorocho, we would like to thank him for his contribution to the community by providing special dishes to the elementary and junior high schools every year, and we hope that his beliefs and activities will continue to develop the community. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors.
