Back in Singapore, chef Willin Low — regarded as the founder of mod Sin cuisine, and owner of the now-defunct Wild Rocket (he still operates casual restaurant chain Relish) — has a team of 30 staff working under him. But these days, Willin does almost everything himself at his month-old café-bar Roketto, located at The Maples Niseko, a new ski resort in Hokkaido within the bustling Hirafu Village. The man has been there since December 2018. “I clean the toilets, wash dishes, clear the trash, cut onions, scrub the kitchen floors, cook staff meals and shovel snow daily,” shares the affable 47-year-old. Roketto, a Japanese iteration of the name Wild Rocket, is the "younger sister" eatery of the latter. The casual diner serves Japanese-inflected mod Singaporean cuisine that’s perfect comfort food to enjoy after a morning out on the chilly slopes.
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1/161/16Why open a restaurant in Niseko? -
2/162/16A typical day in Willin’s life now: it starts with shovelling snow -
3/163/16Next, he preps food, clears tables and washes the dishes -
4/164/16He even shaved his head -
5/165/16But he has no regrets -
6/166/16The eatery's look and vibe -
7/167/16The menu -
8/168/16He gets creative with local ingredients, making sambal with miso and kelp -
9/169/16Bak Kut Teh Ramen, ¥1,389 (S$17.05) -
10/1610/16Bak Chor Mee Mazesoba, ¥1,389 (S$17.05) -
11/1611/16Laksa Udon, ¥1,389 (S$17.05) -
12/1612/16He has to take a two-hour drive to Sapporo to buy coconut milk for his laksa -
13/1613/16Ume Martini -
14/1614/16Mochi Chwee Kueh -
15/1615/16Plans to collaborate with famous Hokkaido dessert brand Milk Kobo -
16/1616/16The details