Day 5: Kaiseki Dinner at Kokuya Ryokan

Previously:

Day 5: Shibu Onsen

By 6pm, we made ourself ready heading to the dining room in the ground floor.  At the front door, we were so impressed by seeing our name on the dining room board.  Small little attention to detail is so touching. 

Then the lady lead us to our private room and the waiter served the food one dish after another.  All together there are 13 courses dinner meal.




Persimmon and Apple with Grated Tofu Dressing

 

Assort of Appetizer
# York Mustard dressing of Kyoho Grape
# Assorted of deep fried food (The dead leaves which had drifted in the garden)
# Duck and onion with olive oil dressing
#Candied ayu
#Local salmon with yolk potato suhi
# Deep fried ears of rice




Sashimi - Sliced of red salmon and arai

Arai is the thing to make fresh slice of raw carp to wash in cold ice water and to have shrunk body.


Baked local chicken, matsutake-mushroom, prawn, sea bream and chestnut in pottery casserole




Soy bean milk Chawan-mushi

This Chawan mushi is a little special than the ordinary one, is a pot of steamed soybean milk with cheese and cashew nut.


Roasted miso flavour beef wrapped in leaf





Tofu of crab and chrysanthemum with ginger miso




Deep fried Nameko-mushrooms with grated yam




Variety of local mushrooms and vegetables with vinegary dressing





Zaru soba spices, wasabi, green onions, grated radish

 Soba-yu is the hot water that they got after boiling soba noodle.  They mentioned that after we finish soba noodle, we then should drink the soba yu, in addition to soba soup usually.


# Steamed rice - the new rice crop of the year
# Soup with conger pike and water shield
# vegetable pickles




Chestnut Parfait


We had a really high expectation in this kaiseki dinner, however, we left a little dissapointed by the end of the meal.  I gotta admit that their food decorations were absolutely stunning, a piece of art work in there.  But taste wise is hit and miss.  I understand that they want to let the produce itself to shine on the plate with freshness and clean taste.  Unfortunately, the dishes are lacking in flavours, although not all the dishes, some were quite good though like the assorted appetizer and miso beef.

However, their hospitality was certainly a top knot quality.  Very polite, friendly and prompt service.




Snow Monkey Cloudy Sake

 

Once we were back to our room.  The futon beds are nicely done for us.  Look very thick and soft.  We surely will have a good night sleep tonight.  Octie Appetie everyone and see you again tomorrow for more journey in this little town.

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:

Day 6: Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

Day 5: Shibu Onsen

Previously:
Day 5: Kokuya Ryokan, Shibu Onsen (Part 2)



Red bean manju



Shibu Onsen is a little peaceful town about 45 minutes from Nagano by train.  This place is far different from the hustling bustling Tokyo, in here the town only have roughly couple thousands people and very famous with their public baths and also visiting Snow Monkey Park is highly recommended if you stay here. 



One of the temple in town






Curry restaurant

  

Irori Fireplace

 

Omoshiroya Yugijo (shooting gallery and cork guns)





Tiny laneway with cobblestone street

Spend some relaxing time strolling around the tiny laneway in this town is amust.  With wearing kimono and Geta, absorbing the authentic Japanese atmosphere and old architectures.  Feel really romantic and indulgent in the charms and nostalgic of this town.

There are 9 public baths in Shibu Onsen town and they are free for you to use if you stay in one of the Ryokan in Shibu Onsen and more privilegely you still can have an access to public bath at night.  Otherwise, if you don't stay here overnight, you can buy the ticket for public baths from the information centre.



Public Bath





Foot bath


 

Loving this moment


  
Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:
Day 5: Kaiseki Dinner at Kokuya Ryokan

Day 5: Kokuya Ryokan, Shibu Onsen (Part 2)

Previously:
Day 5: Kokuya Ryokan, Shibu Onsen (Part 1)



Kokuya Ryokan

 


Soft boiled egg cooked in onsen (Onsen Tamago)

Definitely gotta try this onsen tamago, they just right in front of Kokuya Ryokan.  The egg is slowly cooked in the water from onsen (hot spring).




Wooden Geta





Free internet



There are 8 hot spring baths inside ryokan with 2 of them are for private use.  The bath room is separated between male and female use and it then gets swapped at 9pm.  The bath is differed by 3 different colour curtain, red for ladies, blue for men and green for private use.  These are the photos of their hot spring baths.





Natural Hot Spring

  
Kokuya Ryokan, Shibu Onsen
Shibu onsen street, Yamanouchi town Shimotakai-gun
Ph: 0269-33-2511


Stay tuned for the next blog still in Japan:
Day 5: Shibu Onsen