Gunma Kayabuki-no-sato: Inn's "Kaiseki" Dinner

After Onsen, it's time for famous Japanese "Kaiseki" Dinner!

"Kaiseki" from Wiki

Kaiseki (懐石) or kaiseki-ryōri (懐石料理) is a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner. The term also refers to the collection of skills and techniques that allow the preparation of such meals, and is analogous to Western haute cuisine.

There are basically two kinds of traditional Japanese meal styles called kaiseki or kaiseki-ryōri. The first, where kaiseki is written as 会席 and kaiseki-ryōri as 会席料理, refers to a set menu of select food served on an individual tray (to each member of a gathering). The second, written as 懐石 and as 懐石料理, refers to the simple meal that the host of a chanoyu gathering serves to the guests before a ceremonial tea,[2] and is also known as cha-kaiseki (茶懐石).

This Inn's Kaiseki is  "会席".  :)

When we reached at the dinner venue, it was totally nostalgic...

Nostalgic Japanese dining area.

Chopsticks rest is dried fish!

It's a real one!

Grilling fish with nostalgic way.. 

Here comes a lot of dishes...

I thought they were going to grill fish in nostalgic method, but they put them in plate, so it will be cooked faster.. :)

It was really nice!

They said this fish was caught in the river near the inn. So, it's really fresh!

Grilling other stuffs.

After grilled food was all served, the staff started to keep the charcoal.

This hotpot was so nice!

Desert 1.

Desert 2.

This is another chopsticks rest come with the desert.

My son liked it a lot!

There are many nostalgic stuffs displayed there.

Food was nice.
And this place reminds me of the good old Japanese style which we, Japanese, tend to forget in modern life...

Nice place!


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Gunma Kayabuki-no-sato: Station Lunch Box

We finally got to the small Japanese cafeteria for lunch!

Inn stuff told us we can use this cafeteria to eat Station lunch box!
So, nice!

Here's inside of the cafeteria.

Very Japanese Traditional style!

This is called "Irori" - boiling water here.

This my son's "Shinkansen lunch box".

This is my "Torimeshi" - Chicken rice.

This is also like a museum.

This is a sort of ticket to exchange with room key.

This is called "Shukuhaku-tegata", which means pass for accomodation.

Old time in Japan, the pass called "Tsukou-Tegata" (traveling pass) is used to go to the other area. Just like a passport now.

Ekiben, Station Bento (Lunch box)

One item I'd like to recommend to try in Japan is "Ekiben" which means Station Bento (Lunch box).

I noticed that this is something unique and probably this is Japan special!

Well, it's just a lunch box, but there are many varieties and it's so colourful.
It's fun to look at it, and.. TASTY!

I didn't really like it when I was in Japan because it was cold and I didn't think it was tasty at that time.
But I think the quality improved a lot recently!

It's still cold for most of Ekiben, but it's nice!
I'm not sure if I feel it because I'm staying outside of Japan for a long time, but it's worth trying.


Here's Wiki explanation of "Ekiben".

Ekiben (駅弁) (railway boxed meals) are a specific type of bento boxed meals, sold on trains and train stations in Japan and Taiwan (鐵路便當). Today, many types of ekiben can still be purchased; at stands in the station, on the platform, or on the train itself. They come with disposable chopsticks (when necessary) or spoons. Ekiben containers can be made from plastic, wood, or ceramic. Many train stations have since become famous for their especially tasty ekiben, made from local food specialties. The "Golden Age" of ekiben, however, ended in the 1980s. At that time, air travel was quite expensive and trains were slower. Many tourists needed them during their train journeys.

Well, I actually didn't know there is Ekiben in Taiwan.  :p
Taiwan culture is pretty much similar to Japan because of past Japanese occupation for 50 years.
When I went to Taiwan for the first time from Singapore, I was surprised to see the town and it felt like I came back to hometown...
Well, except for the language, of course. :)

Anyway, back to Ekiben...

I had a lot of Ekiben during our Tohoku Trip...
It was the most I had Ekiben in my life in such a short period..

Here's what I had.

Hotate (Scallop) Bento

Seafood Bento

Makunouchi Bento

Tori (Chicken) Bento

Tohoku Marugoto Bento (all about Tohoku bento)

All are so nice!
Must try. :)

Sendai - Gyutan lunch (Ox tongue)

First place we visited in Sendai was Hillside Shops and Outlets.

It seems there is no English site, so this website has some info in English.

Obviously it's an outlet shops but we didn't come to shop.
We came to eat "Gyutan lunch"!
In fact, no time to shop here...

Here's the restaurant we had "Gyutan"!

Again I found a new thing here during this trip..

It seems "Gyutan" (Ox tangue) was originally from Sendai!

I didn't know that... (x.x)

From Wiki:

Gyūtan was created when Sano Keishirō, the owner of a yakitori restaurant in Sendai, opened a new restaurant that served cow tongue dishes in 1948. 

This is "Gyutan" lunch! 

Japanese whole grain rice.

Gyutan usually comes with whole grain rice.

...usually with grated Japanese yam too.

But this hope didn't provide grated Japanese yam, so only plain whole grain rice.

This is "Gyutan" - Ox tongue! 

It was a little thicker than I thought..

Also the taste is a little different from what I used to eat.

Because it was thicker, it was chewy to eat...

I noticed this restaurant provides the original "Gyutan" taste because Sendai is the origin of Gyutan!

I still prefer the current taste of Gyutan, which is "Tanshio" (salted Ox tongue).

Tansho is thinner and easier to eat. :)