We went to Yame City for one night and two days with a companion~① For lunch on the first day, we visited this café located inside the "Tea Culture Museum" in the famous tea-producing area of Yame City, Hoshino Village, which is ranked 6th in the country for tea. The café offers a variety of meal options as well as dessert menus. I ordered the "Gyokuro Curry" and my companion ordered the "Tea Soba Set." The Gyokuro Curry had a rich curry flavor with a hint of tea, while the Tea Soba was light and lacked a strong tea aroma. Both dishes seemed to be items that are also sold in the souvenir shop, which made us question the price. After trying the "Stone Mill Matcha Grinding Experience" for 500 yen, we headed to the Yabeno Mori at Okuyame Bettei.

The other day, I stayed at the Star Cultural Museum in Hoshino Village (*^▽^*). At night, there was a starry sky explanation by the staff and we got to do some stargazing with a large telescope, which was very exciting♪ The next day for lunch, my friend and I visited Yame Chabo, a restaurant located in the Tea Culture Museum on the way to the Star Cultural Museum. The restaurant had tables and tatami seating, and the view from the high location was amazing with a mix of green and red colors this time of year. I ordered warm tea soba (700 yen) and a matcha parfait (800 yen) since we were in Yame known for its tea. The restaurant seemed to be run by 1-2 people, so the service was a bit slow, but the tea soba arrived beautifully with its vibrant green color and gentle tea aroma. The soba had a subtle tea flavor that paired well with the broth. The matcha parfait had a refreshing and crunchy texture with a rich and elegant bitterness when it melted in your mouth. The combination of red bean, cream, and cornflakes at the bottom was delightful. With these two dishes, I was full and satisfied. The restaurant was quiet, allowing us to enjoy the delicious food and the beautiful view in a relaxing atmosphere. When feeling tired of the hustle and bustle of the city, it's nice to spend time in such places...♪( ´▽｀) I would love to visit again, including the Star Cultural Museum. ★

This is a cafe restaurant located inside the Tea Culture Museum in Hoshino Village. On this day, my wife and I had a day off together, so we decided to drive to Kuroki Town to see the wisteria. However, it seems that the wisteria bloomed about 10 days earlier than usual this year, so the flowers had already fallen. We then decided to drive to Hoshino Village to check on a tree that my daughter and I planted 20 years ago as part of a project by the Junior Chamber International. After confirming that the tree had grown beautifully, we decided to have lunch. We had lunch at this place, which is located inside the Tea Culture Museum nearby. It used to be called "Hoshino Charyo," but it seems to have been renovated. The restaurant was almost full due to the holiday lunchtime, but fortunately there was a vacant counter seat by the window, so we enjoyed our meal while admiring the view. The menu featured dishes made with tea, such as Gyokuro curry and tea tempura rice bowl, but I couldn't resist choosing my favorite, the tea soba set. The tea soba set was priced at 1,100 yen. The rice in the tea soba set was tea rice, made with hojicha tea, in line with the Tea Culture Museum theme. There was tea salt on the table, so I sprinkled a little on my meal. There were two small side dishes, the first was simmered fish, which I found to be a bit bland. The other side dish was made with local mountain vegetables. The tea soba had a firm texture and a delightful tea flavor. The restaurant is located at the back of the Tea Culture Museum in Hoshino Village. Yame Tea Ryokan Address: 10816-5 Hoshino Village, Yame City Phone: 0943-52-3003 Business hours: 11:00-14:30 (last order) Closed on Tuesdays

I was taken to Hoshino Village and had lunch at Hoshino Charyo. I was excited to try their creative Japanese meal using tea. If you only have a meal, the entrance fee is free, so we entered the building and were guided to the entrance of the restaurant after informing the staff of our group size. The interior of the building was spacious with glass walls offering a great view. We were seated at a table as I was wearing formal shoes. They served us warm tea and handed us the menu. We ordered the tea soba set for 800 yen. The soba had a beautiful tea color and came with simmered vegetables, side dishes, onigiri, and pickles. The portion was generous, and the presentation was lovely. The soba had a good texture, the side dishes were delicious, and we even enjoyed trying the tea salt provided. Although there were no hand towels and the staff seemed a bit lacking in energy, we still had a great time enjoying the amazing view, tasty food, and unique experience that traveling brings.

I had seen the Tea Culture Museum before so I skipped it and headed to the "Hoshino Charyo" at the back. For those who want to visit the Culture Museum, an entrance fee (¥500 including a cup of drop tea or matcha with seasonal Japanese sweets) is required. If you only want to use the tea house, no entrance fee is required. I ordered: - Matcha Ice Cream: It has a perfect bitterness and smooth texture that matcha lovers will enjoy. - Kuzumochi: It was not transparent but white and did not have a gritty texture. It is served with black honey and matcha soybean flour. - Cold Matcha Moon-viewing Zenzai: It contains cold matcha with shiratama, vanilla ice cream, and red beans. It has a moderate sweetness and is refreshing. Unfortunately, the matcha parfait was sold out this time. I recommend the matcha ice cream and zenzai. I am from Fukuoka, so I may be a little biased, but I think Hoshino's matcha is very delicious compared to Uji and Nishio matcha. There are also many matcha, tea, and matcha sweets sold at the entrance of the Culture Museum, which I think would make good souvenirs.

Throughout the year, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery in Hoshino Village, which is lush and vibrant during the fresh green season. In winter, the snow-covered mountains provide a serene escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, although driving can be tricky. A popular dish to try is the tea soba set, which includes tea soba noodles, simmered dish, pickles, and rice balls, all in generous portions. The simmered dish is delicious with just the right amount of seasoning. The restaurant offers both tatami and table seating, with the tatami area exuding a traditional Japanese atmosphere that complements the soba well. Additionally, the desserts here are also delicious, especially the rich matcha ice cream.

We visited the Tea Culture Museum with our family of three. After having lunch, we wanted to have tea, so we paid for the entrance tickets (500 yen with tea included) and headed to the restaurant at the end. The restaurant had large glass windows with a great view. Since we were the only customers, we chose the seat with the best view. We ordered one set of tea soba (800 yen) and two individual servings of tea soba (400 yen each). We also ordered one matcha ice cream (300 yen). Unfortunately, the tea soba was disappointing. It's better to enjoy the view rather than the food here. We received a discount on our bill since we had entrance tickets, which was a relief as my wife was not very happy. Afterward, we explored the museum and enjoyed some authentic tea. Thank you for the meal.