"Sanzen-in no Sato" in Kyoto is located in Ichijoji, Kyoto, where the hostess welcomes you with a smile and serves delicious home-style dishes. The restaurant is known for its tasty obanzai dishes. The most popular item is the "Sanzen-in no Sato/Manoir" collaboration, which offers a combination of Japanese and Western-style osechi dishes in a two-tiered box for 10,800 yen each. The first tier includes colorful Japanese-style osechi dishes from Sanzen-in no Sato, featuring essential items like shrimp, black beans, tamagoyaki, and rolled kombu, as well as abalone, ikura, and pickled plum and carrots for a festive touch. The second tier consists of Western-style dishes, perfect for children, young adults, and those who enjoy wine or alcohol. The dishes are elegantly presented to add a festive touch to the New Year celebration. It was a great way to enjoy delicious Japanese cuisine at an affordable price. Looks like it's going to be a good year ahead!

I visited a new restaurant in the neighborhood with a nice and calm exterior. The interior had a counter and table seating, with a cozy atmosphere created by dim lighting. The menu was a bit limited for an izakaya, but with the daily recommendations included, it was decent. We ordered sake, assorted oden, pumpkin salad, curry hot pot, dried horse mackerel, and a large bowl of rice for two people, which came to just under 3,000 yen. The portion sizes were a bit small, but each dish was carefully made, giving off a homely rather than upscale dining feel. The restaurant was run by a female owner and an older lady (perhaps her mother), who were efficiently serving customers, including an older male patron who seemed familiar to them. When I asked on the way out, I learned that this restaurant near Ohara-Mon is the main branch, and they close during the winter season. A few years ago, they used to run a ryokan in that location. The food was not outstandingly delicious, but the warm and cozy atmosphere of the restaurant made the experience enjoyable. In an area with many ramen shops catering to students, it's nice to have a reasonably priced place where you can relax while eating. If they offered casual set meals or non-alcoholic options for dinner, it would be even more accessible and appealing.

This year, I ordered the "Japanese individual dishes and Western-style appetizers" New Year's dishes from Kyoto Sanzenin no Sato and Manoir. Sanzenin no Sato is a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto that offers traditional Kyoto dishes and grilled fish. Manoir is an Italian cafe located in Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto. The "Japanese individual dishes and Western-style appetizers" can be purchased at department stores or online. It includes approximately 51 items for about 2 people, delivered refrigerated with a tiered box consisting of 2 Japanese-style dishes and 1 Western-style appetizer. The price is around 55,000 yen with the hometown tax system, or slightly under 17,000 yen when ordered from department stores. This product is popular and has received mostly positive reviews on blogs and various review platforms. The key points of its popularity are the mix of Japanese, Western, and Chinese appetizers, the individual serving style of the Japanese dishes, and most importantly, the delicate Kyoto-style seasoning that enhances the flavors. The Japanese dishes include grilled squid, Saikyo-style grilled Spanish mackerel, simmered octopus, sweetened wheat gluten, rolled omelet, candied persimmons, rice cakes with tea leaves, simmered burdock root, candied kumquats, marinated salmon roe with gold leaf, mashed sweet potatoes, candied chestnuts, Kyoto confectionery Azuki beans, simmered bamboo shoots, simmered shiitake mushrooms, simmered rape blossoms, simmered konjac with edible flowers, simmered scallop skewers, simmered prawns, seasoned herring roe, bite-sized rolled kelp, pickled herring, and pickled mushrooms. The Western and Chinese-style appetizers include Kyoto confectionery Azuki bean mochi, dried apricots, marinated mushrooms, smoked duck, Morino Dashi Olive, white pastrami, bologna sausage, sesame dumplings, candied cashew nuts, roasted pork, spicy pickled cucumbers, olive oil sautéed shiitake mushrooms, Morino Senmaizuke smoked salmon trout two-color roll, beef stew, Kyoto Kameoka black beef roast beef with beans and demiglace sauce, beef with sauce, shrimp chili sauce, Chinese jellyfish, Chinese wakame seaweed, checkerboard cheese with pumpkin mousse, green olives, cheddar shrimp salad, smoked scallops with strings, caponata, simmered Kyoto Tanba black oyster mushrooms, Yamamoto Corporation's Tanba black chicken charcoal-grilled, pork simmered in soy sauce, mustard cabbage and kelp pickles, and meatballs. It was a satisfying New Year's feast once again.

This year's Osechi was from "Sanzenin no Sato." Oh, I accidentally disposed of the menu! Each dish was delicious! The roast beef came with a separate sauce. The Osechi dishes were served in a paulownia box. The first tier had meat dishes like roast beef and duck roast. The second tier, divided into two parts, contained chestnut paste, shrimp, octopus stew, salmon roe, and more. Since it was divided, it was easy to eat without reaching out. Thank you for the feast.