I enjoyed a luxurious bar experience at this famous traditional Japanese inn. I had a warm conger eel soup dish along with cold beer and plum wine soda. The close conversations at the counter were pleasant, and I was able to head out into the night feeling good.

The day before, we stayed up late drinking at the counter. We had requested breakfast at 8:30, and it was brought to our room. Even though I was hungover, I was so grateful for the lovely breakfast being delivered to our room that I decided to eat in my yukata. Despite not usually eating breakfast, the dishes lifted our spirits. The freshly cooked shiny rice was served in a wooden rice tub. I usually prefer my fried eggs runny, but the firm fried egg was delicious. The vegetable-focused Japanese cuisine was meticulously prepared, making me feel grateful to be Japanese. My husband, who particularly loves this type of cuisine, must have felt happy at the breakfast table. The rice was so delicious that I asked for seconds. The dessert was golden kiwi and orange, I think? Embarrassingly, as soon as we finished eating, the hangover and sleepiness hit me, and I fell asleep until just before check-out at 11:03. My husband had to wake me up multiple times before I finally got out of bed. We were escorted to the door by Mr. Izutsu, but I felt guilty for keeping him up late drinking. I also realized that the beer and wine we had brought as snacks during our drinking session were not included in the bill, making me nervous about being banned from returning. However, it seems like we weren't banned, so I sent an apology and thanks to Mr. Izutsu online, and hope to visit again for more delicious food. Thank you to Mr. Izutsu and all the staff at the inn for a truly memorable experience. For more details, please refer to my blog [こころまの「ま」] https://ameblo.jp/39lohas/entry-12614077361.html

Admired traditional ryokan, Mr. Izutsu Yasushi, is highly regarded for his cooking, and we excitedly made our way from our room to the counter seats at 7:00 pm. Since it was a private booking that day, we had the luxurious situation of having Mr. Izutsu all to ourselves, almost feeling like it was too extravagant. The beautiful ikebana displayed in the counter area was created by a well-known master of the art of flower arrangement. The soft lighting was beautiful and helped to calm our hearts. We had already enjoyed three glasses of draft beer before arriving at this place, so we decided to start with sake. We were allowed to choose our sake cups from a variety of options and left the sake selection up to Mr. Izutsu, who would bring out the appropriate ones with each dish. The first dish was a calligraphy piece by Mr. Izutsu's wife, with the phrase "Somin shorai no shison nari" written on it. It tells the story of how Somin shorai offered a meal made of millet to the deity Susano-no-mikoto when he traveled to the southern sea, and in return, Susano-no-mikoto promised that those who carried a talisman with the phrase on it would be protected from epidemics. It was a phrase that evoked both Kyoto and the presence of epidemics. We took the calligraphy piece home as our amulet. Beneath the calligraphy piece was the first dish, which paired perfectly with the sake. We were definitely sake thieves from the first dish. The next dish featured "anago," a summer delicacy in Kyoto. We were thrilled to hear the sound of the bones being cut right in front of us. The dish was finished with a mist sprayed into the bowl to signify that it was a safe vessel that no one had touched. The delicate broth, the plump and fatty anago with plum paste, winter melon, and a generous serving of junsai, all served in a beautiful bowl, made for a delightful combination. The next dish was a sashimi platter. The sashimi was served on a bed of finely shaved ice with lotus stems, hirame, isaki, and kamatsuo. The lotus stem was a surprising addition and could be eaten as well. The dish was accompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, salt, and sudachi. Of course, the sake continued to flow with each dish. The following dish featured red grilled pepper, shrimp tempura, and anago, if I remember correctly. The vibrant red against the green maple leaves was stunning. The dish was followed by a cold simmered dish with somen noodles, pumpkin, and eggplant. The black lacquered paper bowl was surprisingly light. The finale was a clay pot rice dish with ayu fish and grains of sansho pepper. The ayu fish was carefully mixed with the rice before serving, and it was a truly satisfying end to the meal. The dish was accompanied by red miso soup, shredded mountain pepper, and pickles. We couldn't resist having seconds of this delicious dish. The dessert consisted of two types of sweets - a refreshing citrus ice confection and high-quality yokan. If time and stomach allowed, we would have loved to go for another round. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to have Mr. Izutsu Yasushi all to ourselves. Thank you for the wonderful hospitality and the fantastic dinner experience.

I had the summer Matsukado bento box ^_^ The Matsukado bento box includes a variety of dishes such as hassun, simmered dishes, sashimi, and grilled items. They also prepare a soup dish in front of you and serve freshly cooked rice in a clay pot. A summer tradition, pike conger, was served as sashimi. It was boneless and had a unique flavor and texture that made me involuntarily exclaim in delight. The soup dish featured bone-cut pike conger and winter melon. The main dish was white shrimp cooked rice, which was irresistible for shrimp lovers! Chef Yasuyasu Izutsu incorporates new and rare ingredients into traditional Kyoto cuisine, providing a delightful surprise. Lastly, the dessert was as delicious as those from a pastry shop! It was a truly blissful experience from start to finish ^_^

I will also stop by my parents' home in Kyoto. I will take my mother to a 1 night 2 meal package at a ryokan near Nishi Honganji Temple. However, during the Lunar New Year period, ryokans in Arashiyama and Gion are in peak season, so they are more expensive compared to the off-peak season. Only ryokans in the 40,000 yen per night range are available, thanks to the power of Chinese money. I searched accommodation sites and found a 24,300 yen per night ryokan, a traditional Kyoto townhouse built during the Tenpo era. It has been renovated in a modern way, making it easy to enjoy the current lifestyle without any stress. We were welcomed with a traditional Japanese tea and tea snacks instead of a welcome tea. The room had an iPad for guests to use freely. The bath had a skylight and a window with natural light, and it could be locked from the inside to become a private bath, which could also be used as a family bath. We started with a drink at the bar counter-like space, toasting with beers and chilled sake. The sake set included "Shichihonyari" (Tomita Sake Brewery, Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture) with a comparison of Junmai 14% sake, Junmai Daiginjo Watase Fire, and Junmai Goei. The Junmai Daiginjo was the most delicious, with a rich umami flavor. The appetizer, soup, and side dish were all very good, but the following two dishes seemed a bit off track. The seasoning of the wild boar meat was too innovative and hard to follow. The soup was delicious with a luxurious dashi, but it overlapped with the previous soup, making it less exciting. The rice dish was an eel bowl, with the steam from the fluffy rice enhancing the scent of the sansho leaves. The breakfast the next morning was also Japanese-style, served in a large hall rather than in the room. The tofu with dashi sauce was incredibly delicious, but other than that, there was nothing particularly Kyoto-like. Overall, the ryokan had a modern classic Japanese feel, with staff fluent in English for inbound tourists and a stylish interior design that reflected a high level of consciousness.

I used the takeout service from Ryokan Iizutsu Yasu and tried their Thick Dashi Roll Sandwich for 1,080 yen. The dashi roll was extremely thick and full of flavor, almost overflowing from the bread. The portion was very filling and I think the price is quite reasonable for the amount you get. I would love to visit the restaurant in person when things calm down.