Last year, I missed out on eating Ayu fish, so this year I finally got to enjoy the natural Ayu fish from Miyama. While we can catch Ayu fish in front of our house, there are no anglers around, so we have to go out to eat them. I had lunch at a large inn's dining area, where a tour bus had just stopped and many customers were leaving. I ordered one Ayu fish for 1,650 yen, but since they were small that day, I got two fish for the same price. The small Ayu fish tempura with vinegar sauce was plentiful and delicious, even though they seemed to be farm-raised due to their size. The soba noodles were also generous in portion, soft and chewy, but I couldn't finish it all. The small Ayu fish had less meat and a slight bitterness, so I prefer the larger ones. I ended up in a private room by myself, which was nice, but I would have preferred a larger dining area with a view. It's difficult to cook Ayu fish perfectly at home, so I often prefer to eat them at a restaurant, even though it's hard to find the perfect level of doneness.

The restaurant we visited for the first time on a tour was a hit! This time, we enjoyed a course meal featuring matsutake mushrooms, which everyone was very satisfied with. I heard that they put a lot of effort into creating dishes according to the season, so I definitely want to go back. It was truly delicious. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I had soba no.40 with natural ayu (sweetfish) at a restaurant in Osaka on my way back. I took a little detour on my way back and sometimes drive on Route 9. I thought it was just a ryokan (Japanese inn), but it turned out they also serve meals and offer takeout at reasonable prices. Lunch is under 1,000 yen, with options like sukiyaki set for 850 yen, chirashi sushi set, roast beef bowl for 1,210 yen, and more. The restaurant is located along the Oyakawa River, where you can see the calm flow from the window. I wanted to have ayu, but unfortunately, they were out of season already. I should have called ahead to confirm. I ended up ordering zaru soba for 800 yen and mackerel sushi for 1,400 yen, similar to what I had a few days ago. The soba was cold, delicious, and had a generous portion, with a rich broth and potent wasabi. The mackerel sushi was well-seasoned with vinegar, a true taste of a ryokan. I couldn't finish all the food, so I took two pieces of mackerel sushi home. I also got two curry bread recommended by the restaurant for takeout. The curry bread was large, but the flat shape made it easy to eat. It had a meaty filling with a hint of spices and was not too spicy but delicious. Each curry bread cost 250 yen. I wondered why the picture of the curry bread in the flyer looked so handsome. Maybe it's the chef? Well, he looks like a Westerner. I'll have to go back soon before the matsutake mushroom sukiyaki starts. Of course, it will be made with Tanba beef. Matsutake season will be over soon, so I mustn't miss it.

I had a meal with appetizers, sashimi, teppanyaki, tempura, soba, chawanmushi, chirashi sushi, etc. I also got vaccinated, so I went back home for the Obon holiday. My father made a reservation at a place he's been going to for a long time, so I don't know the details of the menu. I already ate the appetizers and sashimi before taking a picture... The food was carefully prepared and tasted delicious.

I went to have lunch in Kameoka. While driving on Route 9, I noticed a sign that said "Hakkouten" and it looked a bit fancy. They seemed to be serving lunch, so I decided to go in. The prices were a bit high, but the service was very pleasant. The shrimp fry and hamburger were just okay, but the Kameoka beef sukiyaki was delicious. Thank you for the meal.

The dinner on the day trip bus tour with two meals included was a Matsutake mushroom-focused meal. Since not much time had passed since lunch in Mita, I didn't feel very hungry. The steamed dish was bland and lacked flavor. The grilled Matsutake didn't have much aroma, and the Matsutake rice seemed to have pre-made ingredients in it. It was a bit disappointing, but considering the price, I understand. I am grateful to the chefs and the ingredients, and I will enjoy it. It was nice that each group had their own table. The service was prompt, and they quickly brought drinks. Thank you for the meal.

Dad and I went on a bus tour to eat crab together! We enjoyed a crab feast with the equivalent of 2.5 crabs in 90 minutes. It was a different tour company from the one we went on in the summer, where we only had 40 minutes to eat. This time, we had a leisurely 90 minutes to enjoy our crab. However, we ended up eating too slowly and suddenly realized that an hour had passed after only finishing half of the snow crab. The last 30 minutes turned into a speed-eating competition, and we couldn't savor the crab as much as we wanted. We asked if we could take the leftovers home in a doggy bag, but it was not allowed, probably for food safety reasons. I asked Dad to help me finish the remaining crab, and we managed to do it. We were full, but the taste of the crab was... well, let's just say it was not the best. The crab miso tofu, crab hot pot, and crab leg tempura were delicious though. We achieved our goal of eating crab while drinking at lunch with Dad, so let's consider it a success. The amount of crab was definitely as advertised! We learned our lesson about the price of a crab feast after experiencing the all-you-can-eat crab course we had previously only tried during a summer bus tour. Thank you for the meal.

I went on a Crab Feast Tour and had a great time. We drank on the bus since the morning. There were 8 of us and the guide asked us to speak a bit more quietly. The crab dishes were delicious and easy to eat as they were already cut. Thank you for the meal.

I made a reservation for a celebration, but unfortunately there were many disappointments. I had requested a child's chair when making the reservation, but it was not prepared in the room. The dishes were supposed to be heated after being served, but it seemed like they used the wrong fuel, so the food wasn't cooked properly even after adding fuel twice and waiting 25 minutes for it to be ready. The building was impressive and beautiful, but the service was not great. The nearby restaurant, "○inbo," has excellent staff who are very polite, and I always enjoy dining there.

It was lunch on a bus tour so I'm not sure about the cost. There were many dishes and I felt like my stomach was going to burst. The Kyoto beef hot pot was delicious. The white miso-based o-zoni was also very good, something I don't usually have.

I had the Button Nabe Gozen.

Having an early dinner at the kaiseki cuisine restaurant "Hakkouten". The atmosphere inside the restaurant is very luxurious for a bus tour group. The portion size is huge! I wonder if I can finish it all? The pre-dinner drink was made from mountain grapes, more like juice than alcohol. The appetizers included a variety of dishes featuring pike conger, beautifully presented. The pike conger dish was visually stunning. The soup had a rich broth and the cucumber was a nice touch. The pike conger roll in the assorted dish was a first for me. The pike conger shabu-shabu had a gentle flavor. The chawanmushi had pike conger in it, of course. The cold dish was served just as I was reaching my limit. It was presented in a bamboo tube. The tempura was delicious. The ginger rice also had pike conger in it. The jelly dessert was a perfect way to end the meal. I was so full, but satisfied with all the pike conger dishes. I'm sure most of the tour cost went towards the pike conger!

This is a review of a meal at a restaurant visited during a bus tour, located by the Katsura River. It was the first visit for the group of over 20 people. The meal included a variety of dishes such as steamed dumplings, rapeseed tofu, seasoned wood sorrel, simmered bamboo shoots, salmon sushi, and soba sushi. The sashimi included tuna, conger eel, and amberjack, which were decent but not exceptional. A hot pot with minced chicken and vegetables in soy milk was quite tasty. Other dishes like mushroom chawanmushi and tempura were also served, providing a filling meal. The meal was accompanied by ginger rice, which had a refreshing aroma. Dessert was also served, completing the meal with generous portions. Thank you for the feast.

My go-to place in autumn is "Hakkoten" in Yagi, Kyoto. This unique dining spot has a collection of mountains and even offers mushroom hunting, including fresh matsutake mushrooms harvested by the owner in the morning. From matsutake mustard pickles to matsutake rice, the menu is filled with various dishes featuring matsutake mushrooms. It's a delightful experience to enjoy the fresh matsutake to your heart's content. The friendly owner and the charismatic wife add to the charm of the place. I definitely want to continue visiting this restaurant as my autumn favorite spot.

※This is more about the "Hakkotei" itself than the reviews of "Seseragi-tei," but since they are in the same location, please understand. <Matsutake Mushroom and Local Chicken Sukiyaki Course - October> Once again, I had the opportunity to visit this place. In this region, the highlight of autumn is without a doubt the Tanba Matsutake mushroom! This time, it was a course featuring Matsutake mushroom and local chicken. The Matsutake mushrooms, the star of the show this time, were harvested from nearby mountains and were quite large with an irresistible aroma. From Matsutake and pike conger steamed in a pot to grilled Matsutake cooked over charcoal right in front of you... the Matsutake dishes kept coming, filling both the heart and stomach. However, the main highlight was yet to come. And that was the "Local Chicken and Matsutake Sukiyaki"! Not only were we overwhelmed by the volume of Matsutake, but there was even more local chicken! I was worried if I could finish it all, but once I tasted it, I couldn't stop eating because it was so delicious. The Matsutake was amazing, but the tender and flavorful local chicken was truly delicious. I was impressed by the perfect match of Matsutake and local chicken. There are often Matsutake and Wagyu beef sukiyaki dishes, but I now understand that chicken is definitely better when eating Matsutake in a sukiyaki. Once again, it was a truly satisfying course. <Wild Ayu Course - June> I had the opportunity to enjoy a course featuring wild Ayu at "Hakkotei" during a certain gathering. The first thing that appeared was a large amount of fresh Ayu caught in the Yura River in Miyama that day! Today, we will use this for cooking. I rarely have the opportunity to eat Ayu, so honestly, I was half expecting and half anxious about this full course. However, the result exceeded my expectations. The first dish included Ayu salad and Ayu pressed sushi, all Ayu dishes right from the start. They were all delicious without any strange flavors, and I could eat them without any resistance. Next was the "Ayu sashimi." I thought river fish had a unique flavor, but it was very mild and light white flesh, and it was delicious. Next was the eagerly awaited freshly grilled "salt-grilled Ayu." The grilling was just right, the flesh was fluffy, and you could eat the whole fish. And there were three in a row, which was truly surprising. I was impressed once again by how delicious Ayu could be. This was followed by "Ayu miso soup," "Deep-fried Ayu," and ended with the equally delicious "Ayu porridge." When I thought about it, I realized that I had enjoyed eating 6-7 Ayu per person. The quality of the ingredients and the cooking skills were evident in the dishes. Located a bit away from the center of Kyoto, it may not have the best access, but the view from the building along the Oyakawa River is magnificent. I recommend visiting during the seasonal periods.

I used it for lunch on a bus tour. Crab feast course. Aperitif, appetizer, crab tofu, crab and seasonal sashimi, grilled snow crab, crab and vegetable tempura, crab chawanmushi, crab hot pot, crab rice, pickles, dessert. I was able to enjoy crab in various ways and was very satisfied. The meal time was 90 minutes, but I was exhausted from picking at the crab until the very end. Full, full. Thank you for the meal.

We stopped by at a traditional restaurant for lunch during the November 2017 bus tour. The restaurant, which has been in business for 70 years, was recently renovated and looked very beautiful! It is located along the Ooigawa River, so you can see the gentle stream from the lunch venue, which was very nice. Waterfowl were swimming happily in the river. The venue had tatami flooring but was set up with tables and chairs, which was convenient for elderly guests. The meal was a luxurious kaiseki course, with hot dishes like tempura, chawanmushi, and red miso soup served later. It was great to see that the food was served properly, as in group bus tours, cold tempura is often served. The menu included a variety of dishes such as a basket platter, aperitif, appetizers, carpaccio, simmered dishes, grilled dishes, fried dishes, individual hot pot, chawanmushi, mushroom rice, red miso soup, pickles, and dessert. The food was delicious and we left feeling satisfied. It was a fun tour overall.