Monday, February 13, 2017

Nishimuraya Honkan Kinosaki Onsen (城崎溫泉 西村屋本館): the food

So, here's the post on our dinner and breakfast at Nishimuraya Honkan.  When I can still describe how the food taste after all this time, you know it is a very memorable meal!

The most memorable of all~
Grilled kani-miso!

Dinner was a 10-course kaiseki served in your room.  A dedicated ryokan staff is assigned to each room for your entire stay.  There was a lot of food so I recommend you to pick the earliest hour possible to start the feast, and skip lunch where possible.

Japanese menu handwritten by the chef
 
I upgraded my dinner so that I could also try the Tajima beef.  There is also more crabs in this set so it is not a bad idea if you are considering but just keep in mind their portion is very generous - quite different from my impression of traditional kaiseki.  (Note:  The pictures below are from the upgraded set unless otherwise noted.)
 
aperitif
infused with crab shells
served warm
Female matsuba crab with roe
 
 
Steamed fresh matsuba
  
each crab comes with a tag of origin
This is the same dish from the regular set
Difference: the upgraded set has a fancier bowl and a tag of origin
Taste: well, the crab was sweeter in the upgraded bowl
Portion is same in both - 1/2 crab
Crab soup
 
Sashimi: very sweet
Since my mom doesn't eat raw fish, I think I ate hers also.
Tajima Beef.  So good!
Steamed abalone with turnip, persimmon, and maitake mushrooms
I was so busy eating / full at this point already.
No matter how full you are, save room for the grilled matsuba crab
These were by far my favorites
The most memorable of all~
Grilled kani-miso!
Can I have 3 more bowls of these?
so good!
The other item that you can't miss is the crab hotpot
The very delicate broth goes very well with the delicate matsuba crab
The congee is always the highlight of every Japanese hotpot
Don't skip if all possible, no matter how full you already are.
I love Japanese rice. 
Those cooked in the Konotori kettle were even better!
The other best dish in the meal.
Japanese rice soaked with all the matsuba crab essence
Bring some digestives.
You will need them too.

I think I might have missed a few dishes still just because I was too busy eating.  I wish the portion was smaller on some dishes.  Again, it is a feast so it was a little hard to finish eating everything within 2-3 hours.  (Note: Keep in mind your dinner is served in your room and they need to clear the dinner table and plates before they can get your beds ready - it's a Japanese style room.)


I slept very well that night.  Hard not to after such a big meal and another onsen soak.  The bed was soft and comfortable :)  And then you woke up to eat again!  LOL!  Trust me, you won't need lunch afterwards.  Maybe even dinner!

Didn't seem a lot of food until you start working on it.
Beautiful places for sure!
You can heat the fish up on the small grill.
Very thoughtful!
Close up on some of the small plates





The matsuba crab season is from November to March every year.  Yet, Kinosaki Onsen is beautiful all seasons.  (April is a high month because of the cherry blossoms!)  I am not affiliated with the ryokan in any way but I always say this: book early if you want to go to avoid disappointments.

Nishimuraya Honkan Kinosaki Onsen (城崎溫泉 西村屋本館)
469 Kinosakicho Yushima, Toyooka, Hyogo Prefecture 669-6101, Japan
Tel: +81 796-32-2211

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