[akiko]

We left Tokyo with the knowledge that we'd return to it at the end of our trip so we were very excited to head for Gero Onsen in Gifu Prefecture. Gero is known for its Hot Spring baths and a part of the Japanese Culture that I adore. Bathing Ritual.

I wasn't allowed to take pictures in the open air baths (understandably, although I thought about sneaking a camera in when I was there alone) but Yunoshimakan's Rotenburo (outdoor bath) is beautiful.

Yunoshimakan is a traditional Japanese inn with a long history in Gero.

Japanese Guest Houses

Website in Japanese



It was quite cold the day we got there and I was hoping for snow. Very pretty to sit in the hot springs with a cup of sake in your hand as snow falls around you.



Snow!

A traditional Ryokan will assign a "kakari" to you... or a butler who will take care of you, serve you your meals, and generally make any arrangement you need. Yunoshimakan's staff was lovely and the woman who served us was very nice.

You are ushered to your suite of rooms, dinner arrangements are discussed, and then Yukata (Japanese robes) are laid out for you to change into so you can relax. We changed and immediately went down to the separate outdoor bathing areas and relaxed with nothing on our minds except the Kaiseki Dinner that night.

More to come later...

[akiko]

Yunoshimakan Kaiseki

The Gero area is in the mountains of Gifu prefecture so the local specialties are based on SanSai Ryori - or mountain cuisine. Your meal is served to you in your room by the same Kimono clad "kakari" that I referred to above.



Beer Mat



Unlike most Kaiseki meals, this one begins with most of the dishes already laid out on the table. There were a few dishes still to come, but here is most of the meal in all of its glory.



Small appetizer to be had with Sake



My picture doesn't do this dish justice. It was beautiful, the pieces of Ayu laid on the fish body itself as presentation. The other fish is tai and salmon.



The sashimi came with soy sauce and freshly grated wasabi but a special sauce was also given for dipping the ayu. It was a sweet chinese yellow mustard based sauce.



Sunomono

There was also a dish of Yuba (tofu skin), mountain potato (a little slimy in texture), Konbu (seaweed), and yuzu.

I don't have a closeup of it but you'll see in the large picture a soup presented over heat on flameproof paper. This was our clear soup with mushrooms, whitebait, clams, seaweed, and takenoko - bamboo shoot




The area is known for Hida Beef and that is what this dish was created around. Dashi is put over fire and kept simmering as you add the beef, mushrooms, konnyaku, and shirataki to cook as you like.




The only dish in the meal that I wasn't a fan of. Grilled fish with a steamed egg and long onion topping.



And the end of meal rice, pickles and miso soup. This particular miso soup had yuba and mochi balls in it. Delicious.

[akiko]

And Breakfast too is brought to you in your room, of course.



From left to right we have:

Hand made Soba in a clear broth with ginger shards, egg slivers, and warabi.

Freshly Squeezed Grapefruit Juice

Onsen Tamago

Above the Onsen Tamago is Hoba Miso

Salmon with pickled mushrooms and beans and nori

Potato salad above the salmon

Hijiki, tofu, and konnyaku

Pickles

And the covered heated pot is Hoba miso soup with seaweed and mushrooms



This is one of my favorite things. So simple and delicious. Its a poached egg (I believe its done in the shell, poached at a very low temp and then cracked into the broth when the yolk just turns creamy). Its called Onsen Tamago.



And you just can't beat the nutty taste of freshly roasting Hoba miso



This was so good.
I love Japanese breakfast.

[Kikujiro]

With these reports and Orik's, I move to ban any more posts on Japan trips before someone ends up murdered in a jealous rage.

[Abbylovi]

Akiko. Oh my. Domo arigato gozaimasu!

A few years ago I stayed in a ryokan that had a bath fed by a hot spring. Let me tell you, it was very easy to get used to that ritual. Unfortunately I wasn't able to go to a traditional ryokan that had the elaborate meals. But I will someday.

[Miguel Gierbolini]

Again, I don't know what to say. Dial-up connection at home it took like three years for this to come down. This is room service?
Loooooooord.

Thanks Akiko.