April 10, 2010
臨泉楼 柏屋別荘 Rinsenro
Splurged on a fancy onsen-ryokan hot-springs hotel in Bessho-Onsen on our sakura-watching trip to Ueda. The typical stay includes "1泊2食", i.e. "one night two meals," where the meals are taken in the room, and the food is as much a draw as the hotel's facilities itself. After a quick soak in the hot-springs upon arrival, we returned to our room relaxed and ready for our serving girl to come lay out our evening meal. The dinner menu, hand-written on Japanese paper, has a fancy name "卯花月 相染膳" and it featured a wide variety of dishes all made with local ingredients.
Sashimi with sweet scallops and a crunchy-chewy squid rolled with shiso leaf.
Opening appetizers: 雛壽し，手綱捲も，蛤辛煮，鴬真丈，こより昆布メ
Feel free to match up what's on the menu with what's on the plate. Tasty citrus-dressed greens-seaweed. Delicate rice ball with egg and greens. Savoury chewy oyster. Fluffy green thing.
Our server started the fire under the traditional rice pot at the start of dinner, merrily steaming away as we had our appetizers. And two bowls of perfectly fluffy white rice finished cooking about halfway through the meal, just as we were getting to the more substantial dishes.
The wagyu beef beef was not quite as tender as the prime-fillet at the Michelin-star restaurant, but the more substantial portion and the chewy sinew offered up more meaty beef flavor, and went nicely over rice.
小鍋立 is like a sukiyaki in Shinshu miso sauce, with thinly sliced pork-belly, mushrooms, and greens. Finished table-side sukiyaki-style. In the background is a whole fish, simply salt-grilled.
Soft egg custard in clear seafood stock.
Our serving girl returned promptly at 8am to reset the table and set out all the bits and bobs of breakfast. Breakfast featured six different savory tastes, almost like Korean panchan, designed to compliment the bowl of rice (choice of white, brown, or congee) without bloating the stomach. A small river fish, thoroughly cooked in soy and mirin, to be eaten bone and all. House-cured pickles and a packet nori on the side. You could tell the nori was good just from the fancy Japanese-paper packaging, instead of the usual cellophane plastic wrapper. A broccoli rabe and pork meatball stew is the hearty anchor of the breakfast spread. Of course there's the requisite bowl of miso soup. A glass of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice for a refreshing finish.
臨泉楼 柏屋別荘
上田市別所温泉1640
+81-268-38-2345