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| 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.
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| 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.)
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| aperitif infused with crab shells served warm |
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| Female matsuba crab with roe |
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| Steamed fresh matsuba |
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| each crab comes with a tag of origin |
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| 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 |
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| Crab soup |
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| Sashimi: very sweet Since my mom doesn't eat raw fish, I think I ate hers also. |
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| Tajima Beef. So good! |
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| Steamed abalone with turnip, persimmon, and maitake mushrooms I was so busy eating / full at this point already. |
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| No matter how full you are, save room for the grilled matsuba crab These were by far my favorites |
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| The most memorable of all~ Grilled kani-miso! |
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| Can I have 3 more bowls of these? |
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| so good! |
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| The other item that you can't miss is the crab hotpot The very delicate broth goes very well with the delicate matsuba crab |
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| The congee is always the highlight of every Japanese hotpot Don't skip if all possible, no matter how full you already are. |
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| I love Japanese rice. Those cooked in the Konotori kettle were even better! |
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| The other best dish in the meal. Japanese rice soaked with all the matsuba crab essence |
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| 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!
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| Didn't seem a lot of food until you start working on it. Beautiful places for sure! |
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| You can heat the fish up on the small grill. Very thoughtful! |
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| 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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