Momiji-ya Ryokan Evening

A short shuttle ride into the mountains and we were transported to what felt like a different time and place. We followed winding roads to a riverbank, where a suspension bridge led across the river to the Ryokan. It truly felt out of a movie or from a Ryokan-Episode of an anime. We went to our traditional rooms where yukatas were waiting for us to change into. We had Kaiseki at 6, so we all snuck in an onsen session. The onsen was small, but the large windows opened to a private, luscious green hillside covered in trees. It was serene and relaxing. We then got ready for dinner and headed down to our riverside dining table. Kaiseki is a many-course dinner starting with sake brewed by the Ryokan. The first platter was a wide collection of appetizers, ranging from sashimi to various pickled vegetables to Pike Conger Eel; by far the most unique portion of the meal. We didn't know what it was eating it, but it's best described as looking like a boiled hair-scrunchie. After Chris and I researched afterwards, we found out it's an eel that extremely difficult to prepare due to the large number of bones. It takes 10 years to master the cutting technique where 300+ incisions are made to extract the bones and boil into an edible treat. Despite all that effort, I honestly was alright just having it once.
We then had smoked whole-fish, a fish based hot pot, and finally seasonal fruit for dessert (best grapes I've ever had). When we came back to our rooms, the beds were already laid out and we tucked in full of fish and sake for a good night's sleep.もっと詳しく