Our Japanese Ryokan Meal 旅館

I draw and savor a dinner of many courses.

A ryokan is a Japanese inn that offers a cultural experience, with rooms that are designed in the minimalist style with tatami mat floors, futon beds and sliding shoji doors; with public baths called onsens and a service of traditional cuisine.

On our recent trip to Japan our travel agent suggested that the historical town of Kurashiki and a ryokan experience was not to be missed. Up to that point we'd had only a quick food tour in Tokyo featuring yakitori (Japanese: 焼き鳥) and sashimi (Japanese: 刺身), and take out meals from 7-Eleven (nothing like the convenience stores you find in the U.S).

But the multi-course kaiseki-ryori meal we would have at the ryokan took dining to a whole new level. It was a bit pricey but it was our anniversary, so why not spurge.

I am truly captivated by the profound respect and reverence that Japanese culture has for life, work, and craft. Their appreciation extends deeply into food culture, elevating not just the flavors but also the artistry in presentation. The meticulous skills and refined techniques employed in meal preparation transform each dish into a remarkable work of art that resonates with beauty and tradition.

I read somewhere that artist-designer extraordinaire Milton Glaser would draw his dinner before he ate it. I wanted to draw what I was about to eat…out of respect to the preparers and to remember every beautiful morsel. I brought my little moleskin notebook to draw in. Here are the sketches I made. It’s a record of what we ate. They don't do justice to the elegance of the meal presentation.

Shokuzen-shu:
Our dinner began with an aperitif of wild grape liquor.

Otooshi:
This ample appetizer course served up persimmon with a red konjac spice, roe-filled squid, soaked ginkgo nuts poked with pine needles, white radish sprouts served with plum sauce, and zucchini with sesame paste and silk peas. The agemono (tempura) was sweet potato and lotus root with kimone (pepper). It was accompanied by thin-sliced turnips on the side, topped with a sweet plum paste, salmon-marinated kelp and rice mixed with sesame, pickled ginger and pepper; all decorated with a garnish of chrysanthemum petals.

Suimono:
The soup came in a teapot, a broth with pike conger and matsutake mushrooms, seasoned with tart citrus.

Otsukuri:
The sashimi course was vertically stacked levels of parrot fish, tuna and seared harvest fish accompanied by dipping sauces: local soy, chirzu (tart citrus) and sake salt. There were sides of red pepper, daikon (pickled white radish), green onion and fresh wasabi.* They also included some edible flowers: shiso (a kind of mint) and hanaho. Tangy sudachi (green citrus) provided a refresher.

*Note: They brought a grater to the table for us to make our own wasabi paste from the rhizome (stem). It was not just spicy, but subtle and sweet with a unique aroma.

Nimono:
This was a warm dish of steamed Spanish mackerel, ebiimo (a rare Japanese yam shaped like a shrimp) and bok choy served with mushroom sauce, grated ginger and yuzu rind.

Yakimono:
We grilled our own local Wagu beef set on a magnolia leaf, using a small barbecue they brought to our table. It included a steamed lily bulb, baby taro and white leeks.

Sunomono:
I'd always heard that, in Japanese cuisine, vinegar was an important seasoning that helped you digest your food. This course included some sweet vinegar-pickled tomato, soaked potherb mustard, spaghetti squash, and steamed 'swimming' crab.

Mushimono:
This course was kinumusume rice mixed with grilled sea bream and ginger. We were given a vessel of fish broth to pour over the rice to our liking. It came with textured toppings of tiny rice crackers, dried green tea leaves and nori (seaweed).

Wagashi:
For dessert we ate some delicious shine muscat grapes…and green tea, of course.

---