A ryokan in Kyoto, Japan
October 8, 2014
Part 3
Breakfast and dinner were included in our accommodations. And the dinner wasn’t an ordinary one. We were served the kaiseki or five-course meal.
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| Enjoying our first kaiseki meal in a ryokan |
Once again, I took pictures of everything and Saori, our nakai or personal butler,
explained every dish she served. The food presentation took my breath away. Each plate was a work of art and even featured touches of the Fall season.
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| The First Course: a trio of appetizers |
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| Appetizer 1: a small scoop of refreshing veggie salad topped with a single skinless grape |
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| Appetizer 2: a small portion of chicken salad in a bowl and assorted sushi |
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| Appetizer 3: the hero dish of the appetizer trio -- a bowl of assorted sashimi |
Alan ordered the local beer Asahi while I had premium sake with our dinner. I was so proud of Alan for trying everything we were served. And he masterfully used chopsticks too!
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| He was awesome in trying everything...with chopsticks! |
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| Living it up Japanese style |
The second course was a duet of soup and grilled fish. There was a big piece of sponge-like tofu in the clear soup. I normally like tofu but I didn't particularly like this one. It's not the same tofu texture that I'm used to.
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| The Second Course: soup and grilled fish |
But I enjoyed the broth. It was paired with a bite-size piece of grilled fish. The condiments came in a tiny pumpkin-shaped container. So cute!
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| The Third Course: a seafood ensemble |
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| Third course dish: Shrimp with veggies in broth |
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| Third course dish: Another entree featuring local fish |
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| Third course dish: A sampling of some more seafood |
Then came the best part of the meal. The Fourth Course featured our favorite dish: tempura!
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| The Fourth Course and highlight of our meal: tempura with white rice and miso soup. |
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| The Fifth Course: a refreshing dessert combo of honeydew and matcha pudding. |
A small grape at the bottom of the matcha pudding bowl spiced up the overall dessert. It was a pleasant surprise to conclude the meal.
After dinner, Saori moved the table off to the side of the room. She then pulled the futons from the cabinet. With swift yet lady-like movements, she laid them out and neatly put the sheets on.
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| After dinner, Saori set up our futons |
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| You know that the comforters are clean because they are covered with protectors. |
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| Then we turned off this light and said nightey-night. |
The next morning, Saori came back at our requested breakfast time. She cleared the floor of the futons and positioned the table back in the center of the room. Alan decided to stick to the Western breakfast while I asked for the traditional Japanese breakfast. Mine turned out to be a grand feast that included veggies, tofu, rice, grilled fish, and miso soup. Who knew?
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| I requested for the traditional Japanese breakfast. What a feast! |
This story is a continuation of Inside the Ryokan (Part 1) and Take It All Off! (Part 2).
In my next blog post, I will be writing about our sightseeing tours in Kyoto. I can't wait to share the wonderful photos. Stay tuned!
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