Meoto Iwa
pair of sacred rocks in Ise, Japan
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Minamiise
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🕐 Asia/Tokyo · 💱 JPY
Getting there & around
🚆 Yamato-Saidaiji Station🚆 Hōryūji Station🚆 Ōbu Station🚆 Narayama Station🚆 Nara Station🚆 Kōriyama Station🚆 Kanayama Station🚆 Kamo Station
Nearby attractions
Parque España-Shima Spain Village
theme park in Shima, Japan
Toba Aquarium
aquarium in Toba, Mie, Japan
Tōdai-ji Temple
Japanese Buddhist temple in Nara
Hōryū-ji Temple
Buddhist temple in Nara Prefecture, Japan
Toba Sea-Folk Museum
museum in Toba, Mie, Japan
Kasuga-taisha
Shinto shrine in Nara Prefecture, Japan
Kōfuku-ji Temple
Buddhist temple in Nara Prefecture, Japan
Heijō-kyō
capital city of Japan during the Nara period, 710–740 and 745–784
Saminaga Shrine
Shinto shrine in Mie Prefecture, Japan
Yakushi-ji Temple
Buddhist temple in Nara Prefecture, Japan
Izawa-no-miya
Shinto shrine in Shima, Mie, Japan
Dining
SÉN
Picture yourself standing in a lush mountain valley, listening to the murmur of a nearby stream. This is SÉN’s ‘watershed cuisine’, a prix fixe experience in which time slowly passes and everyday cares are forgotten. The focus of this fare is on the foods of the Kumano River valley. The bounty of this mountain stream, which flows from the village of Tenkawa to the sea, includes vegetables, fish and game supplied by local farmers and hunters. In tribute to a region that prospered through forestry, the dishes are cooked over firewood.
WebsiteAjinokaze Nishimura
Hearty deliciousness is the order of the day here. Simple arrangements convey the sincerity of the chef’s commitment to his craft. Hinohikari rice from Nara Prefecture is cooked in clay pots and seasoned with chirimen sansho (small fish cooked with peppers). The meal concludes with handmade confections served with matcha, to send you on your way feeling relaxed and calm. This Japanese cuisine is woven together with ingredients and crockery from Sakurai. The ‘aji no kaze’ or ‘winds of flavour’ blow gently amid the beauty of nature.
Da terra
A peaceful, traditional rural house surrounded by farmland is home to this restaurant. The shop is an advertisement for the good earth of Asuka, ‘the place where Japan began’, and its bounty. Main ingredients consist of produce cultivated by the chef’s family. One item, a brightly colourful salad, is named “Daichi Kara”, “From the Land”. Wheat is turned into pasta, rice into risotto. Set menus are a journey through the seasons, calculated to inspire gratitude to nature as one proceeds through the meal.
WebsiteTsukumo
Falling in love with the cultural landscapes of Nara, the chef opened his restaurant in Naramachi, where he weaves the history and customs of the Yamato region into his menu like a story. The source of his originality lies in the imaginative and creative skills he cultivated overseas. When combined with the skills he honed along the way, the result is a cuisine of refreshing novelty. Ingredients from Buddhist vegetarian dishes and Western cuisine are incorporated, telling the tale of his gastronomic journey. Passion for his craft drives the chef to take Japanese cuisine to new levels.
Websiteakordu
‘Akordu’ is Basque for ‘memories’. Chef Hiroshi Kawashima invokes memories from his ingredients, encapsulating messages in his cooking. Each course in the prix fixe meal comes with a card; menu names are akin to story titles. Kawashima interprets the history and cultural topography of Nara through a modern Spanish sensibility cultivated in Basque country. Cuisine bursting with creativity, beautifully prepared and arranged.
WebsiteNARA NIKON
‘Nikon’, meaning ‘live to the full in this moment’, was the principle advocated by Zen master Dogen Zenji (1200–1253). Every day in his kitchen the chef displays the sincere devotion to Japanese cuisine he has had ever since he began at the bottom of the ladder. He focuses above all on the right timing for handling his ingredients: when to prep, when to slice, and so on. Serving at just the right temperature is vital as well. This craftsman’s spirit of applying every ounce of effort in the present moment is reflected in the name of the restaurant.
WebsiteSushi Kawashima
Sushi Kawashima pursues its own way in the sushi world, a route that crosses paths with the food culture of Nara. Sashimi is dressed with hishio, a koji-mould and salt-water mixture said to be the origin of soy sauce. Snacks are served with preserved so, a condensed-milk product enjoyed in ancient Japan. Yamato tachibana pepper is a seasoning made from an ancient citrus fruit. Sushi of gizzard shad with persimmon leaf testifies to the chef’s lively imagination. Nigirizushi is formed without wasabi, to bring out the flavours of the topping and sushi rice. Persimmon-leaf tea is a relaxing treat
Kaiseki Morimoto
The interior of the old traditional house is refurbished, yet the Showa-era ambience is unmistakable. The chef cooks alone, dedicated to his credo of serving everything straight from the kitchen to the table. What impresses most are the vegetables. Each plate features leaf and root vegetables grown under the personal care of the chef’s father, a landscape architect. The chef uses restrained seasoning to bring out the flavours of the ingredients. Takikomi-gohan made with vegetables picked that morning is served with house-made pickles. Simple, honest cooking, done as only Morimoto can.
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