The spread of COVID-19 has greatly changed our lives.
The way we interact with others and work has changed, and we spend more time at home—so much so that the phrase “time at home” has even emerged.
To prevent the spread of infection, the food and beverage industry avoided large gatherings for meals, and there was even a period when serving alcohol and operating at all were not possible.
The food and beverage industry was hit hard by COVID-19, but some businesses turned a crisis into an opportunity.
Something Four Co., Ltd. was one of them.
Here’s a look at the launch of a new food service born during the pandemic, “Gochi-Fure Kurashiki,” including its new product announcement and tasting event.
The information in this article was current when it was published in November 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Something Four
Something Four Co., Ltd. (hereafter, Something Four) is a company based in Kurashiki City that runs wedding businesses and restaurants.
It has two wedding venues in Kurashiki City: “The Kamon” and “EYOHAKU.”
On days when no weddings are held, both venues serve lunch and other meals as restaurants.
They also sometimes serve dinner at events.
In addition to people considering holding their wedding at Something Four, members of the general public can also drop in.
About The Kamon
The Kamon is a wedding venue in the Bikan Historical Area, converted from a 230-year-old traditional house.
Inside, impressive beams and a beautiful courtyard give a sense of the building’s history.
Its blend of modern design with traditional Japanese elements is reminiscent of Kurashiki’s streetscape, where Japanese and Western cultures come together.
At The Kamon, dishes are prepared using plenty of seasonal local vegetables selected by the chef.
You can enjoy a meal in a space where Japanese and Western styles come together.
About EYOHAKU
About a three-minute drive from the Bikan Historical Area, EYOHAKU is in the Hashima area and features a striking combination of curves and straight lines.
Its white walls stand out against the blue sky.
Sunlight streams into the restaurant, and outside there is a lush green garden.
In contrast to the exterior, the interior’s subdued grayish colors create a space with a distinctive mood.
Lunch is based on French cuisine.
As at The Kamon, the menu features beautifully colorful dishes made with seasonal ingredients.
Something Four’s New Challenge
The Kamon and EYOHAKU had been holding weddings and serving lunch, but the spread of COVID-19 led to more postponed weddings and people avoiding dining out, dealing a major blow to the business.
Even in these difficult circumstances, they wondered what they could do as wedding venues through food. The result was “Gochi-Fure Kurashiki: Gourmet French Meals Delivered to Your Home.”
It is a service that delivers the chef’s authentic dishes to your home, frozen.
I attended the launch and tasting event for the new Gochi-Fure Kurashiki products.
The New Product Launch and Tasting Event
Here’s a look at the new product launch and tasting event for Gochi-Fure Kurashiki.
The actual products were served at the tasting event.
Tasting Gochi-Fure Kurashiki
The Gochi-Fure Kurashiki menu consists of French-inspired dishes prepared by the grand chefs of The Kamon and EYOHAKU and then flash-frozen.
Flash-freezing is said to lock in the flavor just as it is.
Gochi-Fure Kurashiki is available from the online shop.
At the new product launch and tasting event, the frozen dishes were reheated and served.
The event began with an explanation of Gochi-Fure Kurashiki from the person in charge of its development.
After the explanation, we went to the counter to pick up our food.
Everything on the plate is sold as part of Gochi-Fure Kurashiki.
The colors were vivid, and the food had kept its shape.
It looked as if it had just been cooked—hard to believe it had been flash-frozen!
I could sense the effort that had gone into developing the products even before tasting them.
It was such a generous plate that I couldn’t decide what to try first.
The terrine was especially impressive.
It was hard to believe it had been frozen; both its flavor and texture felt just like freshly made.
▼The terrine had a rich, concentrated flavor.
▼“Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek in Red Wine with a Melt-in-Your-Mouth Texture” lives up to its name. The meat is so tender it practically falls apart in your mouth.
“I could never make something this elaborate myself, but it would be lovely to relax and eat it at home,” I thought as I savored the dish.
You have to prepare fresh vegetables yourself, but it’s appealing to be able to enjoy restaurant-quality food at home with ease.
Trying Your Hand at Preparing Gochi-Fure Kurashiki
During the tasting, we had a chance to try preparing Gochi-Fure Kurashiki.
It was a simple task: take the ingredients out of the bag and thread them onto a skewer.
Even people who aren’t confident cooks and children could enjoy doing this!
Cooking together makes it even more delicious and fun.
It looks like you can enjoy a fulfilling time at home.
▼At the cooking workshop, a chef provided guidance, but the actual Gochi-Fure Kurashiki products come with instructions, so you can feel at ease.
A press conference was also held on the day of the new product launch and tasting event.
At the press conference, three representatives spoke about the background to the creation of Gochi-Fure Kurashiki and their thoughts behind it. Here is what they said.
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a word to search articles on this site
Cooking for flash-freezing is completely different from the usual process.
The approach and cooking methods had to be changed so that dishes could be made with freezing in mind.