When we think of autumn, we think of the season of appetite. The bountiful autumn filled with delicious food increases our desire to eat.
In this autumn, an event where you can enjoy lunch made with ingredients from Okayama Prefecture started in October 2020.
The event is called “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally”.
For 1,650 yen (including tax) or 2,200 yen (including tax), you can enjoy the special lunches from various restaurants at a great price.
We will introduce the thoughts behind the planning by the Kurashiki Tourism Convention Bureau, which organizes the “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally,” as well as the lunch menus from the long-established Italian restaurant “Sicilian Cuisine Rentenchi” and “Wasyurakushoku Seribe”!
About “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally”
The “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally” will be held from October 1, 2020, to December 20, 2020.
A total of 48 stores are participating, including those in the Bikan Historical Area, Kojima, Tamashima, and Mizushima.
The cuisine includes Japanese, Western, and Chinese dishes.
It is a requirement that the dishes served at the stores use at least one ingredient from Okayama Prefecture.
The unique menus from each restaurant are offered at a common price of 1,650 yen (20 stores) or 2,200 yen (28 stores, including tax).
Also, there are conditions such as “reservation required by the day before” or “limited to 10 servings,” so please check carefully.
| Store Name | Price (including tax) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Achino Sato Tsuneya | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 2 | Yumiko Igarashi Museum Café Princess | 1,650 yen | Reservation required by the day before |
| 3 | Italian Cuisine Riva | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by 2 days before / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 4 | Oshokujidokoro KAMOI | 1,650 yen | No reservation required |
| 5 | Oni no Kurai Shinsuke | 1,650 yen | Reservation required by the day before / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 6 | Live Fish Cuisine Yamako | 1,650 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 7 | Kappo Yamabe | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day before / Limited to 10 servings on weekdays |
| 8 | café dining Ospitare | 1,650 yen | Reservation required by the day before / Limited to weekdays |
| 9 | The Kamon | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day before |
| 10 | QINOCO -Kinoko- | 1,650 yen | No reservation required / Ends when sold out for the day |
| 11 | Kurashiki Ivy Square Restaurant Tsuta | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 12 | Kurashiki Oimatsu 3-chome Café Niwa | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day before / Limited to 10 servings per day |
| 13 | Kurashiki Kokusai Hotel Restaurant Wisteria | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / From November 2020 / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 14 | Kurashiki Station Hotel Setouchi Seafood Restaurant Shirakabe | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 15 | Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel Japanese Cuisine “Kurashiki” | 2,200 yen | No reservation required |
| 16 | Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel Hakkenkura | 2,200 yen | No reservation required |
| 17 | Kura Pura Wazen Kaze | 1,650 yen | No reservation required (reservation preferred) |
| 18 | kobacoffe | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 19 | Sicilian Cuisine Rentenchi | 2,200 yen | No reservation required |
| 20 | Taisho-tei | 2,200 yen | No reservation required |
| 21 | Chinese Cuisine Nyonyo | 1,650 yen | No reservation required / Order for 2 or more |
| 22 | Toraiahompo Main Store | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day before |
| 23 | Toraiahompo Annex | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 24 | Trattoria Homemade Soba Takenoya | 2,200 yen | No reservation required (reservation possible) / Limited to 10 servings per day |
| 25 | Homemade Soba Takenoya | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 26 | Homemade Soba Takenoya | 1,650 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 10 servings per day |
| 27 | 72cafe | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day before / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 28 | Parkside Club Kyokugei Haru | 1,650 yen | Reservation required by the day before |
| 29 | Premier -Purumiere- | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 30 | Pesheluna | 2,200 yen | No reservation required |
| 31 | Miso Katsu Umenoki | 1,650 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 32 | Yakiniku Shabu Shabu Korakuen | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 33 | Yunagi Kurashiki Main Store | 2,200 yen | No reservation required (Private rooms require reservation by the day before) |
| 34 | EYOHAKU -Yohaku- | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day before |
| 35 | Ryori Ryokan Tsurugata Oshokujidokoro | 2,200 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 36 | Restaurant Kameyutei | 1,650 yen | No reservation required |
| 37 | Wasyurakushoku Seribe | 1,650 yen | Reservation required by the day before / Limited to 10 servings per day |
| 38 | Inakaya Tokuzen | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day / Ends when sold out |
| 39 | Western Restaurant Kokoro-ya | 1,650 yen | No reservation required |
| 40 | Uo Shogun | 1,650 yen | Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 41 | Kurashiki Seaside Hotel | 1,650 yen | Reservation preferred by the day before |
| 42 | Happy Supply Café Spica | 1,650 yen | Reservation required by 2 days before |
| 43 | National Lodge Ryokan Ryochoso | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by noon the day before / Limited to 25 servings on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays |
| 44 | Garden Ryokan Bingo-ya | 1,650 yen | Reservation required by 10 AM on the day / Limited to 20 servings per day |
| 45 | Takeda-ya Nanami | 1,650 yen | No reservation required / Limited to 15 servings per day |
| 46 | Takeda-ya Minato | 2,200 yen | No reservation required |
| 47 | Bistro Takeda-ya | 1,650 yen | No reservation required |
| 48 | Garden Ryokan Bingo-ya | 2,200 yen | Reservation required by the day before |
About “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu” Stamp Rally
The pamphlet for Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu is distributed at tourist information centers in Kurashiki City and participating stores.
You can also download the flyer in advance!
By dining at participating stores and collecting stamps, you can enter a lottery for wonderful prizes.
▼The prizes are as follows.
| Participation Prize (Everyone) | 2 or more stamps | Masking tape |
|---|---|---|
| B Prize (230 winners by lottery) | 2 or more stamps | Gift certificate worth 1,000 yen or more usable at participating stores |
| A Prize (10 winners by lottery) | 4 stamps | Delicious items from Kurashiki (worth 5,000 yen) |
Once you have collected the stamps, fill out the necessary information on the application postcard printed on the flyer and drop it into the application box at the tourist information center in Kurashiki City, or mail it with a stamp.
▼Application details are here.
| Implementation Period | From October 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020 (postmarked by December 31) |
|---|---|
| Application Method | Can apply with 2 or more stamps on one postcard. (※Stamps from the same store are acceptable if on different days) |
| Announcement of Winners | By sending the prizes |
Next, we spoke with the Kurashiki Tourism Convention Bureau, the organizer of the event, and will introduce their insights.
Interview with Kurashiki Tourism Convention Bureau, the event organizer
Can you tell us about “Lunch Itadakimasu”?
Kurashiki Tourism Convention Bureau (hereafter: Bureau)
“Lunch Itadakimasu” is a very popular local event that was held 15 times until 2017 (Heisei 29).
However, it unfortunately ended as it did not lead to attracting tourists from outside the prefecture.
In 2017, it passed the baton to a new event called Kurashiki Afternoon Tea, which had just started.
Can you tell us about the background of the revival of “Lunch Itadakimasu” after about 4 years?
Bureau
From the spring of 2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of tourists drastically decreased, and accommodation facilities and restaurants, as well as other tourism-related businesses, faced very difficult situations.
In such circumstances, we thought about whether we could create an event to invigorate the local area, and we focused on micro-tourism, which has been proposed as a countermeasure against COVID-19.
If we could hold the popular local event “Lunch Itadakimasu,” we could encourage local residents and people from surrounding areas to visit, and it might help revitalize Kurashiki.
We thought we could invigorate Kurashiki from the local level, so we decided to implement it again.
In order to encourage more people to visit various stores, we decided to hold the “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally” in the same way as the “Summer Cool Sweets Stamp Rally,” which was also held as a countermeasure against COVID-19.
Can you tell us about the recommended points of the Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu?
Bureau
We are offering exclusive menus using ingredients from Okayama Prefecture.
Of course, we also ask the stores to implement measures against COVID-19.
The cat illustrated in the pamphlet is cute.
Bureau
Many staff members love cats, so there was a suggestion to create a cute pamphlet using cats.
We wanted to make the pamphlet a bit brighter than the previous calm ones, to lift people's spirits, and that’s how this pamphlet came to be.
Finally, please give a message to those who will participate!
Bureau
Since it is the season of appetite, why not try a slightly luxurious lunch made with delicious ingredients from Okayama Prefecture in Kurashiki?
The “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally” will be held until December 20, 2020. You might win a wonderful gift if you collect 2 or more stamps!
Enjoy a delicious time with your family, friends, and loved ones.
Enjoy local ingredients pizza and pasta at the long-established Italian restaurant “Rentenchi”
I visited two stores participating in the “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally,” and I will introduce each of them.
First, I visited the long-established Italian restaurant Sicilian Cuisine Rentenchi, which was founded in 1978.
It is a brick-built restaurant with a homely atmosphere where you can enjoy Sicilian cuisine and local and home-style dishes.
The “Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu (2020)” menu at Rentenchi is 2,200 yen (including tax). No reservation is required.
You can choose either pasta or pizza, and coffee or espresso.
I started with the antipasto misto from the Italian course meal.
▼ A three-item platter of Caprese, amberjack carpaccio, and eggplant and cheese gratin.
Next, I was served a pumpkin cream soup made from Soja pumpkins. The slightly sweet soup is comforting.
The pasta on the day of the interview was spaghetti with Tsurajima burdock and ground pork.
The hot tomato sauce clung well to the pasta, and the crunchy texture of the burdock provided just the right accent.
The pasta comes with homemade bread. It is a chewy and fragrant bread.
The pizza features Tsurajima lotus root and corn.
The pizza, with a diameter of about 30 centimeters, is very filling!
The chewy pizza dough and the crunchy texture of the lotus root create a perfect balance.
Now for the dessert!
▼ From left: tiramisu, Kurashiki hojicha manjar, and banana caramel gelato.
The smooth gelato allows you to directly taste the sweetness of the banana.
It was a satisfying lunch all the way to dessert, which I was able to enjoy slowly.
Don't forget to get your stamp for the stamp rally at the end.
The stamp for Ren Tenchi's stamp rally was the "Pizza" stamp!
Delicious Japanese side dishes and crispy tempura. Enjoy Japanese ingredients in autumn. Lunch at Washu Rakushoku Seribe
Next, I visited Washu Rakushoku Seribe.
It is a Japanese restaurant run by a sake-loving owner, located just south of the Bikan Historical Area in Kurashiki.
The "Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu" menu at Seribe is 1,650 yen (tax included).
Reservations are required by the day before, and it is limited to 10 meals per day.
White rice, salad, tempura, miso soup, carpaccio, a five-item plate of obanzai, pickled plum, and mango pudding are all served on the tray.
The white rice is shiny and sticky!
It uses "Hinohikari" produced in Kurashiki.
▼ The five-item plate includes the following.
- Potato salad
- Spicy miso stir-fried beef with king oyster mushrooms
- Rock salt grilled forest chicken
- Kimchi-style tomatoes
- Shrimp mayo with mentaiko sauce
All the side dishes go well with the white rice! They also seem to pair well with sake.
The tempura includes two shrimp tempura, sweet potato, eggplant, and pumpkin.
They are fried after you order, so they are all hot and crispy!
I heard from the owner that even elderly customers who usually don't eat much were able to finish their lunch completely.
It was a highly satisfying lunch.
"Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu" is available until December 20, 2020
If you collect two or more stamps for the "Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu," everyone who applies will receive masking tape.
When you visit for lunch, why not bring the pamphlet and collect stamps?
Enjoy a lunch made with local ingredients and be sure to find a new favorite restaurant.
Data for the Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally 2020
| Name | Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally 2020 |
|---|---|
| Dates | October 1, 2020 - December 20, 2020 |
| Location | Kurashiki City (48 participating stores: Kurashiki, Mizushima, Kojima, Tamashima areas) |
| Participation Fee (tax included) | 1,650 yen or 2,200 yen |
| Website | Autumn Lunch Itadakimasu Stamp Rally |
