About a 5-minute walk west from the tourist spot Bikan Historical Area.
You can see impressive walls and buildings made of white plaster and earthen storehouses.
Looking at the size of the premises and the gate, you might wonder, "Is this a mansion? What kind of building is it?"
Since you can't see much of the inside from the outside, you might be curious about what it's like inside.
In fact, the impressive building is a restaurant!
On the premises, there are "Takenoya Bettei" and "Trattoria Jikaseisoba Takenoya".
For those who are curious, let me introduce them properly.
A Different World Inside the Premises
Water flows around the premises, and impressive walls surround the building.
Now, let's cross the bridge and enter.
Upon entering the premises, on the right side is the soba restaurant Trattoria Jikaseisoba Takenoya.
In addition to authentic seiro soba, creative pasta made with soba noodles is also popular at this restaurant.
Across from Trattoria Jikaseisoba Takenoya is Takenoya Bettei.
This is a sister store of Takenoya that opened in July 2021.
Takenoya is surrounded by shopping streets and residential areas, making the premises feel like a different world.
Inside the premises, you can find white-walled buildings that feel characteristic of Kurashiki, and a courtyard with carefully planted trees that reflect the seasons.
Just by looking at the buildings and garden of Takenoya, you can experience a sense of the extraordinary and special.
I wonder what kind of dishes will be served in such a wonderful place...
Naturally, the expectations for the food rise significantly.
Now, let's head to Takenoya Bettei.
A Store Interior that Feels Like Kurashiki
Now, let's enter the building of Takenoya Bettei, which is of interest.
Upon entering, you will find stairs, indicating that there are seats on the first and second floors.
The second floor is said to serve kakigori (shaved ice) during the summer and is used when the first floor is fully booked.
The first floor allows you to enjoy the interesting structure of the building.
There is a large room on the opposite side of the private room, separated by a corridor, which feels like being outside the building!
The white walls commonly seen in the streets of Kurashiki are used for the exterior walls, so when they are inside the building, it gives a strange sensation.
Especially for those who are used to seeing white walls, it may be hard to tell whether they are inside or outside the building.
In the large room, there are several tables and chairs.
Sitting on a cushion in a seiza position can make your legs numb, but it's comfortable in a chair.
The private rooms consist of one room with two tables and two rooms with only one table each.
Each room has large windows facing the courtyard, providing a sense of openness despite being private.
You can enjoy your meal while looking at the scenery.
Autumn Lunch Menu 2021
Since it's a special occasion, I decided to have a meal in a private room while looking at the trees in the courtyard.
In front, there were cherry blossoms, and in the back, you could see the storehouse and Trattoria Jikaseisoba Takenoya.
It's a seat that makes you want to come during cherry blossom season.
The lunch at Takenoya Bettei features a special menu for the Autumn Lunch Stamp Rally during the event period, as well as "Garden Afternoon Tea".
| Event Name | Autumn Lunch Stamp Rally |
|---|---|
| Event Period | October 1, 2021 (Friday) to December 20, 2021 (Monday) |
| Location | 50 stores in Kurashiki City |
| Price | 1,650 yen (tax included) or 2,200 yen (tax included) |
| Organizer | Kurashiki Tourism Convention Bureau |
Now, let's take a look at the contents of the lunch menu "Takenoya Bettei Temari Gozen".
▼ Round temari sushi is served on a Western-style plate.
The plate is set on a denim mat, which not only adds a touch of Kurashiki but also serves to enhance the colors of the dishes.
▼ The sushi pairs perfectly with the soup.
The soup contained shimeji mushrooms, burdock, and daikon radish.
The ingredients change depending on the day.
▼ Hot chawanmushi served in a rounded Japanese dish.
The surface is lightly coated with a sauce, and the dashi is flavorful.
Inside, there are lily bulbs, yuba, hamo (pike eel), ginkgo nuts, and green beans.
A generous amount of seasonal ingredients that evoke autumn.
▼ Each small dish is carefully prepared.
The duck is roasted, making it a fragrant dish.
It is well-soaked in soy sauce, and with each bite, the umami seeps through.
▼ The item on the skewer is dengaku.
The white one is made of awafu (wheat gluten), and the green one is yomogi-fu (mugwort gluten).
Both have a chewy texture and were served with a sweet miso.
▼ There was also dashimaki.
This is a dashimaki made with yellow chives from Okayama Prefecture.
It is a blissful dish soaked in dashi.
▼ The main sushi consists of six types.
The bite-sized sushi has a cute shape, and upon closer inspection, various ingredients are used.
I had the preconceived notion that sushi suits Japanese dishes, but these temari sushi also go well with Western plates.
▼ The sushi topped with ikura (salmon roe) included flounder, daikon radish, cucumber, and myoga (Japanese ginger).
At first glance, you can't tell what ingredients are inside; you only discover them once you take a bite.
It's interesting how the complex flavors emerge by eating various ingredients at once.
There were also some unusual toppings.
▼ A dish made with eggplant and korinky (a type of pumpkin) from the Kibi Highlands, coated with bonito flakes.
The sushi rice contained ginger.
Some sushi may also have sesame in the rice.
Each temari sushi offers a completely different texture and flavor, making it an exciting experience.
The toppings change depending on the season.
Desserts are a must
When you order the lunch menu, you can enjoy a Mont Blanc parfait and Takahashi black tea set for an additional 700 yen (tax included).
This is a must-try!
Next, onto the dessert.
▼ Served with the parfait was Takahashi black tea in a wine glass.
This is a Japanese black tea cultivated and produced in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture.
The wine glass not only looks stylish but also allows you to enjoy the aroma of the tea more than a cup.
The Mont Blanc parfait is adorned with maple leaves, evoking the feeling of autumn.
The Mont Blanc uses Japanese chestnuts.
The flavor of the chestnuts is distinctly felt.
▼ Next to the Mont Blanc is a rusk made from fu (wheat gluten) produced in Yakage Town.
I wouldn't have realized it was fu if the staff hadn't told me.
This is a Japanese-style rusk flavored with caramel soy sauce.
Don't you feel excited wondering what is inside the parfait?
The parfait at Takenoya Bettei also had various hidden sweets.
What I found particularly delicious was the oval-shaped schnecken.
It was an interesting sweet with a crunchy texture, coated in white chocolate, resembling crushed cookies.
The bottom of the Mont Blanc has four layers, each different, allowing you to enjoy the change in flavors.
The brown layer is caramel sauce, the white layer below it is whipped cream.
The green layer is a melt-in-your-mouth matcha pudding.
Finally, there was a wobbly sobacha (buckwheat tea) jelly.
I was surprised to encounter sobacha in an unexpected place, but it makes sense since the affiliated store is a soba restaurant.
This was a parfait that delighted until the last bite, perfect for autumn.
Takenoya Bettei offers a unique and special experience.
I spoke with the chief manager, Takeno Azusa.
Takenoya Bettei Data
| Name | Takenoya Bettei |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-18-18 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-5335 |
| Parking | Available 12 cars |
| Business Hours | 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM 6:00 PM – 9:30 PM |
| Regular Holidays | Wednesday, Thursday |
| Payment Methods |
|
| Reservation | Available |
| Seating | 42 seats, Number of tables: 18 |
| Smoking | Non-smoking (smoking allowed only in designated areas) |
| Toilet | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Takenoya Bettei |
