Interview with Chief Manager Azusa Takeno
Takenoya Bettei is a white-walled building that embodies the character of Kurashiki and is 150 years old.
We interviewed Chief Manager Azusa Takeno.
The story behind the creation of Takenoya Bettei and its special touches
Please tell us how Takenoya Bettei came to be.
Takeno (surname only)
Takenoya Bettei was created with the hope that guests would spend special time with their loved ones while gazing at the garden as it changes with the seasons.
Our artisans carefully decorate each plate so that the dishes are a delight to look at as well as delicious to eat.
We use carefully selected tableware from across Japan, and hope you will enjoy the dishes as well.
Just as the garden scenery changes with the seasons, our meals feature seasonal ingredients. We hope you will enjoy the food as if taking a stroll across the plate with your eyes.
At Bettei, we also offer seasonal afternoon tea throughout the year.
Please enjoy our afternoon tea, where Japanese cuisine chefs and pastry chefs come together to create something that is “delicious to the very last bite.”
This location is also close to the Bikan Historical Area, so we welcome not only local residents but also tourists.
We hope to share the best of Kurashiki and Okayama from here and help people discover it.
Creating memorable cuisine and service
The building is impressive, too, not just the food and tableware.
Takeno
The building has a history of 150 years.
I think people have high expectations because of this great location near the Bikan Historical Area and this building.
We strive to ensure that neither our food nor our service disappoints our guests’ expectations, so that we live up to the quality of the location and building.
We hope you’ll visit when you want to get away from everyday life for a while and relax over a meal while gazing at the garden as it changes through the seasons.
Just as the garden changes, the food changes with the seasons.
We hope you’ll want to come back again, rather than visiting just once.
To that end, we create menus that change and let you enjoy the seasons.
Please tell us about the Mont Blanc parfait, too.
Takeno
Everything in the parfait is handmade.
We make it so that every bite reveals something new, exciting you like a treasure chest.
“What could this be? I wonder how it would taste with the layer underneath?”
We created a playful parfait that we hope will make people think that way.
We enjoy making parfaits filled with the passion of their creators.
When the person making it enjoys themselves, that feeling reaches the person eating it, too.
Is there anything you aspire to?
Takeno
Rather than simply serving a dish and leaving it at that, we explain it so guests can learn about the dish and its ingredients before enjoying it.
Knowing about it makes it taste even better, doesn’t it?
We know how delicious it is ourselves, so we can share our feelings with guests and say, “Exactly.”
And because we put our hearts into making it and want people to know that, we want to explain each item carefully.
It makes us happy when our guests enjoy themselves, and it motivates us to keep going.
Every time we bring something out, they say, “Wow!”
That makes us truly happy.
I hope we can offer food and experiences that stay in people’s memories.
Even if they can’t remember the name of the restaurant, I hope they’ll remember it as something that makes them think, “That thing I ate there was really good.”
We also put a lot of effort into our garden afternoon tea.
We offer afternoon tea that lets you experience the seasons throughout the year, and hope many people will enjoy it.
From the Writer
After interviewing Chief Manager Takeno, I could see the care and attention devoted not only to the food, but also to the service, tableware, garden design, and everything else.
It’s wonderful to experience the seasons through both the food and the view in a building that feels a world away from everyday life.
Having something different to enjoy in each season makes you want to visit again and again.
Why not enjoy a leisurely meal at a restaurant where you can experience the four seasons?
Takenoya Bettei details
| Name | Takenoya Bettei |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-18-18 Achi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-5335 |
| Parking | Available 12 spaces |
| Hours | 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m.–9:30 p.m. |
| Closed | Wednesday, Thursday |
| Payment methods |
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| Reservations | Accepted |
| Seating | 42 seats Number of tables: 18 |
| Smoking | Non-smoking (smoking permitted only in designated areas) |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilet |
| Website | Takenoya Bettei |
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