Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
281
cooked three different ways. I always order mine cooked Kanaya style—covered with soy
sauce, sugar, and sake; grilled; and served whole. The best bargain is the set lunch for
¥3,500, available until 3pm, which comes with soup, salad, a main dish such as trout,
bread or rice, and dessert. Steak, lobster, salmon, chicken, and other Western fare are also
listed on the English-language menu.
Nikko Kanaya Hotel, 1300 Kami-Hatsuishi, Nikko City.
&
0288/54-0001.
Reservations recommended
during peak season. Main dishes ¥2,900-¥9,240; set lunches from ¥3,500; set dinners ¥9,800. AE, DC, MC,
V. Daily 11:30am-3pm and 6-8pm. A 20-min. walk from Nikko Tobu Station.
Moderate
Gyoshin-Tei
VEGETARIAN/KAISEKI This lovely Japanese restaurant, with a
simple tatami room and a view of pines, moss, and bonsai, serves two kinds of set
meals—kaiseki and Buddhist vegetarian cuisine—both of which change monthly and
include the local specialty,
yuba
(see Masudaya, below). It's one of several restaurants in
a parklike setting all under the same management and with the same open hours. Meiji-
no-Yakata (closed Wed), occupying a stone house built 110 years ago as the private
retreat of an American businessman, serves Western food such as grilled rainbow trout,
veal cutlet, and steak, with set meals ranging from ¥3,990 to ¥8,400. Fujimoto (closed
Thurs), in a small stone cottage, serves French food created with Japanese ingredients and
eaten with chopsticks. All restaurants offer a set lunch for ¥3,150. The drawback: This
place is harder to find than my other recommendations, but it's only a 4-minute walk
northeast of Rinnoji Temple.
2339-1 Sannai, Nikko City.
&
0288/53-3751.
Reservations recommended. Vegetarian/kaiseki meals
¥3,990-¥5,775; set lunches ¥3,150. AE, DC, MC, V. Fri-Wed 11am-7pm (from 11:30am in winter). A
25-min. walk from Nikko Tobu Station; or bus from Nikko Station to Shinkyo (then a 7-min. walk).
Masudaya
YUBA Only two fixed-price meals are served at this Japanese-style,
80-year-old restaurant, both featuring
yuba,
a high-protein food made from soybeans and
produced only in Kyoto and Nikko. Until 100 years ago, it could be eaten only by priests
and members of the Imperial family. Now you can enjoy it, too, along with such sides as
rice, sashimi, soup, fried fish, and vegetables. Dining is either in a common dining hall
(reserve 2 days in advance) or, for the more expensive meals, in private tatami rooms
upstairs (reserve 1 week in advance).
439 Ichiyamachi, Nikko City.
&
0288/54-2151.
Reservations required. Yuba kaiseki meals ¥3,990 and
¥5,450. No credit cards. Fri-Wed 10:30am-4pm (closes earlier if it runs out of set meals; open Thurs if a
holiday). A 5-min. walk from Nikko Tobu Station. On the left side of the main street leading from Tobu
Station to Toshogu Shrine, just before the fire station.
11
Inexpensive
;
Hippari Tako
NOODLES This tiny, three-table establishment is under the car-
ing supervision of motherly Miki-san, who serves a limited selection of noodle dishes,
including ramen and stir-fried noodles with vegetables, as well as
onigiri
(rice balls),
vegetarian tempura, and
yakitori
(skewered barbecued chicken). There's an English-lan-
guage menu, and the walls, covered with business cards and messages left by appreciative
guests from around the world, are testimony to both the tasty meals and Miki-san's warm
hospitality. A computer allows guests access to the Internet 30 minutes for free.
1011 Kami-Hatsuishi, Nikko City.
&
0288/53-2933.
Main dishes ¥650-¥850. No credit cards. Daily
11am-7pm (last order). A 15-min. walk from Nikko Tobu Station. On the left side of the main street lead-
ing from Toshogu Shrine, 1 min. before the Nikko Kanaya Hotel and the Sacred Bridge.
