Staying at Hotel Tamanoyu
Matsumoto’s Inner Retreat
Tonight I’m staying at Tamanoyu in Asama Onsen, a historic hot spring with a 1,300-year legacy. It’s so nice to have an onsen area this close to the city.
Dinner Enjoying the Flavors of Matsumoto
Dinner was a luxurious kaiseki course built around Shinshu Premium beef and carefully selected ingredients. It was served in a private dining room.
We started with a seasonal Shinano appetizer platter!
For sake, I went with a tasting set. You can choose 3 out of 6 varieties.
These are the three I picked!
- Junmai Ginjo Daisezkei
- Junmai Daiginjo Shuho Alps Masamune
- Tokubetsu Junmai Meikyoshisui Taruhi
Every single one was delicious!!!
The sashimi included Shinshu salmon, botan shrimp, tuna, sea bream, and more. It was served with lemon soy sauce, which was a little unusual. (The tuna was a richer, more marbled cut, but honestly I think it tasted better with salt, haha.)
The grilled dish on the ceramic plate was Shinshu Premium beef. I like my beef well done, so I cooked it thoroughly lol.
The fish course was char with hoba miso. I could eat the whole thing, from the tail to the head, not just the bones.
Instead of the usual final soup, the meal ended with soba. It was hand-cut Shinshu soba made by the inn’s proprietor, and it had a wonderful aroma.
Apparently it’s certified as a “Shinshu Sobakiri no Mise,” meaning it passed the required standards. No wonder it was so good.
Thanks for the wonderful meal!
Private Open-Air Bath with a View: “Pokkari Ten no Yu”
At night, I enjoyed one of the private open-air baths with a view. You can reserve one for free for 40 minutes when you check in.
The one I was able to book was called “Nanten no Yu.” Since it was dark, there wasn’t really any view. And obviously, it was absolutely freezing lol. Even the changing area is outdoors…?
By the time I got out, the floor was frozen (lol).
After the bath, you can have Enmei tea and karin juice in the first-floor lounge area.
Breakfast: the “Energizing Breakfast”
Breakfast was served in the same private room as dinner. It’s called the “Energizing Breakfast.”
I really liked the handmade menu notes. The flat shirataki noodles were unusual and interesting!
Thanks for the meal. It was my first stay in Matsumoto, and I had a really great time.
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