ラー大で勉強 Studying at Ra U.

2013.12.30: グルメFoodie

長野の人に「ラー大で勉強して来る」と言われたら、どう思われますか?勉強熱心に思えっちゃう?

実は、長野のラーメン屋さんのチェイン店で「ラーメン大学」と言うのがある。愛称は「ラー大」。

ここのラーメンもそうけど、餃子がお勧め♪






白馬ガレットが大ヒット?! Hakuba Galette Making it Big?!

2013.12.26: グルメFoodie

白馬ガレットとは、白馬から発信してきた新しい料理: そば粉クレープにハムやチーズ、サラダなどのトッピング。信州らしいそば粉に白馬らしい国際化。

先日は白馬五竜のエスカルプラザで初めて食べました。和洋折衷で気に入った。以前は提供するお店を探すのは苦労だったが、現在は41件の載っているガイドブックやHPがあります。

白馬の新しいヒット料理かな?

Hakuba Galette is a buckwheat flour crepe topped with egg, ham, lettuce and other toppings. Buckwheat flour is so 'Nagano', and the Western-style toppings is fitting of Hakuba's internation flair.

During a recent visit to Hakuba, I got to try Hakuba Galette for the first time at Hakuba Goryu's Escal Plaza. I loved the Nagano and Western combination of flavors.

Hakuba Galette -- the next big thing from Hakuba?

白馬ガレット Hakuba Galette





安曇野シリーズ: お勧めのスイーツは北アルプス牧場のソフトアイス  Azumino Series: Softserve Icecream

2013.09.05: グルメFoodie

Mari enjoying her softserve ice cream at the Northern Alps Ranch

安曇野シリーズにあたって、3時のおやつのお勧め所も紹介しないといけないですよね。地元の友人に連れてもらったのは:

北アルプス牧場

ここの手作り牧場ソフトクリームは私の今まで食べたソフトクリームの中で一番美味しい。さすが牧場の手作り。

私はブルーベリートッピングだったが、友人は醤油にした。(変わっていて美味しいかも。)

安曇野巡りの際、ソフトクリーム@北アルプス牧場はお勧めです♪

For this "Azumino Series" of suggested places to see, I would be remiss if I didn't add a spot to get your 3-o'clock snack. So here it is:

Kita Arupusu Bokujyou, err, the Northern Alps Ranch.

Not much of a ranch per se, but their handmade softserve ice cream is some of the best I've ever had.

I had it topped with blueberries, and my buddy tried the soy sauce topping. (I took a taste, too, and suggest sticking with the blueberry one.)







安曇野シリーズ: 隠れそば処「常念」 Azumino Series: Hidden Soba Shop "Jonen"

2013.09.03: グルメFoodie

長野県の安曇野地区は去年のNHK朝練「おひさま」から始まって、人気観光スポットとなってきました。最寄の高速インターの名前が「安曇野IC」に変更になったぐらい。

先日は家族のドライブで出かけてみましたので、皆様の安曇野冒険に役に立つ情報を少しでも提供したいと思います。

まずは、食べるところ。安曇野で言えば、大王わさび園がもちろん有名ですが、お蕎麦もかなり注目されている。

と思ったが、おそば屋さんを探すのに苦労しました。定休日や廃業日に当たったりして、やっと4件目で見付けたのは:

そば処「常念」

県道から離れていた、隠れていた場所に広い庭園の中の昔の豪農の敷地・家をそのままおそば屋になったお店。庭園を眺めながらその骨董品で溢れているインテリアーを楽しめる。

若女将のお勧めは「天ざる」です。

Just north of Matsumoto City is one of Nagano Prefecture's more popular sightseeing destinations: Azumino. It's always had a plethora of visitors coming to the Daio Wasabi Farm and to see the various museums along the Azumino Art Line. But last year's NHK Morning 'Drama' "O-Hisama" propelled Azumino into the nation's conscience. Now the area is so popular, even the local expressway interchange has been renamed "Azumino IC".

Our family recently went for drive to Azumino and I'll post about a few of the places we went to in the hopes it will make you readers want to go and enjoy Azumino, too.

First off, food, as all good trips should do. Azumino has a reputation for yummy soba noodles, but we ended up having a heck of a time finding a noodle shop. A combination of hitting shops on their day off, and shops permanently being 'off', it took us 4 tries to finally find:

Soba-dokoro Jonen.

Hidden on a side street off the main thoroughfares, Jonen is situated in the house and grounds of an Edo-era wealthy farmer. So you can enjoy a view of the formal Japanese garden as well as the interior decorated with a variety of antiques as you have some of Nagano's finest soba.

Note: Kamesei's junior proprietress' recommendation: the tempura soba set.

そば処「常念」 Soba-dokoro Jonen







アメ人が納得できるバーガー American-Approved Hamburger

2013.08.13: グルメFoodie

我々アメ人はハンバーガーにうるさいです。時にはマクドやビッグボイで我慢するけど、本格的なバーガーを食べたい時に本格的なバーガーを食べたい。上田市にこのアメ人が納得できるバーガー屋さんを見つけました: Mush&Room Cafeというダーツバー。自家製パンから手作り感で溢れているバーガー、その美味しい事!

Us Americans are picky when it comes to hamburgers. Sure we put up with the occasional Mickey D's or Big Boy, but when we get a hankering for a 'real' hamburger, only a 'real' hamburger will do. Fortunately, I found such a burger in Ueda, at a darts bar called "Mush & Room Cafe". From their insignia-imprinted buns, this burger was overflowing with home-made goodness. Highly recommended!

Mush & Room Cafe







駒ヶ根名物「ソースかつ」 良い所を教えます♪ Komagane's Famous "Sauce Katsu": My Recommendation

2013.08.01: グルメFoodie

信州竹取御膳

(駒ヶ根シリーズの続き)
「地元B級グルメ」の成功事例の一つ:駒ヶ根の名物「ソースかつ」。中央道の駒ヶ根SAでソースかつ。高速から降りてどっかで食べるとソースかつ。駒ヶ岳のロープウィーで上がって千畳敷カールのホテルでソースかつ。とにかく、ソースかつ。

その甘くて美味しい事!私は大好き。

さあ、問題はどこでも食べれる中でどのお店を選ぶかと。良い所の一つを教えます: 東衛門。

駒ヶ根ICから降りてロープウィーの乗り場へ向かって3分の所。建物は茅葺屋根の古民家で、入口に何と足湯がある。そんな嬉しい所がなくてもお料理の見た目、味、ボリュームそしてスタッフの笑顔、お勧めです。その渋い建物と早太朗温泉のお湯を使った足湯、なお良いです。
(子供達が先に召し上がり終って、待っている間に足湯を楽しんでもらえた。私達ママとパパがゆっくり食べれて、良かった!)

(Next in a series on the Komagane area.)
Every region in Japan seems to be trying to come up with its own "famous" local cuisine. Komagane is on success story, with its Sauce Katsu. Usually tonkatsu (readed pork fillets) is served with an egg sauce on top. Komagane's Sauce Katsu features a sweet sauce instead. And it is delicious!

You can get Sauce Katsu at the Komagane service area on the Chuo Expressway. You can get Sauce Katsu at any number of restaurants in town. You can even get Sauce Katsu at the hotel at the top of the Komagatake Ropeway at Senjojike Cirque. With all of those places to choose from, which restaurant to select? Well, I am here to help with one particularly good recommendation: Toemon.

Toemon's building is actually an old farmhouse with a thatched roof. And at the entrance, they have a fantastic footbath! But even without those bonuses, the tonkatsu here is superb in presentation, taste and volume, and the staff's friendly smiles all make for my highest recommendation.
(The footbath was great for when our kids finished eating first -- they could enjoy soaking their feet while their Mom and I leisurely enjoyed our meal.)

南信の代表的な宿、二人静の直営レストラン、東衛門 Toemon



Toemon's Footbath and Thatched Roof Building


Misaki and an old fashioned melon cream float that's almost as big as she is!





信州の地酒でまたカンパイ! Time for "Kanpai" with Nagano Sake Again

2013.07.23: グルメFoodie

信州は伝統的な高質な地酒で本当に恵まれている。その良さを記念(祝い?)する為に、信州の地酒の集まり「醸和会」の主催「カンパイFes」はまた2013年に開催されるそうです。

3年目となるイベントで、今年は9月13日(金)18:30分に行われる。長野県全体の宿、お店、自宅、どこでも良いのでとにかく夕方6:30となる一斉に信州の地酒でカンパイ!

今年は「東信・南信vs北信中信」のカンパイダービーがテーマ―だそうです。

亀清旅館は信州の地酒を当然、応援しております。特に高質の三つを揃った「飲み比べセット」もございます。

この9月13日に信州の地酒の記念で一緒に乾杯しましょう!

Nagano Prefecture is fortunate to have many traditional, high quality sake breweries. In honor (and celebration?), the Jowakai brewers association has started the Kanpai Fes, and it will once again be held in 2013. This, the 3rd running of the event, will take place on Friday 13-September at precisely 6:30pm. People in inns and pubs and households throughout the prefecture will toast each other with Nagano-made sake. This year's theme is a Kanpai Derby between the South & East Nagano and North and Central Nagano halves.

We at Kamesei Ryokan are doing our best to support Nagano's sake breweries. We have a sampler set featuring 3 of the best for our guests to try.

This September 13th, join us in a toast with Nagano sake!

醸和会Nagano Sake Brewers



Kamesei's Nagano Sake Sampler Set


幻のシュネー Magical Schnee

2013.06.12: グルメFoodie

野沢温泉シリーズ#3: ペンションシュネー。

山菜狩りツアーを紹介しました。
採ってきた山菜を調理してくれる宿を紹介しました。
お風呂は以前に紹介しました常磐屋旅館の伝説の千人風呂に入りました。
後は紹介したいのは、今回に昼ごはんにお世話になったペンシオンシュネーです。

お店の造りはログハウス?日本古民家?
インテリアーはステインドグラスで洋風?標縄で純和風?
場所は野沢温泉の毛無山の麓でお店は花ががふんだんに飾っているけど山はその延長?
スタッフとお料理は若手の情熱で溢れる…

幻なお店。

野沢温泉への旅の際、昼食でもペンションシュネーへ是非にどうぞ。

#3 in this Nozawa Onsen series: Pension Schnee.

So far I've mentioned a fascinating sansai gathering tour,
and introduced an inn that offers to prepare the sansai you picked and serve it to you for your dinner.
During my recent trip to Nozawa Onsen, of course I took the time for a bath in Nozawa's legendary onsen water. I've mentioned Tokiwaya Ryokan's famous "1000-person Bath" in the past, and this trip I finally got a chance to bathe in it.
But there is one more place I would like to introduce: the magical Pension Schnee.

We went to Pension Schnee for lunch. The building is part western with log house and Bavarian Alps accents, but has Japanese 'Kominka' classic farmhouse features, too. The interior is also a blend of Western (beautiful stained glass) and Japanese (Shinto 'shimenawa' ropes). The hotel has a plethora of flowers in their planter boxes and entrance way, which seemlessly blend with Nozawa's ski slopes stretching up Mt. Kenashi. The staff and the cooking reflects the enthusiasm of their youthfulness.

All in all, a magical place.

On your trip to Nozawa Onsen, I highly recommend a stop at Schnee!

ペンションシュネー Pension Schnee



Stained glass and Western accents ...


... with Japanese 'shimenawa'


Such a magical setting for lunch


Blend of Western and Nozawa Sansai





千曲川だからこそ:つけば小屋 Because it's the Chikuma River: Tsukeba Fish Shack

2013.05.23: グルメFoodie

川魚が好きな人にたまらない: つけば。

つけば小屋は千曲川のこの辺の独特の文化。上流は佐久市辺りから、下流は松代周辺まで点々としている。元々は川の真ん中に丸石を山にして、はやが卵を産みに来て、綱で採る、魚が「つけ」てくる「ば」しょ。今ははや釣りはそのまま、解禁後は鮎の友釣りの道具やえさの販売、そしてつけ場によって魚料理を提供するレストランともなっている。

先日は東京からのテレビクルーとスイスから来たお客さんと4人で正村つけばに行きました。川沿いの小屋で、川の流れを見ながら川魚のコースを食べて、別な世界です。皆さんが大喜び。

これからの時期ははやから鮎に切れ変えます。正村つけばは7月末まで続く予定です。2500円と3000円の2コースから選ばれます。

正村 090-5209-6590 平林さん

For fans of river fish, nothing can beat Tsukeba.

Tsukeba fish shacks are unique to our area. They dot the Chikuma River from as far upstream as Saku, and downstream as far as Matsushiro. Traditionally, 'tsukeba' describes a place ('ba'), actually a rocky mound in the river, where a river fish called 'haya' comes ('tsuke') to nest. They are caught by a net and typically skewered and grilled over a flame. Tsukeba have evolved to also include bait and other services for people fishing for 'ayu' sweetfish later in the season, and some Tsukeba also operate as restaurants where guests can enjoy a multiple-course meal featuring river fish prepared in various ways.

I recently went to Shomura Tsukeba here along the banks of the Chikuma River in front of our onsen town Togura-Kamiyamada. The cuisine was excellent -- you can't get any more 'local' or 'seasonal' than river fish -- and the setting there along the river took us to a different dimension. Enjoying the haya and ayu delicacies while watching the river steadily flow by and feeling the breeze on your face is something you can only experience here along the Chikuma River and now, during the haya and ayu season.

Shomura Tsukeba offers two courses, 2,500 yen and 3,000 yen. They will soon be transitioning from haya to ayu, and plan on running through the end of July.

Shomura Tsukeba. Tel# 090-5209-6590 Hirabayashi-san. Or feel free to call us here at Kamesei Ryokan 026-275-1032, to make a reservation.



Shomura Tsukeba on the Chikuma River


Haya swimming in the tank


Salt-rubbed grilled haya


Denraku miso and Karaage Fried


Haya tempura


Salt-rubbed grilled ayu