I visited Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama, one of the three Michelin three-star restaurants in Osaka, for lunch. The exterior resembles a traditional family home. We were seated in a private room, which offered a spacious environment.The menu for the day seems to span from the solar terms of Shoman to Boushu. It begins with a dish inspired by the Ice House, featuring a sakaki leaf as a garnish.〇 Appetizer: Octopus, Hamo (pike eel), Nagaimo (Japanese yam), Daikon (Japanese radish), Shiso (perilla) The octopus has a nice chewy texture, and the jelly pairs well with Japanese sake. At this point, I hadn’t ordered any alcohol, but since it was a celebratory reservation, I was offered a sip of Junmai sake, Mutsu Hassen (I didn’t manage to take a photo). Additionally, as part of the celebration, I was served red rice and sea bream, which was incredibly delicious.〇 Soup: Hamo, Minazuki Tofu, Ume (plum), White Cucumber, Yuzu The aroma of the dashi (broth) is excellent. The tofu topped with adzuki beans pairs well with the salted ume and hamo. The dashi is so good that I wish they would serve a cup with every dish.〇 Sashimi: Sea Bream, Bonito, Squid, Daikon, Cucumber, Shiso, Sansho (Japanese pepper), Tosa Soy Sauce, Wasabi Miso The squid is tender and melts in your mouth, while the bonito is marinated and has a rich umami flavor, unlike the supermarket variety. The sea bream also has a depth of flavor that suggests it’s been aged. I was skeptical when told that the wasabi miso pairs well with everything, but it truly does. However, the soy sauce is also delicious, making it hard to choose which to use.〇 Cold Dish: Winter Melon Somen (thin noodles), Sweet Shrimp, Onsen Tamago (hot spring egg), Shiitake, Mitsuba (Japanese wild parsley), Wasabi, Yuzu The winter melon somen and shrimp are similar in thickness, which is interesting. I wish the wasabi had a stronger kick.〇 Assorted Delicacies: Scallops, Cucumber, Sesame Dressing (white celery, Rikyu-fu, new burdock), Pine Nuts, Egg Cake, New Ginger, Snap Peas, Flower Myoga While I usually associate assorted delicacies with strong flavors and many snacks, this selection was refreshing and included many sweet elements.〇 Grilled Dish: Sweetfish, Yuzu Vinegar The small sweetfish can be eaten whole, head and all. The slightly bitter sweetfish pairs perfectly with the yuzu vinegar. I learned that this sweetfish is from Lake Biwa. On its own, it seemed a bit small and not particularly impressive, but the yuzu vinegar elevated the dish.〇 Bowl Dish: Isaki (grunt), Osaka Round Eggplant, Green Chili, Ginger I usually don’t think of Isaki as a particularly tasty fish, but this one was delicious. Perhaps it’s due to the flavorful dashi.〇 Rice: Corn Rice, Sato Mame (three-way beans) I often think of corn rice as rice cooked with corn, but this version had grilled corn sprinkled on top, which was delightful. I loved it. The rice is refillable, and there’s also an option for plain rice with chirimen sansho (dried baby sardines with Japanese pepper), so I opted for that for my second bowl. The chirimen sansho was plentiful but not overly salty, making it just right.〇 Soup: Tofu, Mitsuba, Ground Sansho, Red Miso Soup 〇 Dessert: Cherry, Watermelon, Kiwi, Pineapple, Honey Jelly The dessert featured cherries, which evoke the scent of summer. The honey jelly was delicious.〇 Sweet: Himuro-mori Served with matcha, the chewy kuzumochi (kuzu dumpling) was delightful (I forgot to take a photo!).Overall, there weren’t any surprising standout dishes, but the quality of the Japanese cuisine was consistently high.As for drinks, I debated about pairing options, but I thought 60cc x 8 cups might be a bit much, so I skipped it. The umeshu (plum wine) (JPY 1600) is homemade and very refreshing and delicious. I also tried the Kuro-ushi (JPY 1800), an unfiltered, raw Junmai sake. As someone who usually prefers ginjo sake, I was surprised, but it paired well with the food and was enjoyable.