Today, I had lunch here. I traveled all the way to Tamba Sasayama. After making a reservation a few weeks ago, I arrived after navigating a narrow, winding road. Since it was a weekday, there was only one other group besides us. The restaurant offers only a course menu, creating a serene atmosphere.◆ Lunch Course: JPY 7,700, tax Included + 10% service charge- Kuromame Tea- Cucumber Tasting (3 varieties)- Wild Vegetable Salad- Roasted Venison, Uwabami Greens, Sasayama Asparagus, Dashimaki Tamago (Japanese rolled omelet), Zucchini, and Pickled Onion Leaves- Soba ①- Sweetened Onion with Nanko Plum- Soba ②- Hand-Rolled Soba- Tororo Soba (grated yam)- Pickled Cucumbers, Pickled Red Onions, and Ume (plum)- Soba Yu (hot water used to rinse soba)- Minazuki (sweet rice cake)- Matcha (green tea)◆ Ordered Drink- Homemade Drink (Ginger Ale): JPY 770, tax IncludedDuration of Stay: 2 hours 10 minutesTotal Amount: JPY 9,300, tax & service charge Included*Payment is cash only.------- Details -------First, I started with the Kuromame Tea. This tea features large Tamba black beans floating in it, releasing a delightful aroma. The black beans are also delicious to eat.Next was the cucumber tasting. To my surprise, there were three different types of sliced cucumbers with varying seasonings… without any explanation of the flavors! The one on the right was plain, the middle one had a sweetness reminiscent of watermelon, and the left one tasted like sesame oil? I’m not quite sure what they were trying to convey here.Next up was the wild vegetable salad. It included marshmallow, sorrel, dandelion leaves, zucchini, carrots, dried enoki mushrooms, and sansho oil. This dish showcased the unique flavors of the mountains, without any strange aftertaste, harmonizing beautifully with the sansho oil and enoki.The fourth dish was an assorted platter. It featured roasted venison, Uwabami greens, Sasayama asparagus, dashimaki tamago, zucchini, and pickled onion leaves, served with sansho miso and soy sauce. Each ingredient was seasoned to highlight its natural flavors, and adding a bit of sansho miso or soy sauce enhanced the taste. The roasted venison was tender and moist, while the Sasayama asparagus was fresh and delightful.For the fifth dish, I had the first type of soba. This soba was a blend from four regions, including Fukui. It had a refreshing aroma, was finely cut, and had a firm texture. The dipping sauce was based on honkarebushi (dried bonito), rich and flavorful, just to my liking.The sixth dish was sweetened onion with Nanko plum. Small onions were cooked with Nanko plums, resulting in a soft and sweet onion that paired well with the tartness of the plum and the dashi broth, bridging the flavors between the soba dishes.The seventh dish featured the second type of soba. This soba was from Takachiho, coarsely ground. It was slightly softer, thick-cut, and had a robust flavor with a sweet note that lingered in the nose. The dipping sauce used yakibushi (grilled bonito), which complemented the soba perfectly.The eighth dish was hand-rolled soba. This was like sushi, with soba, kinshi tamago (shredded egg), anago (conger eel), and nori (seaweed). It had a slight vinegar flavor, truly resembling hand-rolled sushi! This combination was quite enjoyable.For the ninth dish, the third type of soba was tororo. Here, you could choose from duck broth, grated daikon, or sakura ebi tempura. The tororo was sticky, served with freshly grated wasabi and a rich dipping sauce, making for a delightful experience.After enjoying the soba, I had the rich soba yu, which was creamy. Each dipping sauce used was different, so I first enjoyed the variations… then I recommend dissolving the ume for added flavor. The pickled cucumbers and red onions provided a refreshing contrast.Finally, I concluded the course with Minazuki, featuring well-textured adzuki beans, and matcha. It was a great meal. Experiencing soba kaiseki in the mountains of Sasayama was a rare treat. Although it’s a bit difficult to access, if you love soba, I highly recommend visiting at least once.*Rating at the time of visit: 4.01