On the second day of my Shizuoka trip during Silver Week, I finally had the chance to visit "Maison KEI" for lunch, a long-awaited experience. I had made a reservation for the VOYAGE course in advance.I had expected the restaurant to be deeper in the mountains, but it was surprisingly close to the foothills. After calling a taxi from Gotemba Station, I arrived in about 15 minutes and entered the restaurant.Once seated at my table, I received an explanation of the course and additional options available.The meal began with four amuse-bouches, each offering a unique experience that heightened my anticipation for the upcoming dishes. The soup de poisson and the appetizer featuring Hamadai and mandarin were both made with fish sourced from Shizuoka, and the balance between the cold and hot dishes was excellent. Then came the restaurant's specialty, the garden-style salad, which I had been particularly looking forward to. This salad featured around 40 different types of vegetables and was incredibly delicious—so much so that I was left speechless.For the fish course, I had the grilled skin of Kinmedai served with a beurre blanc sauce, and beneath the skin was a tapenade. For the meat, I opted for the Gunma Tsumugi Wagyu after changing my selection. The accompanying mushrooms were also from Shizuoka, and the green sauce was made with watercress. You could truly appreciate the skill in extracting the flavors of the ingredients and the cooking techniques.The final dessert was a Vacherin, served with sweet red bean paste and pear compote underneath, along with a red wine and hibiscus sauce. It was an artistic dish worthy of such an exquisite course.To finish, I enjoyed a financier filled with Toraya's sweet red bean paste, paired with tea.I don't know when I'll be able to return, but I definitely want to visit this restaurant again the next time I have the opportunity to go to Shizuoka.
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