in shiga, japan (june’24)

following yukimoto, we drove towards lake biwa to this beautiful estate for a dinner and stay. the restaurant is very focused on sourcing from its surroundings, from ingredients, plates and even some of the wines from its pairing.

started with lightly grilled spring peas with amago roe and pickled sakura from the previous season, a simple sea bream sashimi salad plate with a light touch of ume dressing which i loved. as its ayu season, one of them gems of the summer season in lake biwa, was really looking forward to sampling how they’d creatively prepare this widely available summer ingredient. it was fried in a fritter along with bitter herbs, balancing the bitterness of the fish well, so good. one of my favourites of the night was the barbecued zucchini in a hona leaf, with a sabayon dip from zucchini seeds and a homemade furikake. main dish of a local wild deer, served with a deer heart and deer sausage was excellent before ending the savouries with a gohan, which was burdock and heshiko (dried and salted masu).

a long and very substantial menu, with everything unique to its terroir applied with a innovative twist, as well as a super welcoming team and the most beautiful stay, all-in-all making it an extremely worthwhile journey. its also only an hour-ish drive from kyoto, so definitely a place i’d recommend for families or as a quick getaway, especially during the beautiful spring and summer months.
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dinner course: (¥20,000)
✨snap peas, amago roe, sakura
shiitake, dried duck ham, lemon
sea bream salad
✨crispy ayu and bitter herbs
✨bbq zucchini, hoba, biwako furikake
amadai, wakame, watercress
✨wild deer and young alliums
✨burdock and heshiko rice
✨amazake, hassaku, dill
mint, sansho, adoberry
last bites
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would revisit: yes
reservations online
price range pp: ¥10,000-¥30,000
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📍RESTAURANT SOWER
location: 2064 nishiazaicho oura, nagahama, shiga
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