Because I really love Nara and miss 'Yamamura' at 'Kiyomizu', I originally planned to visit 'Flat City' again after five years, but unfortunately, the timing wasn't right, so I had to give up.

However, while doing at home, I flipped through old photos and reminisced, bringing back the fragrance and taste from that time, which made me want to tell you about my favorite dishes.

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01

Michelin three-star, only one in Nara

When taking the JR Nara Line New Station, walk northeast for about 5 minutes, and Yamamura is hidden in a corner of this residential area. It's a simple, unassuming family house with only one room used for business.

We got a little lost when we went, so we called and got directions from a passerby.

A simple storefront

Red coordinate is Yamamura

Yamamura is said to be the only Michelin three-star restaurant in Nara, and it has been through many years of assessments, becoming a rare treasure in this small city of Nara.

Although it's a Michelin restaurant, Yamamura is much like a family restaurant, with a friendly atmosphere and prices that aren't ridiculously high. It stands out as a friendly restaurant among many Michelin restaurants.

02

Seasonal limited, embodying the four seasons

Good dishes tend to follow the seasons, while retaining tradition and constantly innovating. Yamamura is like this.It is skilled in blending seasonal ingredients into dishes.This exquisite little eatery.

In Japan's food website, 'Kappo·Small Dishes' and 'Kaiseki·Feasting Dishes' Yamamura, simultaneously possesses the intimacy of 'Kappo (traditional Japanese restaurant)' with an open kitchen and the artistry and taste of 'Kaiseki'.

The restaurant's owner, Mr. Yamanuma, can skillfully utilize seasonal ingredients, and through meticulous crafting, magically presents them before us.

• First Course (Appetizer):In front of me, 'Small Yam' is a dish of yam balls soaked in sesame oil, with a layer of sea urchin on top, sprinkled with edible gold powder, very beautiful. The yam balls are soft and chewy with a grainy texture; the sea urchin is fresh and delicious, melting in your mouth. At the same time, a glass of iced plum wine was also served.

• Soup (Soup):Seaweed soup is the base, with fresh and flavorful young fish meat and silky tofu eggs, plus small lemon peel and chopped autumn crocus, fragrant and slightly bitter and refreshing. It must be mentioned that the lacquer bowl used for serving soup is very beautiful, adding a sense of exquisite and refined beauty.

• Sashimi (Sashimi Platter):There are tuna, Japanese pike, squid, shrimp, and all the ingredients are very fresh, especially squid is in season, eaten in the order from less to more intense, which brings great satisfaction!

Friend's other set meal sashimi platter is slightly different, both sashimi slices↓

• Hakata (Small Platter):Finally arrived at the main course. 'Hakata' refers to several dishes with seasonal themes, carefully paired and presented. Generally, the forward dishes are seasonal vegetables, and the seafood dishes are behind. To achieve a balanced and layered taste. Colorful matching and dish styling also create a unified and exquisite design.

When going, it was the peak of summer, I had a dish made of tofu skin, silver shrimp, wild chrysanthemum, cedar leaf, and other exquisite seasonal dishes, decorated with summer maple leaves. Each dish is adorned with summer maple leaves.

Yellow one is cedar leaf, made with bean sauce and plum, also a seasonal dish. Plum is made fresh with the natural ingredients, with a delicate and soft texture, contains a refreshing fiber texture.

Friend's dish is decorated with petals, more cute~

Stew (Stew):

• Made of winter melon, pumpkin, burdock root, eggplant, dried tofu skin, the shape is also designed according to 'controlled beauty'. Pumpkin is molded into small balls, eggplant is green, and there's some soup base in the bowl, overall it tastes fresh and light, foreshadowing the end of this meal.Rice (Rice):

• Kaiseki cuisine often doesn't serve rice until the end of the meal, I had a bowl of rice with sandfish, and the fish was topped with rice, which was fragrant and satisfying. Served with a miso soup, complete and fulfilling.Dessert:

To end the meal, a fruit jelly with summer sweetness.

• Traditional Kaiseki cuisine is served one dish at a time, the chef will also pay attention to the guest's dining progress and make some arrangements and adjustments. This meal took us a full three hours, which is a rare and precious experience.03

• 'One time, one encounter' with foodEvery visitor who comes to Yamamura receives a handwritten message from Mr. Yamanuma. On the back of the paper menu that can be taken away, it says 'In the ancient city of Nara, Yamamura, thank you for your visit', which is said to be the tradition of this restaurant.

• With painstaking care, making the food and treating every guest with care, is what Yamamura brings me my initial experience with Kaiseki cuisine. Although I don't quite understand 'what is tradition, what is orthodox', it uses delicious and beautiful food, friendly and gentle, to heal my heart and stomach.And the 'seasonal limited' innovation means that the dishes are different every year and every season, each experience is 'one time, one encounter', full of unknowns and surprises.

Just like our lives, the encounter with things needs fate, and it needs to cherish it.

Do you have any stories about 'encountering food'?

Welcome to share with me~ I'm Sean, and I'm here to chat with you about delicious food. See you next time!

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