Seasonal kaiseki centered on Akagi beef, savored course by course with the menu card as your guide.
Dinner at Nagomigokoro No Yado Omori — Stay Experience Report
Stepping into the dining hall at night and opening the menu card at our seat, we could see the whole flow of that evening's kaiseki course at a glance — mukozuke, an assortment of small dishes, the main course, the rice course, and seasonal fruit to finish. Waiting and imagining what the next dish would be is part of the pleasure of a ryokan dinner.
From sea bream and salmon sashimi and a colorful assortment of small dishes, to Akagi beef sukiyaki hot pot cooked tableside, mountain vegetable tempura, and dessert — we'll walk you through the dinner we actually enjoyed, in the order the courses arrived, with photos.
What stood out about this dinner
The menu card lets you follow the whole flow of the kaiseki course / Small dishes to enjoy one at a time / Akagi beef sukiyaki hot pot finished tableside as the star of the meal / A partitioned hall where solo diners can relax too
The night dinner hall, wrapped in chandelier light
The dinner venue is the same large banquet hall used for breakfast, divided by sliding shoji screens decorated with horse silhouettes. In the evening the chandeliers come on, giving the room a slightly more elegant feel than during the day. With each table given a comfortable amount of privacy, we could relax and enjoy our kaiseki course without worrying too much about our surroundings.
The dinner hall at night, lit by chandeliers
At our seat we found “Omori’s Journey, Bound to Horses,” a booklet introducing the ryokan's history. The story since its founding is told through gentle illustrations and text, so the wait for the first course never felt boring. It also slowly reveals why horse motifs appear throughout the inn.
A hand-drawn sheet tracing the inn's story since its founding
The menu card listed that day's dishes in order — “opening dish,” “mukozuke,” “assorted side dishes,” “main course,” “rice course,” and “seasonal fruit.” Being able to see the whole flow of the kaiseki meal made it fun to imagine how far along we were and what would arrive next.
The menu card tracing the flow of that day's kaiseki meal
Mukozuke and assorted side dishes that open the kaiseki meal
The kaiseki meal opened with sea bream and salmon sashimi — the mukozuke course. Served on a nishikide (colorful brocade-pattern) dish with shiso leaf and maple-leaf garnish, it carried a sense of the season from the very first plate. The green of the wasabi and shiso berries was beautiful too, making it a dish we wanted to admire for a while before picking up our chopsticks.
Sea bream and salmon sashimi — a colorful mukozuke course
A long, narrow dish held small portions of prosciutto skewers, sesame tofu, and grilled items. Being able to taste a sequence of small dishes with different flavors and textures naturally sets a pleasant rhythm from early on in the meal.
A little of many flavors — the assorted side-dish platter
The star of the meal: Akagi beef sukiyaki hot pot
At the center of the kaiseki meal is a sukiyaki-style hot pot made with Akagi beef. Once the tabletop burner is lit, the beef, enoki mushrooms, mizuna, and grilled tofu simmer away, releasing a sweet-savory aroma. Serving ourselves at just the right moment and dipping each bite into beaten egg was one of the most memorable parts of the whole dinner.
Akagi beef sukiyaki hot pot, simmering away
Tempura and kinome dengaku, for a touch of savory aroma
A bamboo container held rolled tempura, mountain vegetable tempura, and dengaku topped with kinome (sansho pepper leaf) miso. The light, crisp texture of the fried items alongside the rich, savory dengaku made for a nice change of pace after the sukiyaki hot pot.
Rolled tempura, and dengaku topped with kinome miso
A quiet close to the kaiseki: the soup bowl and rice
The soup bowl held a clear dashi broth with a round-cut kamaboko fish cake, shredded egg crepe, carrot, and mizuna. Coming after the showier main dishes, its gentle dashi flavor reset the palate.
Clear soup with a round slice of kamaboko afloat
The rice course came with steamed white rice, red miso soup, and pickles such as mountain vegetables and takuan. The red miso soup, finished with a touch of yuzu peel, gave off a refreshing citrus aroma.
Red miso soup with a hint of yuzuAn assortment of pickles adding color to the table
Two desserts to close the meal, one toasty, one cool
Dessert brought a milk pudding with a lightly torched, caramelized top, alongside a refreshing dish topped with kiwi gelée. Being able to taste both a rich, creamy flavor and a light, crisp one brought the long kaiseki meal to a gentle close.
Milk pudding with its surface lightly torched
Milk pudding and kiwi gelée, side by sideTopped with kiwi gelée
A drink to match the meal, Ikaho-style
The drink menu during our stay included draft and bottled beer, Ikaho's own craft beer “Ikahop,” along with sours, cocktails, and soft drinks. You can order whatever pairs best with your meal. The lineup can change, so please check the day's menu for the latest options.
The drink menu available in the dining hall
The benefits of booking a dinner plan on the official site
This time we booked a stay with breakfast and dinner included through the official Nagomigokoro No Yado Omori website. Being able to check whether dinner is included and confirm the meal conditions while choosing a plan made it easy to plan our schedule after arrival, and we could look forward to our stay knowing exactly what to expect from the dinner venue and serving time.
The content and number of dishes in the kaiseki meal can vary depending on the season and the plan booked. If you're hoping for a meal that includes Akagi beef, or looking for a meal plan available to solo travelers, it's worth checking room type, party size, and meal conditions all together on the official booking page.
Plans with breakfast and dinner, room types, and availability can all be checked on the official Nagomigokoro No Yado Omori reservation page.
An open-air bath at 800 meters above sea level, with views of Mt. Akagi and the Tanigawa mountain range — a relaxing moment wrapped in sky and mountains.
Frequently Asked Questions | Dinner at Nagomigokoro No Yado Omori
What is dinner like at Nagomigokoro No Yado Omori?
During our stay, dinner was a kaiseki course meal where we could enjoy a variety of dishes in small portions — mukozuke sashimi, colorful assorted side dishes, Akagi beef sukiyaki hot pot, tempura and dessert among them. A menu card was placed at our seat so we could check that day's dishes.
Can I order drinks at dinner?
Yes. Beer, sours, cocktails and soft drinks were all available to order alongside dinner during our stay. The lineup can change, so please check the day's menu.
What is the dinner venue like?
It's the same large banquet hall used for breakfast, divided by sliding shoji screens decorated with horse silhouettes. In the evening the chandeliers come on, adding a touch of elegance to the calm atmosphere.
