2015年06月30日
Ritsurin Gourmet Spots
Ritsurin Garden is easily one of Japan’s most beautiful and extensive traditional gardens, as indicated by its 3-star Michelin Guide status. While there are places inside the garden to buy snacks or light meals, it’s also fun to try the restaurants nearby. Here I introduce three that are located near the north gate.
Hotori is literally just outside Ritsurin’s north gate and only 3 minutes from JR Ritsurin Kitaguchi station.
It has a lovely Japanese-style interior complete with a gallery space. It also sells local handicrafts.
One popular item on the menu is an enormously thick slice of sweet potato toast topped with soft ice cream and sweet roasted soy flour. I opted, however, for their regular lunch set. Lunches are JPY950 plus JPY 150 if you order a beverage with it.
Hotori is open from 9:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday, and from 8:00 to 18:00 on Sundays and Holidays, and closed Wednesdays and every 3rd Tuesday.
Address: 32-3 Nakanocho, Takamatsu. No smoking, 10 parking spaces on east side
http://www.ku-zou.com/shop/hotori/
Hitori Shizuka is a café 3-minutes’ walk north of Ritsurin Kitaguchi Station and just 5-minutes from Ritsurin Garden. Run by the owner of the elegant inn next door, it offers a quiet hideaway with a warm and friendly atmosphere, which might be explained by the fact that it’s a real family affair. It’s run by the owner and her daughter-in-law.
The lunch made with locally-produced foods comes with a very generous amount of coffee or tea for only JPY850.
There is also a Japanese breakfast menu, sweets and an assortment of coffees and teas.
It’s a very popular place so it’s best to make a reservation if you can.
Address: 4-10 Nakano-cho, Takamatsu. 6 parking spots. Hours: 8:00 to 16:00. Closed Sundays, Mondays and national holidays. Map: http://cafe-shizuka.com/map.shtml TEL: 087-861-0530
Finally, a gourmet guide in Takamatsu would not be complete without the local specialty, Sanuki udon noodles. Here let me introduce Matsushita Udon. Established 49 years ago as a noodle factory to supply schools and businesses, it continues the old fashioned-Sanuki custom of serving bowls of noodles on the side to customers who drop in.
The shop owner and master udon maker
Customers heat their own noodles in a vat of hot water and put on their own toppings. Matsushita is a huge favorite with locals and at lunch time you will often see people standing outside and enjoying a bowl of noodles when there’s no room left inside. One bowl costs 200 yen, plus 90 to 100 yen per side dish of tempura, egg, etc.
Heating
Topping
Ready for eating!
Matsushita also makes soba and ramen noodles, which are served with udon soup and, in the case of ramen, pepper. It’s fast, cheap and delicious. It’s open from 7:00 to 17:30 but closes earlier when they run out of noodles. See the URL for a map.
http://www.my-kagawa.jp/udon/detail.php?id=29
For more info on Takamatsu and etc:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/
http://tia-takamatsu.jp/
http://www.my-kagawa.jp/eg/
http://setouchiexplorer.com/
Hotori is literally just outside Ritsurin’s north gate and only 3 minutes from JR Ritsurin Kitaguchi station.
It has a lovely Japanese-style interior complete with a gallery space. It also sells local handicrafts.
One popular item on the menu is an enormously thick slice of sweet potato toast topped with soft ice cream and sweet roasted soy flour. I opted, however, for their regular lunch set. Lunches are JPY950 plus JPY 150 if you order a beverage with it.
Hotori is open from 9:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday, and from 8:00 to 18:00 on Sundays and Holidays, and closed Wednesdays and every 3rd Tuesday.
Address: 32-3 Nakanocho, Takamatsu. No smoking, 10 parking spaces on east side
http://www.ku-zou.com/shop/hotori/
Hitori Shizuka is a café 3-minutes’ walk north of Ritsurin Kitaguchi Station and just 5-minutes from Ritsurin Garden. Run by the owner of the elegant inn next door, it offers a quiet hideaway with a warm and friendly atmosphere, which might be explained by the fact that it’s a real family affair. It’s run by the owner and her daughter-in-law.
The lunch made with locally-produced foods comes with a very generous amount of coffee or tea for only JPY850.
There is also a Japanese breakfast menu, sweets and an assortment of coffees and teas.
It’s a very popular place so it’s best to make a reservation if you can.
Address: 4-10 Nakano-cho, Takamatsu. 6 parking spots. Hours: 8:00 to 16:00. Closed Sundays, Mondays and national holidays. Map: http://cafe-shizuka.com/map.shtml TEL: 087-861-0530
Finally, a gourmet guide in Takamatsu would not be complete without the local specialty, Sanuki udon noodles. Here let me introduce Matsushita Udon. Established 49 years ago as a noodle factory to supply schools and businesses, it continues the old fashioned-Sanuki custom of serving bowls of noodles on the side to customers who drop in.
The shop owner and master udon maker
Customers heat their own noodles in a vat of hot water and put on their own toppings. Matsushita is a huge favorite with locals and at lunch time you will often see people standing outside and enjoying a bowl of noodles when there’s no room left inside. One bowl costs 200 yen, plus 90 to 100 yen per side dish of tempura, egg, etc.
Heating
Topping
Ready for eating!
Matsushita also makes soba and ramen noodles, which are served with udon soup and, in the case of ramen, pepper. It’s fast, cheap and delicious. It’s open from 7:00 to 17:30 but closes earlier when they run out of noodles. See the URL for a map.
http://www.my-kagawa.jp/udon/detail.php?id=29
For more info on Takamatsu and etc:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Takamatsu
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/
http://tia-takamatsu.jp/
http://www.my-kagawa.jp/eg/
http://setouchiexplorer.com/
My Profile
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
Cathy Hirano キャシー ヒラノ
I've lived in Japan since 1978. After graduating from a Japanese university with a BA in cultural anthropology in 1983, I worked as a translator in a Japanese consulting engineering firm in Tokyo for several years. My Japanese husband and I moved to Takamatsu in 1987 to raise our two children in a slower-paced environment away from the big city pressures. We've never regretted it. I work as a freelance translator and interpreter and am involved in a lot of community work, including volunteering for Second Hand, a local NGO that supports educational and vocational training initiatives in Cambodia, and for the Takamatsu International Association. I love living in Takamatsu.
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