Overlooking the beautiful sea and the spectacular view unique to Kitaura, a town known for its fishermen!
Feel the air of the harbor with all your senses as you enjoy rocky shore cuisine filled with the bounty of nature.
A secluded ryokan nestled on a cliff where you can relax and enjoy yourself.
A secluded ryokan nestled on a bluff overlooking the harbor scenery
Kitaura Town in Nobeoka City boasts the largest catch of Japanese common sardines in Japan and has a thriving fishing and aquaculture industry.
The inn is located on a cliff overlooking the harbor, with only three guest rooms in total, where you can enjoy fresh seafood landed from the sea right in front of you, locally harvested vegetables, and cuisine using the finest local ingredients in the prefecture, in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. The inn is a retreat-like ryokan where you can spend your time in a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere.
In this report, we introduce the ”special lunch” offered for one year to commemorate the opening, the ”charcoal-grilled seafood” that can be enjoyed in the garden while gazing out at the sea, and other specialties unique to a fishing town. The report also introduces the facilities and features an interview with Shinnosuke Takahira, the owner of the ryokan.
Approximately 1 minute drive from the Kitaura Interchange on the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway.
The "Shioko-no-yado Takahiya" just opened in October last year (2013) is conveniently located about 1 minute by car from the Kitaura Interchange on the Higashi-Kyushu Expressway, which opened in March, and offers a panoramic view of Kitaura Town from all rooms as well as the garden.
Originally, the owner of Takahiraya, Shinnosuke Takahira, ran a ryotei restaurant "Marukin" with his parents in Kitaura-cho, and he decided to build a new ryokan because many tourists who visited the restaurant always asked for a place to stay and enjoy the cuisine. They decided to build a new ryokan in response to the many requests they received from tourists who visited the ryokan, who wanted to stay at the ryokan and enjoy the cuisine at a leisurely pace! The appearance of the ryokan looking up from the harbor in Kitaura Town is also a sight to behold.
A view of the garden in front of the entrance to the ryokan. The garden is maintained by the innkeeper, Mr. Takahira, his staff and family.
(Left) Can be used as a large Japanese-style room by removing partitions.
▲1st floor dining room (right)Groups are also available.
Cuisine Introduction - Seafood Charcoal Grill Set in the Garden☆.
Charcoal-grilled seafood (spring through fall only) from 3,000 yen (not included)
The set includes "Kaisen-yaki" (grilled seafood), which takes into consideration not only quality but also "palatability," such as Kitaura specialty rock oysters, scarlet fan clams popular for their rich flavor, large dried fish, and the owner's special fried fish, and a bowl of rice topped with pickled seasonal fish! This menu is served in the garden and is limited from spring to fall.
Only in Takahiraya can you enjoy eating seafood while looking at the magnificent scale of the ocean up close! You can enjoy a resort-style barbecue while feeling the local atmosphere with all your senses, which is completely different from outdoor marine leisure activities.
▲ Stunning marble table set with a massive feel.
Basic set of grilled seafood (rock oysters, 2 scarlet fan clams, homemade agede, turban shells, prawns, dried fish)
When placed on the grill, the delicious bubbling bubbles of flavor and the aroma of the sea wafts over you. The sumptuous course, which includes a variety of fish, shrimp, shellfish, and akemi, as well as a bowl of pickled seafood, is not to be missed by seafood lovers!
Incidentally, since the akemi is already cooked through, you can eat it just by roasting it over a charcoal fire. Also, if the shell is too thick among the rock oysters, remove the oyster from the shell when it is cooked to a certain degree, and grill it using the scarlet fan oyster shell as a vessel, so that it will be cooked quickly.
Seasonal fish on top of a bowl of rice topped with pickled vegetables
The seasoning liquid is prepared according to the fish used, and the fish is marinated at the perfect eating time.
The texture of the tender fish fillets and the rice soaked in the fish flavorful dipping sauce are so delicious that you will find yourself devouring it without uttering a word!
Lunch menu ☆.
The dish is prepared with fresh seafood freshly landed in Kitaura Town, locally grown vegetables and rice, and high quality Miyazaki Prefecture ingredients such as "Yamazaki Beef," which is only available at Takahiriya restaurants in the prefecture, as well as soy sauce and other seasonings made using traditional methods and without additives, and a proprietary sauce. The sauce is made with our own unique blend, without the use of pre-made products or additives.
Lunch 1,500 yen (not included)
*Content varies depending on availability.
The lunch price of 1,500 yen will be offered until October 2014 as a one-year limited offer to commemorate the opening of "Shioko-no-yado Takahiraya" in hopes that many people will visit the restaurant and enjoy the dishes made with Kitaura ingredients and other ingredients.
▲Ozori (left)
It is served with several kinds of fresh and seasonal fish landed that day.
Sashimi of surimi of Japanese common squid (right)
Kitaura Town has the largest catch of Japanese common sardines in Japan. The ”super” fresh ones just landed and the medium-sized ones that are not too fatty are carefully selected and only the meat is made into surimi, a precious delicacy!
Homemade Tofu
Tofu is made at Takahiraya and is pulled and has a slight sweetness to it. It is delicious on its own, but we recommend dipping it in our homemade sauce, which is light enough to drink!
Seasonal fish tataki
Tataki is grilled slightly around the edges to lock in the flavor. The fat from the fish is blended into the homemade sauce, which is specially formulated for tataki, and is well mixed with the tataki.
Surimi of Black Drum
This is one of the best products that can only be found at Takahiraya! The bones of the black rockfish are carefully surimi, and the surface is seared to give it an aromatic flavor. Since not many can be made, this dish is rarely served on the course!
Lunch 2,500 yen (not included) - Reference image: from the Takahiraya website
*Content varies depending on availability.
Another real pleasure of Takahiraya's cuisine is the array of pottery that the owner, Mr. Takahira, has been steadily collecting since his apprenticeship!
Since she was a child, her husband, Mr. Takahira, had envisioned that "in the future, when I have my own restaurant, I would like to decorate my favorite pottery with my own dishes and serve dishes in which the dishes and the food become one work of art.
He has been visiting kilns all over Japan to purchase pottery for his dream for a long time, and he has been ordering his own original pieces. He has collected more than 100 pieces of expensive pottery! Even now, he makes time to order from artists he has known since his apprenticeship, and also visits kilns to find the pottery he likes.
Only 3 rooms in total
The hotel has only three guest rooms in order to allow guests to relax and forget their daily routines and to provide attentive, detailed hospitality!
▲The large one-panel reception counter, with its massive presence, is impressive! Guests are registered in a ledger.
The interior of the building is a modern Japanese-style structure based on wood, and the corridors are filled with the warmth of wood and a soft atmosphere that makes you want to walk barefoot.
A set of thick one-piece table and chairs cut to fit the room!
The rooms are decorated in the colors of their respective themes. The flowers for the decorations are picked from the nearby mountains.
*For more information on fees and other details, please visit our website.
http://takahiraya.com
Interview with Shinnosuke Takahira, owner of Takahiraya
I have always wanted to be a chef since I was a child. Although I am still inexperienced and have many concerns, I want to create something that people will enjoy while carefully building it up one by one.
Q: When is the opening?
It was October 2013. We had been preparing for this project for quite some time, but as you can see, we built it on high ground, so it took quite a while (laughs)."
Q: How did you get started?
For the past 10 years, Kitaura Town, along with its neighbor Saiki City in Oita Prefecture, has been working on a "new project.Higashi-Kyushu Ise-Ebi KaidoOne of the restaurants is "Shokudo Marukin," which is run by my parents. Every year, many of the customers who visit Marukin wish to stay overnight so that they can enjoy the cuisine more leisurely. I wanted to create the best conditions for them to enjoy the cuisine in which the ingredients of the sea play a leading role, while enjoying the view of Kitaura, so I decided on this restaurant.
Q: It seems like you are very particular about the ingredients and seasonings for your dishes.
Yes, of course, we offer seafood from the Kitaura area, but we also offer the finest quality, and we have traveled all over the prefecture looking for meat and vegetables. Some ingredients are only available here. In addition, in order to serve high-quality ingredients in their best condition, it is essential to use items prepared using traditional methods and additive-free seasonings. Since our customers go to the trouble of coming all the way here, we want to ensure that they are thoroughly satisfied with the high quality of our products.
Q: When did you decide to become a chef in the first place?
"My parents owned a diner, so myself and my siblings had no dinner until the restaurant closed, and we were hungry every day. One day, my younger brother in kindergarten cried so much that he said, 'I'm hungry,' so I made him an egg dish myself. I think I was in the second grade of elementary school at the time. That was my first time cooking. My brother said with a big smile, "It's delicious, brother! He was so happy with a big smile on his face. That made me really happy. That was when I decided to become a chef.
Q: You were very young, but weren't you afraid of fire?
No, I was already desperate, so I wasn't afraid. I just thought, "I have to do something about this situation. ...... That was all I could think about. But that 'desperation' at that time is the root of who I am. Even now, I am desperately cooking so that I can see my brother's smile and joy like I did then.
Q: How do you feel now that you have started operating an inn?
Ryokan requires not only food but also various services such as guest rooms, facilities, and lodging, so there is a lot of anxiety and headaches. That's why I work very hard every day. I believe that by putting my whole heart and soul into my work, I can bring joy to our guests.
Q: What are your future goals?
I still have a lot of work to do to improve both myself and the facility. At this point, I don't think we have even reached the starting line. I would like to work hard to establish the Takahiraya style so that people can experience this rustic land with all their senses, and to spread it to as many people as possible.
Thank you for your time!
Access
Address: 2927-1, Tsuruyama, Furue, Kitaura-cho, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Phone: 0982-45-3191
Hours of Operation:
Check-in 16:00 / Check-out 10:00
Lunch 11:30-14:00, close at 15:00
Dinner 18:00-21:00 Closes at 22:00
Closed: Monday (restaurant)
URL:http://takahiraya.com/
MAP
2927-1 Furue, Kitaura-cho Furue, Kitaura-cho Furue, Nobeoka, Miyazaki 889-0301 2927-1, Tsuruyama, Nobeoka, Miyazaki
Interview and editorial staff
Model Report: Nozomi Nakamoto
Photography and production: VOKE Ltd.