Experience Exquisite Wagyu at Itoh Dining by Nobu in Hakone – A Culinary Gem Amidst Scenic Beauty
Hakone is one of Japan's premier tourist destinations, famous for its hot springs, abundant nature, and art. It's the perfect place for those who want to forget their busy daily lives and enjoy a relaxing vacation.
Hakone is also a city renowned for its gourmet food, including vegetables grown in its vast natural environment, fish caught in its large lakes, and tofu made using pristine water. The exquisite cuisine that can only be enjoyed in Hakone, surrounded by such rich nature, is something you absolutely must experience when you visit.
This time, we'll introduce "Itoh Dining," a restaurant where you can savor beautiful natural scenery and exquisite wagyu cuisine in Hakone.
Table of Contents
-Explaining the Reasons for Itoh Dining's Popularity Along with Its Charms and Features
-Introduction to Popular Course Menus and Their Appeal at Itoh Dining
-Recommended Bars in Hakone's Premium Spaces Where You Can Enjoy Alcohol
-The Unique Concept Bar Hotel "Bar Hotel Hakone Kazan" is Also Recommended!
Itoh Dining is a Restaurant Located Right Next to Gora Park Where You Can Enjoy Exquisite Cuisine and Beautiful Nature
Itoh Dining is a teppanyaki specialty restaurant where you can enjoy Hakone's seasonal gourmet cuisine in a course format. You can experience the seasonal flavors of nature-rich Hakone at the highest quality. Since this is a restaurant where world-renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Keisuke Itoh have joined forces, the taste is guaranteed to be exceptional. It's an extremely popular establishment, so please be sure to make a reservation in advance through the official website before visiting.
Itoh Dining is a place where the taste, atmosphere, and service are all wonderful. From here, we'll delve deeper into the many charms of Itoh Dining, introducing them one by one.
You Can Primarily Enjoy Dishes Made with Carefully Selected Japanese Black Wagyu
Source:Official website
For me, the most attractive aspect of Itoh Dining is that you can eat exquisite Japanese black wagyu, including steak. The carefully selected Japanese black wagyu was more tender and packed with more umami than any meat I've eaten in my entire life. The moment I put it in my mouth, the sweetness of the meat spread throughout.
The wagyu served at Itoh Dining is primarily A4 grade. A4 grade wagyu has an excellent reputation for having the perfect balance of lean meat and marbling (fat). I also believe that A4 grade wagyu, with its moderate amount of fat, allows you to enjoy the umami of the lean meat to the fullest.
If you want to eat delicious wagyu, there's absolutely no reason not to visit Itoh Dining.
Explaining the Reasons for Itoh Dining's Popularity Along with Its Charms and Features
You Can Taste Exquisite Dishes That Highlight Seasonal Ingredients
Source:Official website
At Itoh Dining, the course menu changes with each season, and you can always enjoy exquisite dishes made primarily from seasonal ingredients grown in Hakone. Seasonal ingredients contain the most deliciousness and have the highest nutritional value during that time of year. Additionally, the chef draws out 120% of the ingredients' umami.
Furthermore, in Hakone, blessed with abundant nature, delicious ingredients are cultivated thanks to clean air and pristine water.
One of the attractive points of Itoh Dining is that you can enjoy exquisite gourmet cuisine where the land of Hakone, the seasonal timing, and the chef's cooking all come together perfectly.
Abundant and Diverse Menu Centered on Japanese Black Wagyu and Seafood
Source:Official website
One of the attractive points of Itoh Dining is that you can enjoy a diverse menu of meat, fish, and vegetables. When you visit Hakone, you might get the impression that it's located deep in the rich mountains, but actually, fishing ports are nearby as well.
Hakone is a city where meat, fish, and vegetables are all of the highest quality, and Itoh Dining brings out the charm of every ingredient. Although it's a teppanyaki specialty restaurant, all dishes prepared using various cooking methods, such as carpaccio and soup, are delicious.
Therefore, I can confidently recommend that Itoh Dining will absolutely satisfy anyone, regardless of their food preferences.
Location Surrounded by the Magnificent Nature of Gora Park
Source:Official website
Itoh Dining is a restaurant surrounded by abundant nature. It reminded me of a forest restaurant that appeared in a picture book I read as a child.
The restaurant has large windows, so you can enjoy your meal while gazing at the nature outside in a dining room filled with sunlight filtering through the trees. The warm sunlight and beautiful scenery make the food taste even better.
After finishing your meal and stepping outside the restaurant, please take a deep breath. Breathing in the clean mountain air when your stomach is full is pure happiness. The time spent walking to the station while enjoying the beautiful nature and clean air was truly blissful and was an experience unique to Itoh Dining.
Sophisticated and Open Interior Atmosphere
Source:Official website
The interior of Itoh Dining has a chic and sophisticated atmosphere. You can feel as though time is flowing more slowly than usual, and you can spend your time with a calm and peaceful mind.
I visited with my parents. It became a very wonderful time where we could have conversations that we usually can't have, such as expressing gratitude that is typically difficult to convey and sharing childhood memories.
Not only the interior design but also the tableware has a modern atmosphere, and I wanted to take photographs every time a dish was brought out. Additionally, while the chef had a strict, craftsman-like aura, their smile was very warm and gentle. The conversation with the chef also became a wonderful memory.
Introduction to Popular Course Menus and Their Appeal at Itoh Dining
A4 Japanese Black Wagyu Steak Course
Source:Tabelog
As someone who loves meat, what I want to recommend most is the A4 Japanese Black Wagyu course at Itoh Dining. For the type of meat, you can choose from filet, which is popular for its tender texture, and sirloin, which is recommended for those who like juicy meat. I ordered the filet course. The tenderness was such that the meat melted the moment it entered my mouth, and with each bite, the umami of the meat melted out, which was amazing.
The course contents are a fully satisfying full course with hors d'oeuvres, seasonal soup, a vegetable dish, fish dish, steak, and dessert & coffee. The delightful point is that you can enjoy all of meat, fish, and vegetables.
All the dishes were very delicious, but what remains most memorable is still the steak. If you like wagyu or are interested in it, please be sure to try ordering it.
Seafood Dinner Course
Source:Tabelog
The Seafood Dinner Course is a course where you can enjoy rich seafood delicacies. The steak from the Japanese Black Wagyu course I introduced earlier is replaced with lobster and scallops. It's an irresistible course for seafood lovers, with seafood dishes coming out for two consecutive dishes - the 4th and 5th (main) dishes.
My mother, who loves seafood, ordered the Seafood Dinner Course. My mother enjoyed the cuisine with a smile throughout. She also happily told me that the lobster was particularly thick and meaty, and its plump texture was a very attractive point. I also had a bite shared with me. It was shrimp with a rich flavor and was very delicious. I'm thinking I might choose seafood next time I come.
Another delightful point about Itoh Dining is that you can order different course meals within your group.
Today's Special 5 Dishes
Source:Tabelog
Today's Special 5 Dishes is the most luxurious course at Itoh Dining. Premium caviar, lobster & scallops, Kobe beef sirloin, filet, and dessert & coffee - all main-course-level dishes are lined up in sequence. For those who find all courses looking delicious and can't decide, how about ordering Today's Special 5 Dishes and indulging luxuriously?
Since sirloin and filet come out in sequence, another delightful point is that you can compare the meats. When you compare the juicy sirloin and tender filet, the differences between each stand out, and you can appreciate the attractive points of both.
Since you're going all the way to Hakone, why not spend a luxurious time with Today's Special 5 Dishes?
Access to Itoh Dining
Address: 1300-64 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Access: Approximately 7 minutes on foot from Gora Station on the Hakone Tozan Line
Official Website: https://itoh-dining.co.jp/hakone/
Recommended Bars in Hakone's Premium Spaces Where You Can Enjoy Alcohol
From here, we'll introduce two bars where you can enjoy alcohol in Hakone's relaxing atmosphere. Both are perfect places whether you want to leisurely enjoy conversation with family and friends, or to lose yourself in thought alone.
GORA BREWERY & GRILL
Source:Official website
GORA BREWERY & GRILL is a sister restaurant of Itoh Dining that we've introduced so far. You can enjoy craft beer and exquisite dishes including grilled items.
The most attractive point of GORA BREWERY & GRILL is that it's a place where you can enjoy their house-brewed beer. The beer made with Hakone's delicious water is excellent. Additionally, being able to see the brewing equipment through the glass was an interesting experience.
Furthermore, GORA BREWERY & GRILL has a footbath attached. The luxurious time of enjoying Hakone's hot spring, the city of hot springs, while simultaneously drinking delicious beer will become a wonderful memory.
<Information>
Address: 1300-72 Gora, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 0460838107
Regular Holidays: Irregular holidays
Phone Number: 13:00-21:00
Official Website: https://itoh-dining.co.jp/gorabrewery/
Main Bar Hinoki (The Prince Hakone Lake Ashinoko)
Source:Official website
Main Bar "Hinoki" is a bar with a stylish atmosphere that's slightly dark and based on wood, located in a hotel called The Prince Hakone Lake Ashinoko.
Located by the lakeside, you can forget the daily hustle and bustle and calmly enjoy an evening drink while feeling nature and tranquility. The variety of alcohol is also abundant, and you can enjoy cocktails, wine, and whiskey. Since you can enjoy both Japanese whiskey and American whiskey, comparing them is also fun.
I visited on the last night of my trip. It was the perfect place to reflect on the enjoyable trip and make promises to return. Although it's a bar inside the hotel, non-guests can also use it, so please feel free to visit.
<Information>
Address: 144 Moto-Hakone, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture, Main Building 1F
Business Hours: 20:00 - 00:00
Regular Holidays: Unknown
Phone Number: 0460831111
Official Website: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/the_prince_hakone/restaurant/hinoki/
The Unique Concept Bar Hotel "Bar Hotel Hakone Kazan" is Also Recommended!
source:Tripadvisor
The concept of Bar Hotel Hakone Kazan is "stay at a bar." The attractive point is that the bar's atmosphere and the room's atmosphere are the same, making it impossible to tell where the bar ends and the hotel begins. You can return to your room and rest leisurely while maintaining the drowsy feeling from the bar.
Depending on the room, there's a bar or mini-bar inside the guest room. You can spend time that's completely different from the usual routine of leaving the bar and sobering up in the night air, which was very refreshing.
The bar is very well-stocked with both alcohol and food, making it a top-class wonderful place as a bar. Since your room is just a short walk away, please forget about time completely and spend your time as you please.
<Information>
Address: 507-4 Kowakudani, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture
Business Hours: 18:00-26:00 (approximate)
Regular Holidays: None
Phone Number: 0460820111
Official Website: https://www.barhotel.com/
