Hot Spring Treatment　– Healing of body and mind with hot spring and food –

Japan is blessed with hot spring resources and hot spring treatment culture started long time ago.
It is said to be the prototype of recreation and recuperation that heal the body and mind with the effects through a long stay at a hot spring facility.

Ingredients harvested from the land where hot springs are available will have the same condensed vitality.
The blessings of nature and gastronomy invite you to the finest of hot springs.

One of the thrills of winter is the open-air bath. The flowing hot water relaxes the body and mind. You will relax and enjoy the comfortability even in the cold air and snowy landscape.

A dish that will warm you up from the inside of your body.

Kinki Rockfish is considered as expensive fish that is in season in winter. Excellent fat content and large ones are usually use for sashimi and various dishes. Today, it is grilled slowly over the charcoal. Skillfully controlling the flames without burning or overcooked them. Straws are added at the end to create a burning flame that wrapped the fish with the aromatic fumes from the straws.

The lily root from Niseko is matched with Kinki Rockfish. The lily roots were cooked and mashed into sauce, and the ones that remained shaped into the image of Niseko snow. The contrast between the lily root and the fish is vividly intriguing. Fat is low in saturated fatty acids and kind to the body. Lily root has been used as medicine for a long time.
It is rich in dietary fiber and has a good effect on intestinal circulation.
As a dish that helps with healing of the body, a portion of the local pumpkin “Dark Horse” with flower beans cooked in kelp soup stock was added. The combination of all the ingredients creates a soothing and mouth-watering experience in one dish.

Next is a warm dish of steamed Oysters with Jerusalem Artichoke.

The dish above is “Aemono”. Usually made as cold dish but we make it a warm dish according to the season. The oysters are selected from Konbumori, which has sweetness and flavor. Large oysters are lightly steamed and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
Niseko’s cauliflowers are fried and added to taste. They were mixed with grated Jerusalem artichoke and meringue and lightly steamed once more. Thick soup stock is added before serving.

The oysters are steamed carefully to avoid overcooked. Enjoy the difference in texture from the oysters and crunchy cauliflower. Jerusalem Artichoke wrapped with meringue give you a smooth texture when you dine it. Oysters are called “Milk of the Sea” and Jerusalem Artichokes are called “Natural Insulin” in Japan because they suppress the rise in blood sugar level. Not only it is good for your body, the image of the dishes is good for your eyes as the image of snow reflects I this special dish.

The land of Hokkaido has natural resources and food that heals the body and mind since a long time ago. However, even in this modern time, a new cure is easily incorporated with natural resources and food abundancy.

Writer Yayoi Yoshida / Photographer Hajime Sakakiyama

Japanese Chef
田安 透　Toru Tayasu

Season is not a period of time but an hourly affair.
I always think of the menu with the abundant ingredients of Hokkaido but top priority is always given to the condition of the ingredients and menu are changed regularly for perfection. In a good way, it is very stimulating in order to produce an original special dish for our guests. Today’s menu is waiting for your patron.