gora-yumotochaya

The next day, breakfast was kinda huge...salad, fruits, poached egg, mashed potatoes and 3 types of bread (toast, roll, & croissant)...we could also have juice and coffee or tea.

Satoshi's breakfast was with risotto instead of the bread...huge portions!

Usually we eat breakfast early, check-out and then go galavanting, but on this trip, we stayed in our room until check-out time.

Lunch was at Soun Gora.

The backstory: Back in 2006 when we climbed Mount Fuji, on the day that my parents had to go back to the hospital to get things checked out, my aunties and the others in our party went sightseeing.

In the evening they had dinner at Tonkatsu Rikyu and rave about the tonkatsu to this day.

Since we were planning to revisit Gora, I had asked my aunty what the shop's name was.

Unfortunately, when I looked online, they closed back in 2016 when the owner/chef passed away.

Had I been more organized, we could've visited them back in 2014...

Now in its place is Soun Gora.

The restaurant was apparently from the Kami-Gora area and moved to this spot in 2016.

I ordered the beef suji (tendon) demi-glace omurice...rich demi glace covers a fluffy omelette and ketchup sauteed rice.

Satoshi had their beef stew omurice...the beef was fork tender.

While we both enjoyed our lunch, we felt the owner/chef was not too friendly...oh, well, at least we got to try this place.

After lunch, we were going on our same route and were excited because the sign said...you can see Mount Fuji from Owakudani...

But by the time we reached Owakudani, there were lots of clouds...boo!

Vaguely visible from Motohakone Port...can you see her?!

Then it was onto another bus to get to the hotel we would be staying at....talk about winding roads...blah!

Hoshino Resorts are high-end hot spring resorts in Japan with some properties around the world too.

Their top brand is Hoshinoya and their first onsen resort was established in 1914!

The theme of the Kai properties is Japanese ryokan (inn), so the meals served are washoku (Japanese style)

Dinner was huge! Sakizuke: Salmon Parissoise--cold soup with salmon

Satoshi's cold sake with cute Mount Fuji ochoko (sake cup)

Hassun short video here

close up of part of the hassun

O-wan: deep fried crab with fish paste

Futamono: kabu (turnip) and tara (cod) manju

Yakimono: shirako (milt) horakuyaki (cooked in a clay dish)

Dainomono: meringue hot pot

Cheese Mousse Dessert

Baked Apple Dessert

I was so full and actually stopped eating after the Futamono...

Lots of the interior pieces used the Hakone yosegi zaiku, parquetry.

They even had othello and jenga.

We played Jenga (it was Satoshi's first time) and since I couldn't remember the rules, we played the game wrong...but still had fun (plus I won).

How cool is this smartphone parquetry speaker?!

It was a long day...too much food, but super relaxing atmosphere...

Soun Gora
1300-356 Gora
Hakonemachi, Ashigarashimo
Kanagawa
Phone: 0460.82.8626
Hours: 11:00-15:00 (lunch), temporarily closed for dinner : cash only

Kai Hoshino Resort Hakone
230 Yumotochaya, Hakonemachi,
Ashigarashimo, Kanagawa