このお店に行くために軽井沢に足を運ぼう : Breston Court Yukawatan

There are rare moments when the atmosphere, service, menu, flavors, and my own preferences align perfectly. The satisfaction and excitement during such times are simply indescribable! This restaurant provided exactly that experience.

Located in the Breston Court, a hotel developed by Hoshino Resorts in Karuizawa, this place is a gem.

Before starting, I took a look at the menu for today’s course, and it featured all my favorite ingredients like river shrimp, cauliflower, iwana (a type of trout), duck, and green peas. My expectations soared to new heights.

We began with amuse-bouches that weren’t even listed on the menu.
...Wow, there were so many amuse-bouches! And the quality was exquisite!
Starting with a light snack made of Parmesan cheese and yam, we had marinated carrot and salmon, a monaka (crispy rice cake) stuffed with wild boar terrine, wild boar croquettes, quiche, and iwana topped with olives on a cookie. The succession of rich and delicious flavors kept coming! I truly savored the deep, rich flavors of mountain delicacies.

After enjoying this much, we finally moved on to the appetizers.

<Appetizer 1> Marinated carp with smoked frozen daikon
I almost never eat carp, but it was sweet, mild, and pleasantly sticky!
It paired wonderfully with the frozen daikon, creating a dish that felt both elegant and traditional.

<Appetizer 2> River shrimp in Americain sauce with cauliflower, served with spiced feuilletine
This dish knocked me off my feet! It was absolutely delicious!!
Since I’ve always loved Americain sauce, I tend to savor anything with it, but this dish was on another level.
The sweetness of the cauliflower puree combined with the spiciness of the feuilletine created a multifaceted flavor experience.

<Appetizer 3> Sous-vide cherry salmon in a watercress broth
The cherry salmon, cooked slowly at just under 40 degrees, had a beautiful rosy color.
Unlike sashimi, it had a moist, tender texture that was delightful.
The contrast between the green watercress sauce and the salmon’s color was stunning, while the bitterness of the watercress evoked the essence of spring.

<Main Fish> Iwana a la Meunière
Another wow moment! This giant iwana was unlike anything I've ever eaten.
The whole fish was perfectly roasted with a generous amount of butter.
The aroma of the butter was heavenly.
The sauce consisted of tomato, vinegar, and bacon, which paired splendidly with the tender, flaky flesh of the iwana.

<Main Meat> Roasted duck breast with mountain delicacies served with chive sauce
The duck breast was so juicy and succulent, exactly to my taste. The cooking was flawless.
The side dishes consisted of fried and grilled mountain vegetables like codomochi and seri, adding to the springtime feel.

At this point, we enjoyed pairing wines and were quite full. However, I couldn’t resist the local cheese from Shinshu, so I decided to try a selection.
Chevra and washed cheese were among them. The deliciousness of the cheese was guaranteed.

The desserts were as follows:

<Avant Dessert> Peanut blancmange with Champagne espuma
<Dessert> Strawberry and green pea деглинезон with various herb aromas
<Petit Fours> Forest sweets

The peanut blancmange was delightful, but what really left an impression was the dessert using green peas! I had never encountered green peas used in a dessert before, and it was incredibly delicious!!
Paired with strawberries, it was a refreshingly delightful dish that I savored to my heart's content.

From start to finish, my excitement never waned. I felt like I was whisked away through a fantastic experience.
I couldn’t finish the petit fours, so I took some home.

Though it takes about an hour and a half from Tokyo, I believe it’s worth the trip to Karuizawa to dine at this restaurant.
I look forward to visiting again in the summer when the mountain fish will be at their best.