Official information
This restaurant is registered on Tabelog as a corporate member. Business information is released by the staff.
Porcupine
(ヤマアラシ)- Nearest station：
- Categories：
- Budget：
-
- Closed：
- Thursday
Restaurant information
Details
| Restaurant name |
Porcupine
|
|---|---|
| Categories | Cafe |
|
0267-41-6301 |
|
| Reservation availability |
Reservations unavailable |
| Address |
長野県北佐久郡軽井沢町長倉芹ケ沢2140 セゾン現代美術館 |
| Transportation |
●Access from the station 2,737 meters from Naka Karuizawa. |
| Business hours |
|
| Average price |
JPY 2,000 - JPY 2,999 |
| Average price（Based on reviews） |
JPY 2,000 - JPY 2,999
|
| Payment methods |
Credit cards not accepted Electronic money not accepted QR code payments not accepted |
Seats/facilities
| Number of seats |
54 seats （ 28 seats inside, 26 seats on the terrace） |
|---|---|
| Private rooms |
Unavailable |
| Private use |
Available For 20-50 people |
| Non-smoking/smoking |
Non smoking |
| Parking |
Available |
| Space/facilities |
Stylish space, Relaxing space, Spacious seating, Sofa seating, Open terrace, Free Wi-Fi available |
Feature - Related information
| Occasion |
This occasion is recommended by many people. |
|---|---|
| Location |
Beautiful view, Hideout |
| Service |
Multilingual menu available（English） |
| Family friendly |
Children welcome(Babies welcome), Strollers welcome |
| The opening day |
2016.7.24 |
| Restaurant highlights |
Café Yama Arashi (Inside the Saison Museum of Contemporary Art) *No admission fee for the museum is required to use this café.*
With the concept of "Gratefully appreciating the earth, naturally and carefully," this café, run by a chef who has made a name for himself in Azabu, Tokyo, offers heartfelt dishes made with high-quality local ingredients. Each dish is exquisite and has garnered praise from vacation home owners. The Saison Blend coffee, developed in collaboration with Arabica, and the café latte made with rare espresso machines from Slayer are also popular. Enjoy a luxurious moment while taking in the beautiful garden unique to the Saison Museum of Contemporary Art. |
A café-restaurant located at the Saison Museum of Contemporary Art.
On this day, I enjoyed lunch after viewing the special exhibition "Contours of Land Continuity: Maki Okojima, Hideo Takashima, Yohei Fushiki, and Hiroko Mashiko." The exhibition featured the works of four artists expressing the relationship between nature and humanity through various media and techniques. However, I was eager to enjoy my lunch, so I quickly viewed the exhibit and headed to my reserved terrace seat.
The entrance is located to the right of the museum shop behind the reception area. Inside the restaurant, bookshelves line the walls, creating a library-like atmosphere.
However, the terrace is a completely different experience, resembling the terrace of a luxury resort hotel. Surrounded by trees, greenery, blue skies, and a refreshing breeze, this luxurious environment is quite rare.
The menu seems to change slightly with the seasons, but here’s what I found:
● OBENTO Lunch - JPY 3,000, tax included
6 kinds of appetizers (in a single-tier box), main dish selected from options ① to ④, drink, and dessert set. (*Available only on weekends and holidays)
① Authentic Sichuan Mapo Tofu
② Beef Pilaf
③ Hot Sandwich
④ Porcupine’s Special Salad Plate (2 Baguette slices)
Additionally, there are set options featuring just the above items.
I ordered the OBENTO lunch with options ① and ②. First, the six appetizers were served, and they were quite luxurious. Unlike typical café lunch appetizers, the lineup included:
- Century Egg with Green Onion Sauce
- Homemade Shumai
- Shrimp in Mayonnaise
- Shredded Smoked Kakkogai with Cream Cheese
- Seasoned Greens (Namul)
- Special Roast Beef
The century egg was surprising, but each item was well-seasoned and visually delightful.
For the main dish, I had the "Sichuan Mapo Tofu," touted as the chef's specialty with 25 years of experience in Sichuan cuisine. The chef makes his own seasonings, and indeed, it lived up to the reputation as an incredibly delicious dish. I never expected to feel the numbness of Sichuan pepper in such a setting, but it was absolutely delightful.
The beef pilaf uses carefully selected Wagyu beef generously. Indeed, it was tender and evident that high-quality meat was used. The local vegetable salad was well-balanced and tasty.
The dessert sorbet was a bit tangy, providing a refreshing palate cleanser.
Overall, being able to enjoy such delicious dishes in this atmosphere at this price is truly appreciated.
The museum entrance fee is JPY 1,500, but they also welcome visitors just for the café. I’d love to try visiting the café for just tea and dessert.