素晴らしい空間ですが・・・ : Iihashi Tei

It takes about 20 minutes by car from Karuizawa.

This restaurant is located in a villa area in Miyota.

It is a private residence designed by Junzo Sakakura, a direct disciple of Le Corbusier,
that was relocated here from Tokyo.

While the building itself was magnificent,
the restaurant experience was disappointing in many ways.

When I visit a restaurant, I always arrive early to ensure I’m on time for my reservation.
Most restaurants, unless they are three-stars, do not have a waiting room, so there are times when I can't get in if I arrive too early.
However, I believe it’s reasonable for a restaurant to allow guests inside at least five minutes before their reservation.

On this day, I was heading there by taxi.
As is often the case on this route, I encountered heavy traffic,
and I was worried I wouldn’t make it for my 6 PM reservation.
I called to let them know I would be late, but no one answered.

Fortunately, the driver took a shortcut,
and I arrived at 5:57.
In the rain, I dashed to the entrance, only to be told,
"Please wait outside a bit longer."
I couldn’t help but ask, "Outside? Where exactly?"
The night in Karuizawa was chilly and rainy.

I was told, "Under the eaves over there."
This was at three minutes before my reservation.

Hospitality is a reflection of everything the restaurant represents.
I was already disappointed before even sitting down to eat.

Prior to my visit, the owner had emailed me,
saying that if I had any requests for what I wanted to eat that day, I should let them know.
I responded with several requests.
Unfortunately, not a single one of those requests was fulfilled.

I initially intended to order from the à la carte menu, but the chef recommended a course, so
since it was my first visit, I went with that.
I later learned that the restaurant was fully booked that day,
so perhaps a course was more convenient for them.

The contents of the course were almost all items that could be had elsewhere.
Here’s what was included:
1. Seasonal Bite: Hokkaido Saury Carpaccio with Liver Sauce
2. Cold Soup with Sweet Shrimp from Hyogo and Avocado,
but they served burrata and melon without any explanation.
3. Breaded Eggplant from Gunma with Trapanese Sauce
4. Hand-made Tagliatelle with Takashiro Pork and Lotus Root Ragu
5. Tagliatelle with Gorgonzola, Taleggio,
White Truffle, and Grana Padano
6. Charcoal Grilled Shin-Tama Beef from Nagano
7. Dessert: Tiramisu
8. Fresh Herbal Tea
9. Petit Fours: Almond Cookies, Chocolate Cookies, Soba Flour Cookies

I paired my meal with a Vermouth Soda.

The service seemed to be from student part-timers,
and they couldn’t answer any of my questions.

What a shame.