Hotel Harvest Kyu-Karuizawa Introduces "Matsutake Kaiseki" Course Starting September 1

Autumn is arriving at Hotel Harvest Kyu-Karuizawa, in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, where the Japanese restaurant "Avant" is launching a limited-time "Matsutake Kaiseki" course built around the season's prized matsutake mushroom, starting September 1 (Tue), 2026. Set against Karuizawa's mild autumn climate, the course invites guests to savor the fragrance of matsutake with all five senses.

Karuizawa's climate typically settles into a calmer rhythm each September, signaling the start of autumn. Avant has prepared a special kaiseki course centered on matsutake, the mushroom most closely associated with autumn flavor, generously featuring its aroma throughout an eight-dish menu that blends traditional Japanese culinary technique with original touches.

Eight Dishes Built Around Matsutake

The seasonal course opens with three dishes that express the arrival of autumn: matsutake chawanmushi (savory egg custard) with shark fin sauce, chilled matsutake soba in a savory jelly, and seared aburakamasu with matsutake. The soup course is a dobin-mushi — matsutake, amadai (tilefish), and ginkgo nuts steamed in a teapot with a rich, carefully drawn first-grade dashi that releases its aroma the moment the lid is lifted.

The sashimi course features thinly sliced autumn red sea bream with grilled matsutake, brightened by a house-made salted lemon vinegar that draws out the sea bream's natural sweetness. The grilled course pairs sautéed abalone and matsutake in a liver butter sauce, finished with cacciocavallo cheese for richness and served alongside baguette from Karuizawa's well-known bakery Asanoya, so guests can enjoy the sauce to the last bite. Next comes a duo of fried dishes — fragrant matsutake fry and crab-and-matsutake parcels — served with grated shibazuke pickles, mustard egg-yolk vinegar, and sansho pepper salt so guests can adjust the flavor to their liking.

Next comes Shinshu-brand beef and matsutake simmered tableside in a small hot pot, finished with a deep-roasted shichimi pepper from the long-established Shinshu shop Yawataya Isogoro for a sharp, lingering note. To close the course, the rice dish is matsutake-infused rice, served with the day's grilled or simmered fish, to round out a menu built on the flavors of Shinshu.

"Matsutake Kaiseki" Course Details

Menu

• Seasonal Appetizers: Matsutake Chawanmushi with Shark Fin Sauce / Chilled Matsutake Soba in Savory Jelly / Seared Aburakamasu with Matsutake
• Soup: Dobin-mushi with Matsutake, Amadai, Ginkgo Nuts, and Bundled Mizuna
• Sashimi: Thinly Sliced Autumn Red Sea Bream, Chef's Choice of Three
• Grilled: Sautéed Abalone and Matsutake in Liver Butter, with Cacciocavallo Cheese and Asanoya Baguette
• Fried: Matsutake Fry / Deep-Fried Crab-and-Matsutake Parcels
• Simmered: Shinshu Beef and Matsutake Hot Pot with Yawataya Isogoro Deep-Roasted Shichimi Pepper
• Rice Course: Matsutake Rice, Today's Grilled or Simmered Fish, Pickles, Red Miso Soup
• Dessert: Kyu-Karuizawa Original Azumino Wasabi Ice Cream with Nozawana, Seasonal Fruit Selection

About Hotel Harvest Kyu-Karuizawa

Set in the Kyu-Karuizawa area, Hotel Harvest Kyu-Karuizawa is about a 12-minute walk from Karuizawa Station, yet keeps a quiet setting amid its own green surroundings. A shopping plaza, Yagasaki Park, and Kumoba Pond, known for its seasonal scenery, are all nearby, making the hotel a convenient base for sightseeing.

The hotel's wellness facilities include a natural hot spring bath, a spa salon, and an indoor heated pool. Dining options span three venues: the open buffet restaurant "Irodori Dining SAI," the Japanese restaurant "Avant," where guests can enjoy seasonal cuisine in a calm setting, and "Lounge yu-ra-ri," each serving seasonal dishes made with select Nagano ingredients.