Sansuirou SANSUIROU, a ryokan in Oku-Yugawara Onsen (Yugawara-machi, Kanagawa Prefecture), has launched a new spring kaiseki course. Available from March 1 to May 31, 2026 (subject to change based on ingredient availability), the menu is built around the theme of "Yugawara's nature, ingredients, and literature," expressing the region's charm and the world of its historically associated writers through seasonal cuisine.
Aperitif: Spring Literary Cocktail "Sakura Salty Dog with Pickled Cherry Blossom – Three Ways to Enjoy"
The meal opens with an original cocktail inspired by a tanka poem by poet Yosano Akiko, who was known for her love of cherry blossoms. Named "Sakura Salty Dog," the drink is garnished with a pickled cherry blossom and designed to be savored through three distinct flavor progressions, offering a graceful and seasonally evocative start to the dining experience.
Appetizer: Seven-Dish Plate Inspired by Yugawara and Its Surroundings
The appetizer course presents seven small dishes, each themed around landmarks, scenery, temples, and cultural highlights of Yugawara and its surrounding area. The chef recommends starting with the "Five-Vegetable Layered Agembitashi" — seasonal vegetables individually fried and finished with a dashi jelly — then proceeding clockwise, ending with sesame tofu. The dashi jelly brings the different vegetables together into a cohesive, gentle flavor profile while preserving their individual textures and tastes.
Main Dish: "Hanami" Steak Set Evoking the Spring Flowers of Yugawara
The main course centers on a luxurious steak platter that captures the mood of spring flower-viewing, drawing on the plum, camellia, cherry blossom, azalea, and mandarin orange blossoms that appear across Yugawara from March through May. Three specialty sauces accompany the steak, allowing diners to explore different flavor pairings. The dish is rounded out by a chilled hanami-style soup made with sakura shrimp and spring cabbage, garnished with lily root cut into petal shapes. The salad is dressed with a house dressing combining Shonan Gold citrus and camellia oil.
Dessert: Literary-Inspired Sweets with Japanese Tea
The course concludes with a playful assortment of creative sweets inspired by the writers and literary works associated with Yugawara. The selection includes matcha tiramisu, strawberry ice cream, and an original yokan, offering a range of flavors that reflect Yugawara's cultural and literary heritage in a lighthearted way.
Reservations for the spring kaiseki course at Sansuirou SANSUIROU can be made through the official Sansuirou website.
