Japan Undiscovered

Sagashiokan, Yamanashi: Back Again for the Mountain Kitchen

On a return visit to a small timber ryokan in the hills of Yamanashi, we came for the dinner: char from the river, duck in soy milk and a raclette chawanmushi.

Japan Undiscovered
Published · Visited January 2022

The timber-framed hall at night, with dark polished floorboards, a large carved wooden figure and galleries above.
The timber-framed hall at night, with dark polished floorboards, a large carved wooden figure and galleries above.

Our verdict

Sagashiokan rewards the return visit. The old timber house is kept immaculate, with staff still wiping down shelves and stairs by hand, and the kitchen’s inventive mountain cooking remains the draw: salt-grilled char without a trace of muddiness, duck swished through a soy-milk dashi, handmade udon and a chawanmushi enriched with raclette. Gluten-free desserts sweetened only with beet sugar and honey show how far the care extends. A wine-loving member of staff makes choosing a bottle a pleasure.

Recommended for

Travelers who value creative, home-made country cooking over formal kaiseki, wine lovers curious about Yamanashi bottles, and anyone looking for a small, spotless mountain ryokan with a personal touch and a health-minded kitchen.

Area
Yamanashi, Japan
Type
Ryokan
Visited
January 2022
Read
4 min
On this page
  1. Wine at the front desk
  2. River fish and duck
  3. Udon, rice and a raclette custard
  4. Desserts without compromise
The dinner table set with the appetiser plate: vegetables in a woven basket, rolled sushi and small skewered bites, with a wine glass waiting.
The dinner table set with the appetiser plate: vegetables in a woven basket, rolled sushi and small skewered bites, with a wine glass waiting.

Sagashiokan is a small ryokan tucked away at Sagashio in Yamanashi. Its warm wooden interior is built around beams and pillars handed down through the generations, and decorated with small wooden pieces made by the owner himself. We have stayed here several times now, and each time the spotless state of the building impresses us all over again: there is always a member of staff going over the corners of the shelves and the stairs with a cloth. The house itself, with its strong sense of beauty, deserves a visit of its own; this time, though, we want to introduce the dinner.

Gleaming wooden floors, a pine in a planter and an old long-case clock in the entrance hall.
Gleaming wooden floors, a pine in a planter and an old long-case clock in the entrance hall.
A lounge with a sunken hearth table, wooden benches and shelves of books.
A lounge with a sunken hearth table, wooden benches and shelves of books.
A wall hung with small photographs in rustic wooden frames.
A wall hung with small photographs in rustic wooden frames.

Wine at the front desk

The cooking here is inventive and full of mountain produce, prepared by a woman chef. A member of staff who seemed to lead the team is, we gathered, a great lover of wine and knows a great deal about it. She talked us through the wines while we were checking in at the front desk, so we ordered our drinks for dinner in advance. On her recommendation we chose a red from Hinoshiro and enjoyed it with a beautiful sakizuke, the opening appetiser plate.

Our bottle: Château Mars Hinoshiro Syrah 2018, with the soy-milk pot on its burner behind.
Our bottle: Château Mars Hinoshiro Syrah 2018, with the soy-milk pot on its burner behind.

Top left were local vegetables, full of color and fragrance, with a house-made dip. In the center were rolled sushi filled with the ryokan’s own pickles, and a tomato compote had been threaded on to skewers with real flair. It made for a thoroughly charming plate.

Local vegetables, including rape blossom and radish, in a woven bamboo basket beside a glass of dip.
Local vegetables, including rape blossom and radish, in a woven bamboo basket beside a glass of dip.
Rolled sushi on a leaf, with the dip in the foreground.
Rolled sushi on a leaf, with the dip in the foreground.
Small skewered bites and simmered morsels on leaves, with a salad in a glass bowl behind.
Small skewered bites and simmered morsels on leaves, with a salad in a glass bowl behind.

River fish and duck

Next came iwana, a mountain char, grilled with salt. The fish was so fresh and so free of any muddy taste that we wondered whether it had just been caught in a nearby river. We could bite into it head first.

A whole salt-grilled char on bamboo leaves, its tail crusted with salt.
A whole salt-grilled char on bamboo leaves, its tail crusted with salt.

The duck, its color vivid and fresh, was swished through soy milk enriched with a good dashi. It is the kind of thoughtful idea that runs through this kitchen, and it left us feeling that what we were eating was naturally healthy.

Slices of deep-red duck with mushrooms and leaves, ready for the pot.
Slices of deep-red duck with mushrooms and leaves, ready for the pot.
The soy-milk broth warming in an earthenware pot.
The soy-milk broth warming in an earthenware pot.
Sashimi with fruit garnish, served on a leaf-shaped ceramic plate.
Sashimi with fruit garnish, served on a leaf-shaped ceramic plate.
Tempura of greens and other pieces in a black lacquer dish.
Tempura of greens and other pieces in a black lacquer dish.
A creamy soup in a glass cup with a single green leaf.
A creamy soup in a glass cup with a single green leaf.
Marbled beef, a green pepper and sliced mushroom on a dried leaf over a small grill.
Marbled beef, a green pepper and sliced mushroom on a dried leaf over a small grill.
The same leaf after grilling, the meat glazed with a dark sauce.
The same leaf after grilling, the meat glazed with a dark sauce.

Udon, rice and a raclette custard

The closing rice course was entirely handmade. Even the udon is made by hand here, we were told, which delighted us; it came with a gently flavored shiitake dashi for dipping. The chawanmushi (savory egg custard) made with raclette cheese was a real surprise: deep and rich, with a flavor somewhere between Japanese cooking and cheese, and very good indeed. We polished off the seasoned mixed rice and the miso soup, and could not have been more satisfied.

The closing tray in red lacquer: mixed rice, handmade udon and a bowl of soup.
The closing tray in red lacquer: mixed rice, handmade udon and a bowl of soup.
Handmade udon with shiitake in a red lacquer bowl.
Handmade udon with shiitake in a red lacquer bowl.
The chawanmushi in an earthenware cup, beside the udon and soup.
The chawanmushi in an earthenware cup, beside the udon and soup.

Desserts without compromise

The line-up of desserts showed the same commitment. They are gluten-free, and the sweetening is limited to beet sugar and honey, which shows how thoroughly the idea is carried through. No fewer than three of the kitchen’s own cakes appeared, each with a natural sweetness.

Three gluten-free desserts on a striped glass plate, among them a chestnut-cream cake and a sponge topped with cream and kiwi.
Three gluten-free desserts on a striped glass plate, among them a chestnut-cream cake and a sponge topped with cream and kiwi.

In every dish we felt the care and the effort that had gone into it, shaped by a perspective all the chef’s own. The thought given to the tableware and to the presentation made it clear that each dish was served with real heart.

This review reflects a visit in January 2022. Menus, wines and prices change; please confirm current details directly with Sagashiokan before visiting.

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