Nagano, Japan｜Organic Mom's Kitchen Shinkoq

Our hotel suggested this restaurant and we had seen it from the street and thought it sounded good. We pre ordered our meals from our hotel so as we arrived there was not too long a wait. We were warmly greeted on arrival and found the setting cosy. We also ordered saki tasting platter (3 types of saki) which the host suggested to share between 2 people. This was a good decision as it was large servings! We ordered the fish meal, the chicken meal and 2 kids meals. They were all delicious and the corn soup was particularly yummy. The presentation was lovely on unique hand crafted plates. The care and pride of the host was evident and we really enjoyed this restaurant.

The food is absolutely worth the price and the wait, if any. The veggie plate comes with very nice tofu, spiced with red pepper. The cheese cake comes with peach compote from peaches they harvest in the summer. You don't get that at the ramen shop around the corner... A set for 2500¥ includes soup, salad, main, and rice and is entirely reasonable. The key here is to appreciate the quality and provenance of the food. Saying "tofu" is like saying "wine" - each region has their own style and quality varies a lot. This is not the "silken" stuff from your neighborhood Chinese shop. Service is very friendly and they take credit card. Note: for the full course you have to reserve a day ahead. However, the "set" you can have anytime. I like that places in Japan are mostly owner operated. They care about their food and their customers unlike the stoned teenagers at the average US restaurant...

We happened upon this little gem while visiting some local sites and were blown away by the food and service. We had the set lunch menu and she was accommodating to my dietary restrictions as well as my family’s. The owner served us personally.