Sazanamikan

The beach was about a minute's walk away, and from there I could see Mt. Fuji straight ahead. The summit was already white with snow. We had an early year-end party with an overnight stay. The sashimi and simmered flounder were excellent, and we enjoyed the rice ball to finish. Karaoke is a must at a party, of course, and they had even the songs I thought might be missing, so everyone got into it. The rain and wind were really strong that day and kept me from falling asleep, though that's nothing to do with the inn.

The hakarime bowl was the highlight. I ordered the fluffy hakarime bowl, and the meat really was fluffy, with a mildly sweet sauce that suited me. My companion shared some seared cutlassfish sashimi too, and the fragrant skin with the firm flesh was excellent. We finished with what I think was black sesame pudding and iced coffee. We all left very satisfied, and will definitely come back. I might even stay here again. I had noticed the lunch sign at Itoya Ryokan while passing by for work, then saw more about it on social media. Today, three of us finally had a chance to visit. We were seated at a table in a large tatami hall screened off with a roller blind, perhaps because a group was there. My mother-in-law has bad knees, so eating in a chair was much appreciated. The proprietress warned us that a group had just arrived and our food might be a little late. I said it was fine, and those little words of consideration really matter. First came salad and firefly squid, both delicious, then chawanmushi with a lovely dashi broth. I also ordered raw oysters separately. They were thick and rich; if I had the money, I'd eat about ten (lol). Then came the main bowl. Delicious, really all I can say. Thank you for the meal!

The service felt warm and heartfelt, very much like what you'd hope for at a traditional Japanese inn. The sashimi set meal was delicious, made with fresh fish and prepared with care. I was pleasantly surprised that it came with salad, boiled shellfish, chawanmushi, dessert, and coffee. A staff member at Saijoji Temple, one of the 36 Fudo temples of the Kanto region, recommended the restaurant and even kindly made a reservation by phone for me. I'm glad I came all this way instead of eating at Umihotaru.

We caught plenty of fish like whiting and flounder from the beach and breakwater in front of the inn. There's also a tackle shop selling bait a minute or two away on foot. The handwritten calligraphy from the owner at checkout became a lovely reminder of the trip. We had a wonderful time exploring Chiba, which we hadn't known very well, using this inn as our base. It's such a lovely place that we'd definitely like to bring the family back. We spent three days and two nights here on a family trip, our first visit, and I can say it's a wonderful inn. We chose it because the website showed that conger eel dishes were a specialty, and the local fish dishes were another reason we booked. The proprietress who took our phone reservation was polite and kind, which put us at ease. She warned us that depending on the fishing, we might not be able to have hakarime, or conger eel, sashimi. We were lucky and got to try it. The grilled conger eel, conger eel tempura, and conger eel rice bowl were beautifully presented and carefully seasoned, truly delicious and a pleasure to look at. The other dishes were also nicely prepared and tasty. The inn is an old ryokan full of Showa-era character, just the sort I like. It's been well cared for, so I think guests can enjoy it whether the atmosphere feels nostalgic or new to them. Our second-floor room had clean tatami and a handwritten message card on the table that touched us. The toilet looked newly renovated, was very clean, and had a washlet. The first-floor bath was old but clean, and its wooden cover had a lovely old-fashioned feel. They also had thorough COVID precautions, including temperature checks and sanitizing at check-in, plus sanitizer around the building.