Yuzen Hotel

The Master was funny!

I came because I wanted crab, and the food was delicious. The crab had slits cut in it, so it was easy to peel, and the hospitality was generous. It was my first sand bath, and it was so warm. I had a great sweat, and the staff were very friendly. The customer service was amazing. I’ll definitely visit Tomozen again when I’m in Yuhigaura.

Three close friends and I came for the sand bath and crab meal. Yuzen is apparently the only place in the Kansai region offering sand baths. You lie on gently warm sand while it’s piled over you. The weight feels soothing, and the warmth gradually reaches your lower back. It’s deeply relaxing and quite different from a sauna or rock sauna. After the bath, you can use your room for the meal until 2 p.m. They set tables and chairs on the tatami, which makes eating easy. The meal is full of crab dishes, especially the raw crab miso mixed with condiments and served as a dip for sashimi or grilled crab. It was delicious. Our favorite was the crab shell chawanmushi. The crab steamed in broth and egg held all its flavor, and after tasting it, the three of us promised to return next year. I’d assumed grilled steamed crab would turn dry, but they use a pot-like dish instead of a wire rack, then lightly steam it with the lid on at the end. It came out surprisingly tender and sweet. The hot pot crab could be cooked quickly as shabu-shabu or slowly in the broth, so we could compare the flavors. The rice porridge at the end was light, and we left thinking, from the bottom of our hearts, “That was delicious!”

I got to take a trip with a friend, and it turned into a great day. The food was delicious and the staff were so kind. I recently got married, and my friend surprised me with a cake. The inn staff also gave us rice, which was such lovely hospitality.