Ufufu

We stayed at the new building of "Unfufufu" in Tsukigase Onsen, Izu, over the weekend. After checking in, we relaxed in the open-air bath on the balcony, and had dinner at the restaurant in the hotel after sunset. The restaurant was spacious and all counter seats. In front of us was a large zelkova tree lit up through the glass. It was an impressive tree that was planted at the end of the Edo period (about 170 years old). And the dishes we had were as follows. ◯Burdock root nagashi chawanmushi, grilled oysters →The burdock root mousse was delicious. It had a sweet taste like truffle. ◯Appetizers: Anglerfish liver simmered in a broth, kuruma shrimp futamiyaki, clam nuta dressing, beef tataki sushi, grilled shrimp potato, deep-fried pufferfish, rape blossoms and scallops →It was a wonderful and luxurious assortment of appetizers. The angling liver and scallops were especially delicious. ◯ Daikon mochi (radish rice cake) with Yoshino-style Chinese cabbage → The soup stock was light, but the mochi soaked in the soup stock had just the right amount of sweetness and was delicious. Izu Chinese cabbage was also good. ◯ Sashimi: Grouper, flounder, and lean tuna from the Izu coastal waters → All were fresh. The grouper in particular was chewy and delicious. ◯ Amagi Benihime grilled whole Amago (yamame) → I ate it from head to tail. It was delicious with a salty taste. ◯ Izu beef fluffy sukiyaki → This is Izu beef sukiyaki, which is touted as a "Kumofufu specialty." When I mixed the foamy egg with the sukiyaki meat, a good aroma rose up. It was sweet and delicious sukiyaki meat. ◯ Lobster sea urchin soup pot → Lobster caught in Izu and Izu vegetables were boiled in a soup stock containing sea urchin and miso. The lobster meat with a strong sea urchin flavor was delicious. ◯ Rice porridge → I had sea urchin on top of rice. The rice porridge, which was infused with the flavors of spiny lobster and sea urchin, was very delicious. Homemade dessert platter: Soft serve ice cream, creme brulee, warabi mochi -> This was a rich soft serve ice cream made with milk from Oki Dairy on the Izu Peninsula. It was delicious when I sprinkled the salt and wasabi I had on hand on the cream. For drinks, I had three cups of Junmai Ginjo sake (Garyubai from Shizuoka and Masumi from Nagano) @1,900 yen/cup. The meal was packed with a wealth of ingredients from Izu and Shizuoka Prefecture, including seafood, beef, vegetables, wasabi, and citrus fruits. I was reminded once again that Izu and Shizuoka are a treasure trove of ingredients. The service staff were all smiling and polite. It was a delicious and enjoyable meal. Thank you for the meal.

The reviews were pretty good, and the price was reasonable, so I went there with high expectations. The food and service were good, but the sound of the door opening and closing from the next room echoed, and the biggest negative thing was that when I was in the open-air bath in my room, I could hear the craftsmen chatting right next to the fence, which made it very uncomfortable. Also, when I tried to go in the open-air bath after checking in or after breakfast, there were craftsmen on the roof of the building in front, so I gave up. It was disappointing.

※７部屋だけの小さなお宿 宿の選択は、客室露天風呂付き、部屋数の少ない宿を基本条件にしています。 一泊二日で「茜香」（ガーデンビュー）のお部屋に宿泊。 12月7日の宿泊当日、チェックインの時間に合わせて、宿の入り口、門のところでスタッフの方々が迎い入れてくれて、駐車場に誘導してくださいました。 「茜香」（ガーデンビュー）は、お部屋、露天風呂、どちらも広くはありませんが、２人で一泊なら十分。 ブラウン系で統一されたお部屋は、落ち着きます。椅子はソファで、くつろげました。 お部屋には、ネスプレッソマシンがあり、コーヒー好きには嬉しい。 露天風呂があるテラスデッキは広く、椅子も２脚あり、開放感がありました。 また、露天風呂のお湯の温度が最適で、のぼせることなく、温泉を満喫しました。 （宿によっては、お湯が熱すぎて調整に時間を要し、露天風呂に入るまでに体が冷えきってしまうことがしばしば･･･。） ダイニングは、正面ガラス張りのカウンター席で、夕食時はお庭がライトアップされ、朝食時は木々の緑を眺めながらいただきました。 食事は、中伊豆の地のものが使われ、体に優しいお味。どれも美味しかったです。 メニューは月替わりで変更されますが、12月の夕食では、伊勢海老と雲丹のお鍋、シメには雑炊。雲丹を堪能して大満足。 朝食は、三段重・プラスワンで配膳され、開けてみないとわからないワクワク感。玉手箱のようです。様々なおかずが入っており、ボリューム満点。（だし巻き*は、他の宿では見られないサイズ感でビックリ）　ご飯は、席で釜炊き、炊き立て。 スタッフの方々のつかず離れずの距離感で、プライベートな時間を過ごせました。 チェックアウト後は、フロアスタッフの方々の他に、料理長さんをはじめ、お食事を作ってくださったスタッフの方々も、車から見えなくなるまで見送ってくださいました。 （料理長さん、お食事を作ってくださったスタッフの方々が見送ってくださったのは初めてでした） いろんな宿に宿泊したいので、宿のリピートはしなかったのですが、雲風々はお気に入りの宿になり、2ｶ月後の2月7日にも行って来ました。また季節を変えて宿泊したいです。