Izu Craile "Crail Style Summer Lunch Set"
Introducing the gourmet food of "Izu Craile"! (Image "Crail Style Summer Lunch Set")

A sightseeing train that enjoys "getting on the train". Gourmet trains such as "Tohoku Emotion" with an open kitchen and "Koshino Shu * Kura" with the theme of sake from Niigata are also gaining popularity. Meanwhile, the first "resort train" in the metropolitan area "IZU CRAIL" has appeared. Reservations have started on June 3rd for the debut on July 16th.

Targeted at women in their 20s and 40s. Enjoy the food supervised by a popular chef while gazing at the scenery-a delicious train that "enjoys food, drink and conversation".

Prior to the start of operation, a tasting party for a limited menu was held. In Eating En, I will introduce Izu Craile, focusing on "what kind of food you can eat"!

What is Izu Craile?

Izu Craile connects Odawara Station in Kanagawa Prefecture and Izukyu-Shimoda Station in Shizuoka Prefecture (you can get on and off at Atami Station on the way), and operates once a day, mainly on holidays.

Group photo of Izu Craile vehicle model and provided menu
Exterior expresses cherry blossoms and ripples in pink gold

It is a 4-car train, and car 1 has 24 seats for 2 people. Car 2 has a bar counter and lounge with no seats, and Car 3 has box seats for 3 or more people that can be used as semi-private rooms. Original menus are offered at these seats (sold as travel products).

Car 4 is a 4-row seat that can be used by one person (sold as a ticket). No food is served, but the bar in Car 2 is available.

The time required is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes for the outbound route (downbound / bound for Shimoda). It takes about 2 hours on the return trip (upward / bound for Odawara). They say that they "dare to run slowly" so that they can enjoy meals, drinks, and conversations in a relaxed manner. * The time required for the "Limited Express Odoriko" running on the same section is approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes.

On the way, at the viewpoint, there is also a service that slows down or stops temporarily. You can take a picture of the beautiful sea.

"Salt" and "fragrance" are the keys to gourmet food

In cars 1 and 3, you can drink alcohol while eating lunch (outward trip) and cafe set (return trip) supervised by chef Sakura Akimoto of French restaurant "Morceau" (Meguro, Tokyo). The content will change every three months according to the season.

Chef Akimoto says, "I like lunch boxes and I love cold rice." He paid particular attention to the amount of salt so that he could eat it deliciously even when it was cold. In addition, the cooking is devised so that the "fragrance", which is difficult to leave in a cold state, will be enhanced.

"Taste Izu" lunch

A lunch set will be provided on the outbound route from Odawara at 11:40. Under the supervision of Chef Akimoto, Chef Aiyama of the French restaurant "H x M" (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture) is in charge of cooking.

It is a set of food and dessert that uses plenty of Izu ingredients such as Izu seafood and vegetables, and the special product New Summer Orange.

Izu Craile "Crail Style Summer Lunch Set" for tasting
Placing is for tasting

The contents are as follows.
[One box lunch]
・ Roast beef and gratin de finoa ・ Escabesh of white fish and vegetables caught off the coast of Izu ・ Conchilioni filled with pressed barley and ratatuille ・ Cold flan with wasabi scent ・ Barotine wrapped in Izu vegetables ・ Izu hot spring melon and hors d'oeuvre of raw ham Pinchos of poire and vegetables, cream croquette of cherry shrimp and edamame in Suruga Bay [original sweets]
・ New Summer Orange and Cacao Clafoutis ・ Apricot Kernel Bavarian Cream and Mango Sauce [Izu Craft Beer or Soft Drink]
[Coffee]
[Mineral water]

Among them, my favorite is Barotine (upper left of the tray, which is wrapped in chicken and cooked). It's fluffy and tender chicken, as expected. In addition, the gratin dofinoa (potato gratin) next to the roast beef also showed a surprising presence while being a sub character. I regret having eaten it in one bite.

All are carefully crafted and have a gentle taste, and the presentation is beautiful. It is also a nice point to be able to eat various kinds of ingredients little by little. A structure that you can enjoy slowly like a course meal. Of course, it goes well with wine. All-you-can-drink wine is also available only for car 3 on the outbound route.