Tsurugata, a long-established ryokan and restaurant in Kurashiki, Okayama

Tsurugata" is a long-established ryokan located in the Bikan Historical Quarter in Kurashiki, Okayama. At the Tsurugata restaurant on the first floor of the inn, we discovered a miraculous dish that you must try when you visit Kurashiki City!

Sea bream chazuke" made with sea bream from the Seto Inland Sea

The menu item is " Tai-chazuke " (1,600 yen including tax), which uses sea bream from the Seto Inland Sea. The plump, thick sea bream sashimi is seasoned with an original sauce and served on a bed of rice. This is a menu item that can only be found in the Kurashiki area, and is said to be the restaurant's most popular.

First of all, try it "raw" as it is!

The sea bream sashimi is covered with a generous amount of "secret sauce" made from a combination of sesame and miso. It is topped with chopped shiso and benida (red bean paste). It adds a touch of color to the dish.


First, taste the raw sea bream as it is. The raw fish has a firm, crispy texture, and when you bite into it, it is very sticky and chewy. The sweetness of the fat is extremely rich!

The savory flavor of the sesame seeds and the saltiness of the miso also accentuates the sweetness of the sea bream. I didn't know sea bream could be eaten this way...!

After eating half of the bowl, pour in the tea.

Next, pour tea into the bowl to about the eighth fill, cover, and let it steep for 10 seconds before serving.



The heated sea bream becomes soft and fluffy in the mouth! When you bite into it, the flesh collapses and the melt-in-your-mouth sweetness spreads out. The moment when the rice is stirred in with the broth in which the umami of the sea bream broth and sesame miso sauce has been infused is a superb moment. I finished the dish as if I were drinking it dry!


I believe that the deliciousness of Tsurukata's tai chazuke is not only due to the quality of the sea bream, but also to the secret sauce. This savory, salty, and rich sauce is so delicious that you will want to lick it all the way through with your drink. You can taste the sauce before pouring the tea, so try it as a raw "tai-don" first!

If you want a quiet trip, go to Ryokan "Tsurugata

Ryokan "Tsurugata" was built in 1744 during the reign of the 8th Tokugawa Shogun Yoshimune, and has a 272-year history. The ryokan was originally a merchant's house.

Each guest room is not very large, but the atmosphere of the rooms, which still retain traces of their original period in some places, is captivating. This is the perfect place for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle and enjoy a quiet trip. There is also a special room that allows you to have the view of the elegant garden all to yourself.

There is also a large hall that can be used as a wedding reception hall, so those interested should inquire. Of course, you don't have to be a guest to use the dining room!