Ryotei restaurants in Japan
When you go to restaurants in the states, you would have meal sitting in the chair. In Japan, there are tables with chairs for you to sit in or booth table with comfortable seat at many restaurant, but some traditional upscale restaurants; Ryotei, offer low tables on tatami floor, and you will sit on tatami to enjoy meals.
Tatami is traditional Japanese flooring and made of rice straws, and usually each tatami mat is rectangular shape, and it has cloth kind of thing all around the edge. If you see a picture of tatami mat at wikipedia website here , you will notice that not all tatami mats are placed the same way. Generally, when you talk about room size here in the states, you will expect to hear the word "xx square foot", but in Japan, room with tatami mat floor is measured according to how many tatami mats are there.
Bellow is a youtube video I came across on how tatami mats are made.If you are a blog subscriber or reading from face book, please click here to watch video.
How Tatami mats are made in Japan
Normally, when you go to one of those Ryotei restaurants, you will be lead to tatami floor room and you will see low table with zabuton. Zabuton is traditional Japanese cushion to sit on. People enjoy sake and kaiseki meal ; fixed menu of selected delicacies served in order, or served on tray.
Kaiseki meal is the meal made from only seasonal fresh ingredients and used in a way to enhance the flavors. Kaiseki meal usually consists of many small dishes: Aemono (dishes served with sauce), Nimono (simmered dish), Tsukemono (pickles), Kuchitori (side dish), Sashimi, Otoshi (Hors d'oeuvres), Sunomono (vinegary dish), Yakimono (boiled whole fish), Mushimono (steamed dish), rice, and miso soup etc. Number of dishes can be around 10. Menu will be depending on season,location,and local ingredients availability and Kaiseki meal you can have at northern part of Japan and Kaiseki meal you can have at southern part of Japan at the same season can be different.
Sometimes, Geisha will come to the meals at ryotei restaurant and play music, dance traditional Geisha dance,sing song with traditional Japanese instrument called shamisen.Kaiseki meal is also served at Ryokan; Japanese style inn. Ryokan's room flooring is also tatami mat.
You can see the picture of kaiseki meal at wkipedia website here .
You can read more on traditional Japanese musical instrument "shamisen"at wikipedia website here .
I came across New York Times article on Ryotei restaurants in Tokyo written by Elizabeth Andoh. I think it will be interesting for you to read how she and her friends experienced traditional Japanese Ryotei restaurants in busy Tokyo in Japan. To read the article, please click here .
Tatami is traditional Japanese flooring and made of rice straws, and usually each tatami mat is rectangular shape, and it has cloth kind of thing all around the edge. If you see a picture of tatami mat at wikipedia website here , you will notice that not all tatami mats are placed the same way. Generally, when you talk about room size here in the states, you will expect to hear the word "xx square foot", but in Japan, room with tatami mat floor is measured according to how many tatami mats are there.
Bellow is a youtube video I came across on how tatami mats are made.If you are a blog subscriber or reading from face book, please click here to watch video.
How Tatami mats are made in Japan
Normally, when you go to one of those Ryotei restaurants, you will be lead to tatami floor room and you will see low table with zabuton. Zabuton is traditional Japanese cushion to sit on. People enjoy sake and kaiseki meal ; fixed menu of selected delicacies served in order, or served on tray.
Kaiseki meal is the meal made from only seasonal fresh ingredients and used in a way to enhance the flavors. Kaiseki meal usually consists of many small dishes: Aemono (dishes served with sauce), Nimono (simmered dish), Tsukemono (pickles), Kuchitori (side dish), Sashimi, Otoshi (Hors d'oeuvres), Sunomono (vinegary dish), Yakimono (boiled whole fish), Mushimono (steamed dish), rice, and miso soup etc. Number of dishes can be around 10. Menu will be depending on season,location,and local ingredients availability and Kaiseki meal you can have at northern part of Japan and Kaiseki meal you can have at southern part of Japan at the same season can be different.
Sometimes, Geisha will come to the meals at ryotei restaurant and play music, dance traditional Geisha dance,sing song with traditional Japanese instrument called shamisen.Kaiseki meal is also served at Ryokan; Japanese style inn. Ryokan's room flooring is also tatami mat.
You can see the picture of kaiseki meal at wkipedia website here .
You can read more on traditional Japanese musical instrument "shamisen"at wikipedia website here .
I came across New York Times article on Ryotei restaurants in Tokyo written by Elizabeth Andoh. I think it will be interesting for you to read how she and her friends experienced traditional Japanese Ryotei restaurants in busy Tokyo in Japan. To read the article, please click here .
Posted by yassy at 5/23/2010 11:05 AM 
Categories: Japan
Tags: ryotei restaurant japan kaiseki meal food
Categories: Japan
Tags: ryotei restaurant japan kaiseki meal food
Comments