Raw deer meat at Honke Bankyu Ryokan

the last fiery instant ramen on our last (for now) morning in Tokyo

took the Yamanote line from Shimbashi to Tokyo station, left part of our baggage in lockers, and got on the shinkansen to Utsunomiya, where we had to change to the Nikko line - and managed to get lunch, right inside the train station. This is one of the restaurants where you place your order and pay at a vending machine outside, and then you go inside to get and eat your food.
here's the menu:here's where you place your order:

this was my choice - soba tempura

and here's Ritesh's curry and rice

and here's what the real thing looked like inside - not bad!

Some green tea chocolate for dessert, while waiting for the Nikko line train to Imaichi, where we had to get off and walk from the JR station to the private Tobou line station at Shimo-Imaichi, from where we took one train to Kunigawa Onsen and then another to Yunishigawa Onsen, from where we would take a bus to take us to our ryokan (trad. Japanese inn). Quite a trip, but beautiful.

a welcoming snack at the ryokan Honke Bankyu Bankyu in Yunishigawa - the best daifuku ever.

Not sure actually if these would be called daifuku as well, since they were not filled with red bean paste but with yuzu (Japanese lemon) paste, but it's the same mochi-wrapped principle. The most delicate and delicious thing ever. I ended up buying a box to take home...

And here's dinner at the ryokan - a rustic version of the traditional multi-course kaiseki, including charcoal grilled items. Kaiseki is all about balancing the taste, texture, colors and presentation of food, using fresh, local, seasonal ingredients. Sadly, I was too shy the first night to take more pictures and close-ups, so you'll have to take my word that it was delicious. I was more brazen in my picture taking the following night, having realized that the Japanese around us all came equipped with cameras and were taking pictures of everything as well...

our personal charcoal grill

ground chicken w/miso, charcoal-grilled - amazing. we couldn't even tell it was chicken, that's how different it tasted

fresh veggies w/ miso dip

sake served in bamboo containers. The big one was heated over the charcoal.

the reservation tag by our charcoal grill

the famed Honke Bankyu specialty and climax of the meal: raw deer meat. We weren't sure we could eat it at first, but it was actually very nice, soft and flavorful.

Ritesh recovering from the many courses we've had so far...

miso soup, rice and pickles is the traditional last course

and here's dessert - doesn't look like much, but we were relieved it was light. Plus it was excellent fruit. Plus if you've seen my other pictures, you know how expensive fruit is in Japan. So no complaints. Fabulous meal, and this was just the beginning of our stay...