Tanabe-shi is located in the southwest part of Wakayama prefecture, surrounded by abundant nature. In this area, blessed with the fruits of the mountains and the sea, "Shizen Mukuan" opened in 2016. It uses only local ingredients from the southern Kii Peninsula, and has a reputation for creating once-in-a-lifetime cuisine, flexibly adjusting the ingredients and recipe according to requests from customers. It is located about a 10-minute walk from JR Kii Tanabe, the nearest station, but it has fans who travel from all over the country to eat food only available at this restaurant.
The owner-chef Toshimasu Kumoi has pioneered routes to purchase stock from local suppliers and has introduced a lot of local ingredients that are not yet widely known. They include agricultural products such as Tanabe almonds and ‘Fuji ume’, a processed food made from Nankobai plums, as well as seasonal marine products cultivated in the abundant ocean, such as Frog crab, Red Eye Puffer fish, or whitebait and Bigfin Reef Squid eggs from Tanabe. Rare and luxurious seafood, such as wild eel, Slipper lobster and Spider crab, also appear according to the time and budget. And when it comes to meat, again they stick strictly to local products such as brand pork and beef.
Ingredients and methods used in cooking the food are adjusted according to the customer. For example, in the spring they offer things such as horsetail picked by the guests themselves with locally reared wild boar in a sukiyaki dish or baked whole bamboo shoots grown in Tanabe. Also, they ask guests to break almonds themselves, to bake pork on magnolia leaves at the table, and other enjoyable little experiences. They also have locally produced beer and sake, so you can enjoy the exquisite compatibility of different fruits of the earth.
The warm, wooden-based interior has 7 counter seats and 8 table seats. Mr. Kumoi says, “The word Mukuan in the name of the restaurant does not mean the literal ‘end of suffering’, but I chose a name that conveys my hope that you can forget about it when you come to the restaurant." If you’re looking for wonderful cuisine and hospitality that lets you forget about everything, this a restaurant worth going out of your way to visit.
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* The availability of an English version of this page does not guarantee that the restaurant can provide services in English unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that, even if stated, there may still be days when English speaking staff are unavailable.
【Access】
■A 10-minute walk from Kiitanabe Station (East Exit), JR Kii Line
■ There is an extra 20 % charge during the Golden week, Obon and Year-end to New year Holiday. Besides that, no extra charges will occur if there is no additional order.
2023
GW 4/29-5/7
Obon 8/13-8/15
Year-end 12/27-12/30