Japanese Cuisine Kadan — Restaurant in Hakone

Gora Kadan is a super fancy ryokan (very expensive), where you will get fantastic service, someone assigned just to your room for dinner and breakfast service (both were excellent). They will pick you up from the train station and can drop you off to the train or the cable car at Gora, and generally do everything they can to help. We got the 'Kadan suite with open-air stone bath"Fuji/Ume"/2 guest(s)' room. It was very big, the bed is technically on a tatami, but it's raised and so plushy that it's actually a super comfortable bed. The facilities are fantastic, they have a nice indoor/outdoor onsen, our room had its own sauna and small private onsen outside, and they have multiple rooms where you can admire the view (it's very nice from the top), relax, and do whatever you fancy. Ok, the price: it was about $1500 for 2 people for our nicer room. We've stayed at a nice ryokan in Nara with very nice breakfast/dinner and onsen (but not private onsen outside the room) for less than $300. Gora Kadan was better for sure, but not 5 times better. Then again, this kind of pricing is not linear, so it's for you to decide how much spare cash you have and where you want to allocate it. If you'd rather pay $4000 for a business class airline ticket than $1500, then portion of that extra $2500 will be much better spent at Gora Kadan. Hope this helps :) As a quick tip, unless you're quite accustomed to Asian food, if you are a westerner you may prefer the wester breakfast option. My taiwanese wife and I had one of each, we were both happy with our respective choice :)

Bed: fantastic AC: perfect Noise: quiet Location: close to Gora station, but they will pick you up and drop you off Internet: wireless in the room English: staff spoke...

Unbelievably Bad — A Mockery of Fine Dining

Kaiseki Kadan was one of the worst meals I’ve ever had—and certainly the worst value. We paid $450 for two people for the chef’s tasting menu, and left stunned by how disappointing the entire experience was.

The dining room was loud and chaotic. Other patrons (hotel guests) were so disruptive it felt like we were trapped in a satire of luxury tourism—think the Ratliffs from White Lotus Season 3, only somehow worse. It completely shattered any sense of calm or ceremony the meal was supposed to offer.

The food? Technically plated but completely bland. Course after course arrived with no flavor, no soul, and no point of view. A five-dollar bento box from a train station we had yesterday was far more satisfying and delicious.

Fish filled with bones, bland shrimp dumplings in watery broth, and an entire bowl of rice with a few kernels of corn were shockingly unremarkable. A few bites of steak and sashimi were good, but could be purchased from any izakaya in Tokyo for a fraction of the price.

We spoke to the manager, who was kind and clearly aware something was off. But all she could do was comp the $15 worth of whiskey highballs we ordered, which felt like a hollow gesture after such a disappointing night.

This meal wasn’t just bad—it was unforgettable in the worst way. A true mockery of fine dining. Avoid this restaurant...

During the reservation process it was not appropriately communicated that some in my group had dietary restrictions, though I don’t believe this to fall upon the staff. Upon being served our first dish, we made staff aware of the situation and accommodations were made on the spot which is rare in a country so dead-set on things being the way they are (you know what I mean if you’ve heard the words “it is not possible”).

The course at the time (early February 2025) was presented beautifully, though some of the dishes were admitted beyond some of my group’s palettes, including my own. The sashimi was good even though I struggled with the raw shrimp. The beef was okay, but there was an overpowering taste from the wine it was cooked in. The pickles were refreshing and very delicious.

The staff was very polite and made an effort to explain the dishes and their preferred eating methods despite a strong...