然味-sami- — Restaurant in Kurashiki

I came to Sami with high expectations because of the wonderful reviews and the salivating images of the food, and somehow they managed to exceed it! The lunch experience was nothing short of extraordinary with the excellent food & sincere welcome by the team.

Sami offers the opportunity to try carefully curated produce that one would not be able to get on their own (think purple chillies & capsicums) Though the the chef would maintain that he uses simple techniques, the explosion of flavours are evidence of a well thought out process.

Sami's attention to details and pride for their craft are what completes the Japanese experience.

I thank this little gem that provided the best dining experience of my trip, memorable for years to come.

P.s. ♡ing the ambience and the decor. I couldn't stop taking photos! Grab the counter seats if you can :)

P.p.s i had the lunch B course. Butternut squash soup, squid with exotic roasted vegetables, purple potato gnocchi w gorgonzola sauce, straw roasted venison & red seabream, pear sorbet with homemade honey osmanthus, sea salt chocolate mousse with orange (3 types), stollen & apply crisps & coffee coated nuts as memorabillia. Note that menu changes almost everyday subject to what fresh produce was sent over...

This restaurant, located at the end of a hidden alley, offers several courses, which can be chosen as vegan. I went for the 13-part course, and it was absolutely worth it. The portions aren't tiny, as you could expect in other places of this kind, and I definitely had enough to eat by the end. All of the dishes were interesting, and being able to find a vegan menu in Kurashiki was definitely a pleasant surprise. All in all, with two drinks (white wine and sake), I ended up paying close to 100 euros, which is far less than I would have paid for a similar meal in western Europe. Moreover, the staff was really nice, and the room was...

We found this place by accident and what a great accident this was. We had a fabulous multi course meal with each dish beautifully presented. Wine options were good; service warm and friendly with the limited common language. There is enough English here to make an adventurous tourist feel comfortable - and for us - the chef spoke a bit of Italian and no English..that was...