French restaurant "la rencontre" — Restaurant in Nagano

The restaurant is owned and run by a chef who trained under Kiyomi Mikuni. Mikuni ran the famous restaurant Hotel de Mikuni in Tokyo for 37 years until it closed in 2022. (Mikuni is rumored to be working on a new eight-seat restaurant at the original location to open later this year.)

Our lunch was a 3.5-hour extravaganza in a 150-year-old building on the back streets of Zenkoji, the entrance of which is on the rear so that guests have a chance to appreciate the architecture and private garden. I neither felt that the pace dragged nor that I ate too much to not be interested in a small supper when I returned home.

The courses of the meal were all unique, delicious and visually attractive. The ambiance was comfortable and yet didn't seem so stuffy that someone with modest boarding house manners like myself would feel unwelcome.

Both the wine and non alcoholic pairings enhanced the flavor experiences of the meal. The non-alcoholic pairings in particular were quite original, using fruit and spices in combination with wines with alcohol removed. One was a mocktail made using a plum from the restaurant garden. Several were made with wine heated to remove the alcohol with ingredients like vanilla, pepper, cinnamon and apple juice added.

The restaurant is quite small and on the day we visited there was only one other party. We were shown to a table at the very back of the restaurant facing a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of the snowy private garden. The temperature was quite good for such an old house. In fact we had to ask to have the heat turned down, which they gladly obliged to do.

The decor is simple but quite sophisticated, exposing the character and charm of the old wooden architecture. My only complaint might be that the chairs made a horrible sound when sliding them in to sit down and get up.

Chef Seshimo holds true to his teacher's principles of creating imaginative seasonal dishes from fresh and local ingredients and possesses a wonderful sense about the fusion of Japanese and French tastes. He was also very approachable and friendly and it was special to be able to interact directly with him during the meal.

I would highly recommend La Rencontre for special occasions and I shall certainly consider revisiting this restaurant when means and a pleasant opportunity present themselves.

Courses

Tart with tubers and black truffle served on bed of quail beans accompanied with bean soup Pumpkin mousse with fresh sea urchin Green couscous with smoked Shinshu salmon, scallop and fresh watercress Tokushima red shrimp, mussel with local spinach and a shrimp based sauce Hokkaido oyster over risotto with truffle sauce Spanish mackerel with white sauce (No photo) Utsukushigahara beef with red wine sauce Chrysanthemum leaf ice cream, fresh strawberries served in a chocolate cup with crunchy meringue Marchipan tart, apple walnut cake served over cacao nibs in flower...

What a jewel! This restaurant is certainly worthy of all the rave reviews it has received. 10 courses over 3.5 hours that was extremely well presented and delicious. Ingredients sourced mainly around Nagano prefecture were fresh and provided an interesting array of flavours that was well balanced and complimented each other. While the wine list consisted mainly of wines from Japan, it also included some great burgundies from the less known regions of Givry and Fixin which complimented the dinner very well. Ably assisted by his wife, Chef Seshimo has built a gem. Me and my wife will certainly be back for another fantastic...

The chef/master created a perfect evening. The ambiance, pacing, food, service, etc. Each and every course was thoughtful, inventive, and above-all delicious and satisfying. We had a wonderous and surprising dining experience. From the moment we entered very detail and every aspect of the evening made us smile. Our highest recommendation....