An evening meal that we take the time to enjoy after spending half a day getting to know the background of the food.
The producers of the crops and meat, and us who eat them. The people of Irokawa and visitors from the city. The name “E体験レストランAima” reflects the desire of the owner, Ms. Kumiko Hara, who hails from Hyogo Prefecture, to be a place that connects the two. At night, the tables are lined with colorful freshly picked vegetables and fresh gibier dishes. At Aima, however, you will have the opportunity to experience the background behind the preparation of the food you are about to eat, through a half-day experience.
The experience begins with the harvesting of vegetables and eggs, followed by the dismemberment of wild animals such as deer under the supervision of a hunter, and then the cooking and eating of these animals. Since we are dealing with nature, the menu varies from day to day, but it includes an appetizer, soup, deer liver paste and baguette, venison steak, and rice with eggs,and about six to eight dishes for dessert.
It’s hard to ask what kind of food it is. It’s like you think it’s Western style, but then you get rice with an egg,” Kumiko says. “It’s not about the genre of the dish, but rather about making the most of the ingredients as much as possible and having them in a delicious state.”
A meal at Aima is a once in a lifetime experience. We enjoy the situation as it is at the time.
“At first, I was worried about whether we would be able to get all the vegetables we wanted from Irokawa alone, but that wasn’t the case. I actually wanted a lot of the vegetables I wanted. Kohlrabi, pak choi flowers, red onions (……). We have enough in Irokawa alone. The farmers are diverse, so they are very helpful,” Kumiko says with a smile.
Kumiko’s smiling face shows that she really loves vegetables. On the other hand, she also faces difficulties because her crops are affected by the season and weather, and because she deals with animals that live in the wild, not livestock.
“Just before our customers arrived, we couldn’t catch any deer or wild boar, and our freezer was completely empty. The hunters did their best by setting many traps, and we finally made it in time. Basically, we want to serve wild game caught in Irokawa, but there is no guarantee that we will be able to do so. Also, the taste varies depending on the season, so rather than saying, ‘I want the same thing I had before,’ or ‘I want the same thing as in the picture on SNS,’ I want people to enjoy nature as it is and the changing of the seasons,” Kumiko says.
Kumiko recommends a stay of more than a few days when visiting Irokawa. ”I had a friend over the other day, but she stayed only one night and said, ‘We didn’t have enough time. I think you can get a better sense of the area if you drive to Nachi Falls and see various other places. I also think it would be easier for them to spend their time if they came here by car.”
It takes about an hour one way by car to get to the center of town, where there are large supermarkets and convenience stores. If the ingredients planned for dinner are not available, they make do with what they have. If you go there thinking of a typical restaurant, you may be confused, but in Japan, where food can be easily purchased at supermarkets and convenience stores, this will be a valuable experience for you to feel the reality of eating, even if only a little.
