Premium chefs of Kumamoto

Prolougue

contents

• Story 1 Chef’s Story “Overcoming natural disaster to make a fresh start”
• Story 2: Story with Producers “Lifting each other up: Relationships with artisanal suppliers”
• Story 3 Premium Menu “Enjoying the bounty of the Kuma River while sharing pleasant stories”

Story 1 Chef’s Story

Overcoming a natural disaster to make a fresh start

In July 2020, Suiranrou was forced to halt all operations due to the damage caused by torrential rains. “The Kuma River, which runs right by the hotel, was unrecognizable. Just as I noticed this, the flooding began.” Chikara Kawano, Suiranrou’s Executive Chef, was born and raised in this town, and the Kuma River had always been part of his life.

The flooding began in the parking lot, where the water rose almost up to the ceiling of the ground floor. Fortunately, no guests or employees were injured. However, as the water subsided, it covered the ground floor in sediment, leaving the hotel in a desperate condition. Established in 1910, this historic hotel with over 110 years of history now faced a serious setback.

It took one week and the work of many volunteers to remove enough mud to see the floor. Anyone who had visited the site in those early days could tell that the hotel had a long way to go before reopening. That was when Director Kawano Seiichi promised himself: “Suiranrou will be reborn as an even better hotel than before!” This is the powerful story he tells today.

This brings us to February 1, 2023, two and a half years after the flood. Since its rebirth, Suiranrou has become a place for guests to relax and recharge. Spring Number One, known as the “Water of Divine Spirits” and the birthplace of Hitoyoshi Onsen, has of course been restored magnificently.

“My home was also flooded, but everything turned out all right in the end. That’s why I can laugh about it today. As we were renovating everything anyway, I got to make the changes I wanted, such as installing counter seats in the restaurant,” says Executive Chef Kawano, sitting at his beloved counter.

Since Chef Kawano was a child, he would peek into the kitchen and admire the chefs at work. “When I was in middle school, I began helping out in the kitchen, and I decided that I would become a chef someday.” He entered a vocational school in Osaka, and then continued his training in Kyoto and Tokyo. The hotel had been left to his older brother Seiichi, and Kawano had no intention of returning to his hometown.

“When I was 32, I was asked to come back and help with the hotel. But back then, I didn’t understand the charm of the area… As I built relationships with people, I discovered the richness of local ingredients and wanted to share it with others.” Gradually, local produce began to feature more prominently in the menu, which began to showcase the flavors of Hitoyoshi Kuma.

“Until that point, while working in the kitchen, I rarely had the chance to interact with guests. That’s why I created this counter—to meet them face to face. As I prepare grilled or deep-fried food in front of them, I want to share the charm of these ingredients and recipes with them.”

Although he says that he’s “not much of a speaker,” Chef Kawano effortlessly tells stories about his favorite ingredients, with his love for his hometown shining through. Perhaps, this is what makes his food even more delicious.

Story 2 Story with Producers

Elevating each other: Relationships with artisanal suppliers

The word “Hitoyoshi” instantly conjures up images of hot springs, as well as Kuma Shochu. In addition to being the birthplace of the Hitoyoshi Onsen, Suiranrou is a place to experience delights in the hot springs that go well beyond bathing. One of these delights is hot spring shochu.

Suiranrou partnered with Fukuda Shuzo, a Kuma Shochu distillery founded in 1935, to create an exclusive original product. Nihachigura is a rice shochu diluted with certified drinkable hot spring water.

This product was inspired by the practice of maewari, or diluting shochu in advance. Not only does this process dilute 42% ABV shochu to 16% ABV, making it light and easy to drink, but it also creates a soft, blended finish. According to fifth-generation distiller Toshikazu Fukuda, “It’s all thanks to the exceptionally mild flavor of Hitoyoshi spring water.” Mr. Fukuda has shared many a drink with Chef Kawano over their 25-year partnership. He is a true champion of Hitoyoshi Kuma history and culture.

One of the ingredients of which Chef Kawano was an early adopter is the golden oyster mushroom, currently heralded as a “phenomenal mushroom” and a “superfood” across Japan. Mr. Akihiro Kawatani of Athree, based in Asagiri Town, is one of only three or four producers of the mushroom in Western Japan.

“Golden oyster mushroom is a rare mushroom that is considered difficult to grow artificially. After extensively researching light, humidity, and other conditions, we are growing it in an environment that closely mimics its natural habitat.” Surprisingly, Mr. Kawatani has been growing this mushroom for eleven years.

Suiranrou began to incorporate the golden oyster mushroom in its recipes ten years ago. According to Chef Kawano, “What makes it unique is its flavor, which is so rich and delicious that it has earned it a new name: broth mushroom. Moreover, the yellow mushroom gives a touch of color to the dishes as well.” However, as it spoils quickly, this mushroom is rarely found raw on supermarket aisles, and it is usually distributed in dried or supplement form. It can be served here only because the farm that produces it is so close by.

Tableware is an essential part of the welcome offered to guests. Always particular about choosing Hitoyoshi Kuma products, Chef Kawano has partnered with Azusa, an atelier that fires its wares in a traditional anagama kiln. Chef Kawano and the potter, Mr. Kenichi Tanaka, have nicknames for each other: “Chikara-chan” and “Ken-san.” Mr. Tanaka has known Chef Kawano for over twenty years, since he first became a potter at the age of 52.

The anagama kiln, which is 10 m long and created using a slope, was built by Mr. Tanaka and his team. “It is different from a classic anagama kiln. That’s why I named it Sagarayaki,” he says. The pottery is made out of local clay, fired using local wood, and left unglazed. The components of the fire and the kiln give the bowls a one-of-a-kind look, and no two pieces are ever the same.

“They have these lovely small bowls made with clay from Aoi Aso Shrine that are fired using wood from the demolition of the shrine office.” The bowl Chef Kawano shows us has the Japanese character for “one” etched on the bottom.

“Ken-san’s bowls are not signed or priced; hence, it is not easy for just anyone to buy them. The ones etched with this character are occasionally on display at Aoi Shrine. You should go and experience them there if you have the chance.” As we continue to look at the flames dancing in the kiln, Chef Kawano explains that he hopes to craft some bowls himself someday.

Story 3 Premium Menu

Enjoying the bounty of the Kuma River while sharing pleasant stories

Suiranrou’s premium menu covers one night and two days, giving guests the time to fully enjoy the bounty of nature in Hitoyoshi Kuma.

Guests are provided with deluxe suites with a view of the Kuma River, equipped with semi-open-air hot springs that are always ready for a delightful bath. While most would be satisfied with that alone, the hotel offers three springs, such that guests can enjoy an onsen tour without ever leaving the premises.

Spring Number One, the “Water of Divine Spirits,” is a historic bath filled with “pure low-alkaline hot spring water” that delicately envelops the skin. Just like the private baths in the rooms, the Green Mountain and Green River hot springs are filled with sodium bicarbonate and acid sulfate, which can also be enjoyed in an open-air setting. Equipped with a sauna, these baths are perfect to refresh the body and soul. The Green Baths can be reserved for private use. While their water is of the same quality as the Water of Divine Spirits, the water has the scent of a true Japanese onsen. The sensation on the skin is fascinatingly different as well.

Many of the dishes on the menu are named after places in Hitoyoshi Kuma. Through Chef Kawano, you can almost see the faces of the farmers who grew the ingredients. The long-anticipated dinner is served, of course, at the counter. It is prepared and presented by Chef Kawano himself.

As we are enjoying our starters, Chef Kawano shows us a masu salmon that swims healthily. Before our very eyes, he skewers it and places it on a charcoal grill. Grilled slowly over charcoal, the fish becomes rich and tender. “It is simply char-grilled, nothing else.” These words serve to highlight how fully the flavor of the ingredients is brought out.

Next, plated and served on an Azusa bowl is a Japanese Black beef sirloin steak. This steak is also char-grilled and rested before our eyes to lock in the flavor. The beauty of the anagama kiln-fired bowls makes any extravagant plating unnecessary. In addition to the ingredients, even the bowls have a charm that is perfectly showcased by Chef Kawano’s style.

The steak is garnished with hot spring shiitake mushrooms, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes, and enjoyed with wasabi salt or garlic soy sauce. “After the meat is slaughtered, I buy a two-month supply in bulk, portion it, and flash-freeze it. This process enhances the flavor of the meat.”

Golden oyster mushrooms are presented in a tempura-style bowl. Getting to taste them at the right time, freshly fried, is part of the magic of counter seating. The beautifully golden tempura fills the mouth with a surprising burst of flavor. “The mushroom has a potent flavor, so we mix it with rice. But the yellow color tends to fade when it is heated. Tempura is the best cooking method to taste it while preserving its beauty.”

Dinner consists of 10 courses in total. Accompanied by Chef Kawano’s stories, by the end, the meal will leave you absolutely enamored with Hitoyoshi Kuma.

Mysterious things can happen while traveling. One was breakfast. Dinner left us so full and satisfied that we said, “There’s no way we can eat breakfast tomorrow.” Yet, by the morning, we were back with full appetites. Breakfast at Suiranrou is just that irresistible.

Homemade rice is topped with freshly shaved bonito flakes and eggs from the local brand Kuma Tamago, which are laid by chickens raised on shochu lees. The tofu, boiled in hot spring water, and the miso soup, made with Midoriya Honten miso… We ended up eating our fill; many guests even asked for a second helping of rice.

And so, one night and two days of delicious food and baths in the three hot springs go by in the blink of an eye. As you reluctantly say goodbye to Suiranrou, you’ll already be planning your next visit.