3 Michelin Star Restaurant: Wa Yamamura Review

Hi Guys! So, my food adventure is really exciting, isn't it? That's why you are back. LOL

This time the review is for Wa Yamamura (和やまむら) located in Nara, Japan. This restaurant's pretty amazing as it's the only 3 star restaurant in Nara. OK there are three 2 star restaurants there but being the only 3 star restaurant makes it kinda popular, and hence difficult to get a booking.

Here are the pictures taken by yours truly (not that I'm a pro or what).

 Appetiser: Crab, okra, udo with lemon vinegar

So pretty like a peacock. Truly unique dish with the pureed okra........!

 Soup: Abalone dumplings, white jews ear in Japanese dashi soup

Again, I am not a fan of abalone but I finished this..... As it doesn't have liver sauce like the one in Fujiya, another 3 star restaurant in Japan (read on my blog post, Fujiya).

 Fried scorpion fish

So... an alive scorpion fish looks like this

(Source: Wikipedia)
かわいいでしょう？
Isn't it cute?!!!!!!! But delicious as....

Dip it in the sauce or salt. I don't really like salt so I didn't have my fish with anything... Anyway you can also eat the bones! Having this fish is totally a whole new experience for me. It was also a first even for my partner who is a much more experienced gastronomist than me! Haha

 Sashimi: Fatty tuna, squid, flat fish, shrimp

Fresh sashimi on ice.....! For this restaurant, their presentation is truly world-class.

 Zoomed in picture just for your eyes to see.

 Hassun 八寸
This is the main dish which is breathtakingly beautiful.

 Hassun:

• Sesame tofu (sea urchin)
• Raw fish and vegetables seasoned in vinegar with persimmon
• Prawn
• Hand-rolled sushi
• Shellfish grilled with egg
• Grilled tofu with nuts
• "Asatsuki" with vinegared miso dressing
• Fried gingko nuts, apios
• Soft codroe in Japanese vinegar
• Radish with dried mullet roe
• Burdock rolled with sea eel

A lot of description but it's so beautiful. The only drawback is that they have the codroe again, or shirako, which I don't eat. Here's the Wikipedia link for shirako's description.

 It's so magnificent that it deserves another picture LOL.

 My love for uni is .....

 Grilled dish:

• Tile fish
• Mochi made of gingko nut

Again, another type of fish that I didn't know. You know what, after all these kaiseki experience, I learn a lot of fish's names in Japanese. So, eating helps to improve Japanese. Thank god hahaha

(Source: Google)

That's how tile fish looks like... OK...

 Cold dish:

• Crab, mizuna
• Yam with lemon vinegar
• Japanese scallop
• "Kinjiso"金時草
• Shimeji mushroom with kabosu jelly

Another dish which is mesmerising to the eyes.

 Jelly jelly wobbly....

 I just love kani (crab).

 Steamed bowl:

• Turnip
• Taro
• Pumpkin cake
• Spinach

By this time I was full as.... But still could eat as this is 3 Michelin stars haha

 Rice: Rice wrapped in yuba

Yuba is tofu skin. OK by reading this blog you can learn more about food in Japanese....!

 Pickles to eat with the rice.

 And some tea on the right! OK I had sake that time and although this was for lunch I was a little bit tipsy. The waitress then gave me some tea. So thoughtful of them...!

 Rice: Young sardines and and Japanese pepper boiled in soy sauce on white rice

We were greedy so we wanted to taste both of their rice. OK FYI in kaiseki restaurants they always end with rice (before dessert).

 Cute little sardines

 Dessert: Persimmon, melon, grape jelly

Another pretty one to boot but desserts have to always be pretty.

 Simple but nice.

In the end, the chef wrote the date and thank you on the menu for us to take home! I love it as it gives a personal touch to the diners.

Anyway my review is that Wa Yamamura is truly a world-class restaurant and I will go back again for sure. Maybe in a different season to try out its new creation. Oh and on a side note, it's really affordable. Less than 10k yen for lunch (all that food up there excluding the sake). Such a good deal, isn't it?

I'm actually going back to Nara in a few days' time but I wasn't able to get a booking as I was unfortunately too late. However, I'm going to another highly rated kaiseki restaurant which I will blog pretty soon.