Rantei Bibian

Just a few hours south of Fukushima is the commercial capital of the region, Koriyama. Here there’s a restaurant which provides reasonably priced taste of Kyoto, cooked up by a fifth generation chef. Igarashi-san learned much of his trade through his family, before moving to Tokyo and working at some prestigious Ginza restaurants. Since 2004 he has run his own kaiseki restaurant where, to the backing of an ambient jazz soundtrack, he serves up dishes with a strong focus on local ingredients. Special seasonal course menus pop up throughout the year, which keep the experience fresh even for repeat customers. Some of the best of these special courses include the matsutake mushroom course in fall, and a Hida beef charcoal grilled menu. Other popular dishes include the sea urchin with light noodles, tuna skin with ginger and sweet and sour sauce, sea bream with edamame, squid and conger eel rice bowl, and roasted wild duck.