Shizen Mukuan

With a name which literally translates to “the end of suffering,” one might worry that Shizen Mukuan promises more than it can possibly deliver. Although dining here might not end all of your woes, it'll certainly provide a few hours of carefree respite while you feast on their excellent kaiseki dishes. Located in Tanabe — in the south of Wakayama Prefecture — this restaurant can be reached in a few hours from Osaka. They pride themselves on showcasing the best that their region has to offer. All of their fish is sourced from the Kii Peninsula on which the city sits. The vast variety among the local produce is also displayed through the use of wild boar, bamboo shoots, frog crab, big fin reef squid eggs, spider crabs, wild eel, almonds, and Fuji-ume processed plum. The proprietors at Shizen Mukuan really go all out to put local suppliers and ingredients on the culinary map. An evening dining here is not spent idly. The staff will invite you to participate in various steps in the creation of your meal, such as picking the horsetail that will later be served, and breaking the locally produced almonds at your table. The highlight of the interactive experience is the anticipation of watching a beautiful fillet of pork bake on a bed of leaves right in front of you on the table.