福井あわら温泉の名宿「光風湯圃 べにや」で極上の越前蟹懐石を贅沢に堪能
We visited two Hokuriku prefectures in mid-November. This time, we will be staying at a hotel in Awara Onsen, Fukui Prefecture, just like the night before. Awara Onsen, which opened in 1883, has 74 hot springs, and each inn has slightly different spring quality and effects. This time we will be staying at the long-established inn, Echizen Awara Onsen “Kofu Yuden Beniya”. This is an inn where we can enjoy the best Echizen crab course, which is the highlight of our trip. Upon entering, we were greeted by a staff member dressed in a kimono on the tatami floor. After taking off your shoes at the entrance, you will come to the lobby lounge where you can see the beautiful Japanese garden through the large glass doors. A relaxing lounge with books available In the triangular corner, there is a drink bar that you can enjoy after your bath. Coffee and tea are also available. Apparently they also serve alcohol in the evenings. This inn was selected as the only one in the prefecture to receive the Michelin Star Award in 2024. At the end of this corridor is the large bathroom. The men’s and women’s bathrooms are not interchangeable and bath towels, towels, and amenities are provided. To the right of the entrance is the souvenir corner, where many original Beniya products are on display and for sale. There are also books related to “Beniya” Guest rooms are located at the end of a corridor where you can enjoy a view of the garden through large glass windows. There is a kitchen on the right hand side of the guest room, and you can see inside through a small window. You can get a glimpse of how the food is being cooked Beniya has 17 rooms, all with different layouts, and each room is equipped with a semi-open-air bath with natural hot spring water. The map in the hallway showed us where our room was and the emergency exit. In the middle of the corridor, there was a decoration of the monkeys that see, hear and speak. This inn has a long history and has been visited by many famous people, including Emperor Meiji and Yujiro Ishihara. The building was rebuilt in 2021 and now has a fusion of tradition and modernity. As soon as you enter, you will see a miniature garden on your right. This time we will be staying in the special room “Kuretake”, a spacious 86.2 sqm (928 sift) room built in the style of a traditional Japanese tea ceremony house. There is a large stepping space and a decorative shelf and lacquerware boxes are displayed in the corner. There is a toilet on the left after entering the entrance. Stylish wash counter The sink and floor are made of wood, giving the room a warm feel. TOTO automatic opening and closing toilet It is spacious and clean, and the shoji windows create a bright atmosphere. There is a counter table and counter chairs in the step-in space of the guest rooms. It is an open space with a miniature garden view from a large window. The main building of this inn was completely burned down in a fire in 2018 and was rebuilt in 2021. The long counter table can be used for various purposes other than eating and drinking. There are plastic bottles of water on a tray and a pot of cold water in a glass on one side. There are books written by the architect who designed Beniya, a Bluetooth speaker, tissues in a wooden box, and more. There is a refrigerator under the counter table. Inside are one each of Super Dry, Ichiban Shibori, and Hyoketsu. On the door were a bottle of Aquarius and Sawayaka Ramune made with delicious water from Fukui. All drinks in the fridge are inclusive. There was a substantial drink menu. When you open the menu, there are several pages introducing Fukui Prefecture’s representative sake breweries and sake. Kubota Sake
Brewery “Okami” made by the female proprietresses of Awara Onsen is this brewery Black Dragon Hayaseura Born Hanagaki Ippongi The wine list is also very extensive. We have a wide selection of high-quality wines, including sparkling wines. Recommended Fukui sake menu Shiratakesen Junmai Ginjo “Arasashi”, the perfect match for Echizen crab, Fukui sake tasting set, Japanese sake proprietress, Kuroryu Eshikoto, etc. Beniya special selection of champagne Original cocktails are also available. On the top shelf is a T-fal electric kettle, a wooden tea cup, and a lacquered tray. Inside the tea cabinet is a Japanese tea set, including a teapot, tea bowls, and a tea caddy filled with green tea. On the middle shelf, there are glasses lying face down on a tray. On the bottom shelf is a wooden box with the name of the room and Kuretake written on them. Inside was a ceramic brazier. Next to it is a tabletop charcoal grill. The main room is a 12.5 tatami Japanese-style room with a wide veranda that gives it a very spacious feel. A smart TV is placed between the sliding doors and the wall so as not to spoil the view of the room. There is a tokonoma. In the center of the Japanese-style room, there is a low table with a zaisu chair and cushions. The large glass doors on the veranda overlook the garden. The high zaisu chairs are equipped with cushions. A beautiful Japanese garden with seasonal flowers and trees. Very well maintained The tokonoma alcove is decorated with a black lacquered pedestal, an incense burner, fresh flowers, and a hanging scroll. Fresh flowers are also displayed in beautiful vases. A seasonal hanging scroll of autumn leaves Next to the Japanese-style room there is a space equipped with a wall-mounted smart TV, sofa, ottoman, and table. Outside the glass doors there is a wooden deck terrace. You can also cool down after taking a bath while feeling the outside air. We return to Honma, where we are given a hand towel and enjoy tea and a Fukui specialty, Yudama sweet. This time, we received some chocolates that were made as a gift to commemorate the
140th anniversary of Beniya’s founding. It’s the original chocolate. A message of thanks is attached Four kinds of high-quality chocolate This paper bag contained Tomitsu Kintoki Baumkuchen as a diamond member benefit of Ikyu.com. We were given two delicious gifts of sweets at the beginning of the stay. The room behind the sliding door is the bedroom. Two semi-double size beds on the tatami floor The beds are made from cypress from Yoshino, Nara Prefecture. The headboard design is distinctive. In one corner of the bedroom there is a black painted Japanese dressing table and chair. The double doors in the wall are built-in closets. There are plenty of hangers available In the wooden costume box on the shelf, yukata, obi, tabi socks, and Samue (work clothes) to wear underneath the yukata were prepared. There is a safe underneath the shelf The wooden door next to the closet is the bathroom door. Open the door and you’ll find a large powder room. There is a large mirror on the wall.
There is one spacious sink The sink is equipped with a tray of amenities, a glass for rinsing, and a portable TV. In the middle are skin care products. On the left side, there is a box of tissues and paper towels. There is a hair dryer and a magnifying mirror on the shelf, and bath towels in the basket underneath. Wooden chairs and trash cans are also provided. There is also a towel rack. For women’s skin care, Pola Detail La Maison products are available in bottles. From the left: makeup remover, face wash, moisturizing lotion, milky lotion POLA face and hand soap Shiseido Tactics products are available for men’s hair and skin care. The wooden tray contains cotton puffs, cotton swabs, a shower cap, a hairbrush, a toothpaste set, and a razor. In the next tray Body towel Waterproof Drawstring Bag Inside was a towel from Awara Onsen. The flat square object on the bottom shelf opens up into a mirror. The hair dryer is a Panasonic Nanoe There are four bath towels in the clothes basket below. Let’s take a look at the semi-open-air bath beyond the powder room. A large cypress bath The washing area is spacious and has two sets of buckets and pedestals. The walls and floors are made of historic Shakudani stone from Fukui. Eral Premier conditioner and shampoo are provided. You can control the air conditioning in each room. The low table in the main room was replaced with a table and chairs. Dinner will be served in your room. [Echizen Crab Kaiseki: Approximately 1.0kg of the finest crab] One crab per person plan A luxurious course meal with Echizen crab as the main dish and other dishes. Crab forks made by Ryusen Cutlery from Fukui Prefecture are available. The chopstick rests are made by SOHDO in Shiga Prefecture. We start with appetizers, hors d’oeuvres, soup, sashimi, and all the other dishes from Echizen crab, a brand of crab that Fukui is proud of. First, quench your thirst with a draft beer. The appetizer is red leaf sea bream marinated in kelp, persimmon, egg yolk, caviar, and delicious broth. Very fresh maple leaf snapper Appetizers are grilled autumn mackerel sushi from the top right. The top middle is Wakasa Guji Nanbanzuke. Top left: Oysters simmered in soy sauce On the left in the foreground is Futtsu Kintoki boiled in honey The dish on the right in the foreground is fried taro. Jyotoko taro is a type of taro harvested in Ono City, Fukui Prefecture that does not fall
apart when cooked. A beautiful lacquerware bowl was brought to us. The bowl is made with Fukui salmon and abalone mushrooms. On top are buds, carrots, and turnips, and underneath them are sweet potatoes. A charcoal grill for grilling crab was brought out. The yellow tag that certifies that it is a male Echizen crab is attached. The tag has the
name of the port and on the front it says “Registered by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.” Echizen crab is a snow crab caught in Fukui Prefecture and is known as the king of winter delicacies due to its high quality and deliciousness. Beneath the shell, filled with rich crab paste, is the body of a crab. The staff will place the crab shells, filled with rich crab miso, on a wire rack over the charcoal fire and grill them. We will also put nails on it. Echizen crabs are golden when raw, and when exposed to light, their sparkling golden color shines even more. Once cooked, it turns a vibrant red color. Stir the crab miso with a spoon. We can’t wait to eat the crab, hearing the crackling of the charcoal fire and smell the delicious aroma. The crab miso is boiling and it’s starting to taste great. The attendant took each crab leg, mixed it with hot crab miso and placed it on a small plate. This is a video taken with the other camera. Flower-like crab sashimi is coated with rich miso sauce. It’s the ultimate combination and absolutely delicious. Put the crab shell on a plate and place the other parts of the crab on the grill one by one
to cook. These are crab legs for sashimi. They are covered with ice to keep them fresh. We tried the frilly flower-blooming crab sashimi with wasabi and soy sauce. The delicate sweetness and flavor of the smooth flesh is irresistible. This is the ultimate taste of Echizen crab. The crab claws were grilled. Other parts were also grilled. The sashimi includes tuna, red spotted grouper, and amberjack. They were very fresh and delicious. The staff kindly removed the crab meat so that it was easier to eat. I’ll try eating some crab miso as is. It’s rich and delicious We poured hot sake into the shell and mixed it with miso to make shell sake. The rich flavor of crab miso and the aroma of sake combine to create a unique taste. Finally, boiled crab was brought out. This is a large and very impressive Echizen crab with a yellow tag, which is proof that it is an Echizen crab. It is boiled to a beautiful crimson red color. Apparently it’s very important to boil crabs just the right way. A young chef will come to your room and prepare the boiled crab right in front of you. First, insert a knife into the underside of the crab and separate it into halves with your hands. After splitting the body in half with a knife, remove the unnecessary parts by hand. He showed us a crab shell filled with crab miso on a plate. The boiled crab is also delicious with plenty of rich crab miso. Separate the legs with a knife. Use a knife to remove any unnecessary parts of the body. Please scrape off the shell so that the crab legs are easier to eat. That’s some amazing knife skills! Deshelling the other half in the same way. The boiled crab is beautifully presented. He showed us the sharp knife he used to cut up the crab. Being able to see the fish being prepared right in front of you gives you a real and special feeling, which makes the experience even more moving. Freshly boiled Echizen crab is plump and packed with sweetness and flavor, making it the ultimate delicacy. The crab miso was also mellow and had a concentrated flavor that was exquisite. The attendant separated the fish into small pieces and placed it on a plate so that it was easier to eat. The best quality Echizen crabs apparently landed at Echizen Port and Mikuni Port, but the crabs on this day were from Echizen Port. The last crab dish is steamed rice with crab. The pickles were three kinds of pickles, and the final dish was red miso soup served in a lovely bowl. Beniya’s special steamed crab rice is a special dish available only from the opening day until December. The female snow crab, Seiko Crab, is packed with flavor and the texture of the roe and egg is very delicious. Dessert is pear and melon compote jelly. Two pomegranates are placed on top to add color. It was a delicious dessert with a refreshing taste. They also brought us some roasted green tea. We tried Echizen crab for the first time, grilled, sashimi, boiled and steamed, and each was incredibly delicious in its own way. Not only was the crab dish excellent, but the other dishes were also delicious, and the staff were very kind. We were able to enjoy a wonderful dinner. The trees in the garden were also beautifully illuminated, looking different from how they look during the day. After dinner, we walked through the hallway decorated with the “seeing, hearing and speaking monkeys” to the large public bath. This room is called Kanade and is located near the lobby lounge. You can read the books in this room. There are several tables and chairs on the tatami floor. At night, the lobby lounge has an even more relaxing atmosphere. Decorations near the entrance that we couldn’t see properly when we checked in. The garden seen from the front of the lobby is also lit up, giving it a charming look. There are several dressing tables with mirrors near the entrance, and shelves with laundry baskets are located at the back. Plenty of towels provided A Water server is also available. Beniya has four private hot spring sauces and the water gushes out at about 70 degree celsius at a rate of 70 liters per minute. Plenty of amenities available
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There are a total of nine baskets for changing clothes. The bathroom has four wash areas, each with its own partition. The indoor bath is about 3m x 6m in size. The open-air bath has a unique shape.
The indoor bath is larger. It looks like it’s surrounded by a wall. Perhaps because the guest rooms have plenty of baths, we were able to relax in the large public bath, which we had all to ourselves. Breakfast is also served in your room. “Breakfast at Kofu Yuden Beniya Territorio” You can learn about ingredients along with illustrations. Territorio means that culture is nurtured through relationships of trust and mutual help in the community. The menu is healthy and delicious, using local ingredients and taking into consideration beauty and health. The beautiful container with a lid contains “freshly made tofu.” This home made tofu is made using soybeans from Fukui and does not require any okara. Clam miso soup Grilled fish can be chosen from flatfish, Fukui salmon, or other items. Served with Fukui’s local dish “Heshiko.” This is Fukui salmon. It was fatty and had a concentrated flavor. It was delicious. Soy sauce for tofu Seaweed is inside the wooden box. Charcoal is placed underneath the box to keep it warm. One of the small dishes is kinpira, meat and shirataki noodles. The other small bowl has grated yam and salmon roe. Rice cooked in a copper pot The rice used is Mikuni Koshihikari, a new variety. Fresh eggs laid in the free-range environment of Okera Farm We’ll have some egg on rice later. They also brought us some green tea. The staff served us some rice. The newly harvested rice is shining brightly and white. Scoop the warmed whole soybean tofu onto a serving plate. Add the condiments and pour soy sauce for tofu on top. Beat a raw egg and eat it as raw egg rice. Miso soup with plenty of clams After-meal coffee A beautiful piece of Wedgwood pottery This is a semi-open-air bath with free-flowing hot spring water at approximately 70 degree celsius. Soft, fine water flows continuously. Enjoying the hot springs with the windows wide open and the garden view is the ultimate luxury. Check-out took place in the lobby lounge. Geta sandals were provided so we went out to the garden. Beautiful Nishikigoi carp swimming in the pond “Kofu Yuden” by calligrapher Yoshikawa Toshikazu He is a calligrapher known for the title of the manga “Vagabond.” The landlady came out to see us off despite her busy schedule. She saw us off until we were out of sight. The hotel we stayed at this time, Beniya, has the stately titles of a long-established inn. It was a relaxing inn where we could receive wonderful hospitality. We were thrilled to be able to enjoy the crab kaiseki course, which featured the finest Echizen crab in the best condition. The hot spring water bath was also wonderfully comfortable and made for a very luxurious stay. The inn’s car will take you to Awara Onsen Station. Next door is “Tsuruya” where we stayed the night before. We head towards Awara Onsen Station through an avenue lined with beautiful autumnal “American Ginger” trees. Arrived at Awara Onsen Station. Up ahead is the platform for the Hokuriku Shinkansen. We head to our next destination, Karuizawa, in Gran Class on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Next time we will upload a video from Karuizawa stay, so stay tuned! What did you like about this video? This channel provides videos on travel, accommodation, tourism and dining. We will be posting videos that will interest you, so please subscribe to our channel and click the like button. We look forward to your comments! Thank you for watching until the end.
11月に訪れた福井県あわら温泉にある老舗旅館 「光風湯圃 べにや」に宿泊した時の様子を動画にしました。
今回私たちの旅行の1番のお目当てである極上の越前蟹のコースを最高の状態でいただけるお宿ということで、蟹漁解禁の時期に合わせて予約しました。
あわら温泉「光風湯圃 べにや」は創業140年の老舗旅館で、2024年度には福井県唯一1ミシュランキーに選出された素晴らしいお宿です。
今回は、源泉掛け流し半露天風呂付きの特別室「呉竹」に宿泊し、夕食には「越前がに懐石 約1.0kgの極上がに1人1匹プラン」という越前蟹をメインにその他の料理も楽しめる贅沢な蟹コース料理を堪能しました。最上級の越前蟹を最高の状態でいただくことができ、その美味しさに感激しました。
光風湯圃 べにやは老舗旅館の風格を感じつつも女将さんをはじめ、スタッフの皆様の温かいホスピタリティーで、リラックスできる素晴らしいおもてなしを受けることができるお宿でした。
自家源泉100％の天然温泉は、柔らかできめ細やかな湯が絶え間なく湧き出ている源泉掛け流しで、大浴場と客室半露天風呂でこの上なく気持ちよい温泉を愉しむことができました。
たいへんクオリティーの高い素晴らしい滞在となりました。
今後も宿泊したホテルや旅館、レストランなどの動画を随時アップしていきますのでそれらも是非ご視聴ください。
あわら温泉「光風湯圃 べにや」 ウェブサイト：
https://awara.co.jp/
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0:00 オープニング
1:02 光風湯圃 べにや
2:56 お部屋紹介
9:42 夕食
24:43 大浴場
25:58 朝食
29:17 チェックアウト