The restaurant in Takayama features nature-inspired cuisine without cream sauce and carefully selected natural wine, following the legacy of “Chez Panisse,” a renowned natural cuisine restaurant in the West Coast of US and the origin of natural cuisine.
Ave. Budget: Dinner 5,000-7,000 JPY
Features
I was originally headed to a nearby traditional Japanese restaurant called Waraku.
While taking a detour to the restaurant by walking around the old town in Takayama, I noticed a familiar natural wine bottle lined up in front of the store.
Upon reading the chef’s profile on the store introduction flyer displayed at the storefront, I was surprised to see that it stated he had initially aimed to become a hairdresser and went to Tokyo, but then fell in love with the joy of food and became a chef.
He honed his skills at the renowned Blind Donkey in Kanda before opening the store with the goal of creating dishes that make use of the natural resources of his hometown, Takayama.
This information made me say “Wait, the Blind Donkey?!”.
A restaurant inspired by the Californian Cuisine style.
“Blind Donkey” is a restaurant that opened in December 2017 with the slogan of “natural cuisine”.
It’s unique in that it doesn’t simply claim to follow this theme, but the head chef is none other than Jerome Waugh, the former chef of the renowned West Coast American restaurant, “Chez Panisse,” who pioneered this type of cuisine.
I’m not sure about the role of the chef of “Muku” in “Blind Donkey,” but the fact that they breathed the same air is important, and that’s why a natural French cuisine with a West Coast touch using the natural resources of the Hida region was created.
A la carte dishes perfectly paired with natural wine
No course menu was available, so we will proceed with the chef’s recommended menu in a la carte
Assorted ham and liver pate.
Red beets, tangerines, and colored carrot salad.
Kita Akari French Fries with Aioli Sauce.
Rosemary roast lamb.
The restaurant has a unique combination of ingredients such as vegetables, but all of them have a simple taste that highlights the flavor of the ingredients without being too complicated.
This makes the restaurant’s dishes a perfect match for natural wines. Personally, I am very happy that this restaurant, which serves high-quality natural wines, has opened in Takayama.
Some examples of the menu
【Snack】
“Marinated Green Olives” 600 JPY
“Fennel Salami” 660 JPY
“【Kagoshima Fukudome Ranch】Assorted Ham and Liver Pate” 1,100 JPY
“【Hokkaido Niseko Cheese Factory】Cheese Platter” 1,200 JPY
【Vegetable】
“Spring Green Simple Garden Salad with red wine vinegar, nuts” 600 JPY
“Salad of Red beets, tangerines, and colored carrot with Cumin yogurt, Mint” 660 JPY
“Simple salad of 4 types of winter vegetables with Citrus, Mustard, Blue cheese” 700 JPY
“Kitaakari French fries with Aioli sauce” 660 JPY
【Meat & Fish 】
“Spring natural sea bream Carpaccio with Snap peas, Shungiku, Lemon pickles” 1,200 JPY
“Happy Pork Salsiccia Sausage with Shandong greens, hand-roasted beans, grain mustard” 1,200 JPY
“Anshin Pork Al Roast with Harumaki Gosun Carrot, White Onion, Hida Green Onion” 2,000 JPY
“Roast lamb with rosemary or Roast duck breast, with Jerusalem artichoke, black rice, log shiitake mushroom, iris snow turnip” 2,100 JPY
【Bread】
“Homemade focaccia with Mix herbs」220 JPY per 1Pc
【Dessert】
“Simple caramel pudding」500 JPY
＊Please note that the menu and prices are only for reference. They may change depending on the season and availability of ingredients.
How to Reservation
Reservations are accepted via phone & online service.
Map/Access
Walking about 15 minutes from JR Takayama Station.
『mukū（ムクー）』Shop Info.
Business Hours: Dinner <a la carte>17:30–21:00(L.O.)、<BAR>21:00〜23:00
Holiday: Mon & Tue.
Telephone: 0577-77-3411
Address: 2-70-3, Baba-cho, Takayama-shi, 506-0838
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