No One’s Recipe, Hotel Bleston Court, Karuizawa, Japan – Restaurant Review
The somewhat mysteriously-named No One’s Recipe in Karuizawa, a town one hour north of Tokyo by Shinkansen (bullet train), is a restaurant at the Hotel Bleston Court, a property that specializes in weddings. (It even has two churches, Karuizawa Kogen Church and the Uchimura Kanzo Stone Church.)
While I didn’t stay at the Bleston Court, I did stay at the Hoshinoya, which is under the same ownership. Guests at the Hoshinoya can dine at restaurants at either hotel, and I ventured over to both of the Bleston Court’s to sample the fare during my stay.
No One’s Recipe is reached via the ubiquitous Hoshinoya shuttle car. What I found at the quirkily- named establishment was a Japanese interpretation of a European/American breakfast.
I was welcomed with a small glass of juice and invited to have a seat for a moment while my table was being prepared.
The elegant and comfortable room, as well as the hotel itself, seem to celebrate the 1970s décor of some of the leading Catskills resorts of the time, such as Grossinger’s and the Concord.
It was a Sunday morning, and the room was bustling with activity and quiet conversation.
Once seated, I looked at other tables to see what everyone was enjoying and also to attempt to figure out the protocol of which foods to select first.
At the buffet, I found a varied tapas-style buffet with hot and cold dishes, puddings, salads, soup, egg dishes, and desserts. I tried to sample as many of these small dishes as I could, and they were all excellent. (See the Virtual Tour at the end of this article for a complete look at the meal.)
From my server, I ordered a soba crepe. It arrived midway during my meal – perfect timing, and this turned out to be was my favorite part of the meal.
A very nice touch was the coffee bar. One server was stationed there, artfully pouring cups of coffee all morning.
Although one wouldn’t find this kind of breakfast menu either in Europe or in the U.S., it was nonetheless an artful expression of how European and American breakfasts are viewed from Japan, and it was very tasty to boot.
The service was excellent and, although only a few of the staff spoke English, everyone was exceptionally friendly and gracious. I’m glad I took the shuttle over.
No One’s Recipe
Bleston Court Hotel
Karuizawa, Japan
www.blestoncourt.com
VIRTUAL TOUR