Originally Posted by KI-NRT

...unnecessary duplication of most of entire post deleted here, mods

.....We dined in one of the 5 koshitsu (private rooms), and overall, we came away satisfied but couldn't get Nishimuraya Honkan out of our minds. It's hard to pinpoint the exact differences, but Nishimuraya was established in the Edo period (1854, to be exact) and is in its 7th generation of ownership, so perhaps they've had more time than others to define/refine their cuisine? And it's not just the crab - we've had acquaintances visit Nishimuraya in the Summer months and raved about the kaiseki meals there. In any case, at Yado Shiontei they did a nice job of bringing the best out of the succulent Matsuba-gani, and the other small, non-crab dishes were also delightful. One of the memorable offerings was the "Matsuba Gani Koura Zake," where the crab head is first grilled on the shell, then cooked with sake poured inside of it. It's consumed once the sake is brought to a boil. The flavors of the crab tomalley, combined with the warm sake was amazing. One thing to note about Zuwai-gani timing, according to the head chef at Yado Shiontei: the best time to go depends on your own taste. In general, earlier in the season (November), when the water is warmer the crab meat is softer. Later in the Winter, the crab meat becomes more firm and plump. It's really a matter of preference; the chef said that it's a 50/50 split among conoisseurs that prefer one over the other.

Just because we think Nishimuraya Honkan is tops doesn't mean we'll be going there every single year. Other ryokans in other locations have unique aspects that we'd like to experience. We're already planning for our first ever visit to Kyoto Prefecture's remote Taiza Onsen, home to the venerable Taiza-gani Snow Crab, and home of Sumihei, one of the two luxury ryokans in the area (Yuhi Resort Hibiki being the other.)