Originally Posted by
freecia
Kaiseki also has variations! There are totally food enthusiasts here which could steer you towards ryokans with extremely strong cuisine and standalone kaiseki restaurants.
It's kind of amazing how some of the smaller ryokans managers/owners are also the (quite solid) chefs in addition to front staff and cleaning staff... Ryokan meals aren't always exclusively Japanese cuisine, either, so I think some travelers hoping for Western options should be looking for those types of Japanese inns which serve fusion or European cuisines. Some may be named Auberge operated as an upscale Western style inn ryokan equivalent with half board, usually without onsen.
Tip - And and and don't forget to eat more fiber! It's easy for traveler's diet to be low on fiber with kaiseki, sushi, ramen, curry, and etc. Hotel breakfasts can be easier to find salad, greens, and some fruits and then eat all the cabbage served to you (popular greens option). Convenience stores do usually have fiber nutritious side dishes in the refrigerated areas and some people like 7/11 make-on-spot green smoothie.
Omakase might mean omakase sushi. Western (social) media tends to use the word without knowing the definition like umami and omakase (chef's choice ... of whatever the cuisine is, not just sushi). So higher end seasonal set menu tempura can sort of be considered the chef's choice. I don't think I'd go to a high end/upscale sushi restaurant in Japan for the first time and start the visit by asking for specific fishes, either, other than stating any allergies. Some ask at the end if you'd like anything additional. Many Japanese restaurants in US use "set", "combo", or bento instead of teishoku, depending on whatever plating they use. I guess I'm not the only one whose
wondered about how bento was reverse Engrish'd into Western language but not teishoku. The red and black multi compartment tray seems rather common in US Japanese restaurants.
We generally think of omakase as sushi, though I'm aware it can be broader than that.
I am just now in the process of picking out my restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto (and possibly Osaka). If you have any information about a ryokan in Miyajima with better food than Kinsuikan, I'm all ears. My location isn't super flexible though. We already are so pressed for time in all of our destinations. I picked Miyajima for the ryokan location because I decided I wanted to see Miyajima more than Hakone, and doing the ryokan in Kyoto instead means yet another extra hotel, unless the pricing is extremely reasonable. I splurged for one night at Kinsuikan to get the in-room private open air onsen (along with an actual hot spring in the basement) and because the dinner and breakfast looked so good. (I just emailed them to add oysters to the dinner!)
If you are a Japan food enthusiast, I am open for recommendations! We focus on seafood, but eat almost everything else. I personally try to avoid main courses of beef and pork (though I sometimes make an exception for wagyu, and my son is very happy to make an exception for fancy beef). We aren't allergic/religious, so if there is a pork garnish or broth or whatever, that's fine by us. I just don't want a big piece of pork on my plate. As noted above, interested in udon/ramen/tempura/sushi/whatever we shouldn't miss.
Excellent point about fiber. It is easy to miss it on vacation wherever we go. We should be getting plenty of hotel breakfasts, so hopefully it will work out.