If you’re looking for an upscale luxury hotel in Japan, Enowa might be the one.
Located in the famous onsen (hot springs) of Yufuin City in southern Japan’s Oita Prefecture, it’s a combination onsen, spa, and farm-to-table dining spot with 10 villas and nine guest rooms.
And chef Tashi Gyamtso is the skill that makes Enowa a place.
Originally from Tibet, Gyamtso grew up eating highly nutritious, minimally processed foods from the region and built a successful culinary career in New York City. Before moving to Japan in 2020, he served as sous chef at the two-Michelin-starred Blue Hill in Stone Barns.
“I was strongly encouraged through Chef Dan Barber’s pioneering farm-to-table approach. His concept of how agriculture can replace our long-term food source has become the basis of what I cook,” says Gyamtso.
Ewawa’s concept of a “botanical retreat” reflects his ideals. His menu is determined daily through the harvests of the organic farm he runs himself, as well as the local farms with which he works closely together; Throughout the facility there are herb gardens and walking trails where visitors can interact directly with nature.
A Japanese hotel company recruited Gyamtso to open an onsen in Yufuin, and he arrived there two years before Esawa opened. Then, without delay, he founded the organic farm under the leadership of Teruhisa Ishiwari, a respected farmer from Kyoto who works intensively with the most sensible kaiseki. Cooks.
“The food comes from the land, from the suppliers. That’s why, first of all, we had to prepare the farm,” says Gyamtso.
Yufuin is known as a difficult domain to cultivate due to its steep slope and upper elevation. “But its mineral-rich soil can produce exceptional products. Mr. Ishiwari knows how to do it.
Chef Gyamtso with celebrity farmer Teruhisa Ishiwari
It’s hard enough running a restaurant in a luxury hotel, but for Gyamtso, the farm is worth the time and energy. “What’s very important is that my chefs feel the direct connection between the land and what they cook. You have to do that to be a wonderful cook.
Gyamtso’s menu includes dishes such as a salad of 3 zucchini, zucchini flowers, and apple almond sauce. A red meat plate showcases its local variety served with rhubarb jam, traditional spinach and potatoes.
A sublime zucchini salad made with produce from the Esawa farm.
The taste of the red meat of heritage is the theme of the dish.
Enowa (縁の輪) means a circle of connections. It’s a position where other people enjoy the feeling of sharing and connecting with others,” says Gyamtso.
“Since coming to Yufuin, I myself have been in giant circles of relationships, such as my team at Enowa, the local farmers I paint with, and of course my guests. My biggest motivation comes from our guests, especially when they leave. and thank us for the memorable time they spent with us.
Gyamtso brings the concept of Enowa back online by offering opportunities to connect with others. For example, she recently hosted a food education event with a university and a children’s social organization.
“We went to the farm and harvested the produce, cooked in the Ewawa kitchen and tasted the dishes we had prepared together.
At first, we were all strangers, but by the end of the day we were in the same circle and in resonance with each other. What’s bigger than that?
Gyamtso organizes events for the community.
Gyamtso plans to host those events as normal.
“I’m lucky to be a part of the lovely Yufuin community. I look forward to sharing what we do and what we do with visitors from all over the world.