Hey guys, how’s it going, my name is Micaela.
Today we are in Saga Prefecture, in Mitsuse Farm, and we’re going to have lunch at one
of our favourite hidden restaurants in the mountains here.
This is one places you absolutely cannot find unless you have a car, so...
The farming village of Mitsuse, is located deep in the mountain range that divides Fukuoka
and Saga Prefecture.
Mitsuse is well-known locally for it’s rice harvest, and it’s signature poultry, but
it turns out, there is a very lush herbal garden growing on the Mitsuse farmland as
well.
Here, in this log house in the middle of the mountains, visitors to the area can shop for
handmade herbal tea, herbal soaps, spice salts, and essential oils, all made with herbs that
have been harvested on site.
Fresh herbs are also a staple ingredient for the restaurant, which specialises in healthy
dishes, heavily inspired by French cuisine.
This is one of our favourite restaurants.
Sitting down for a meal inside the log cabin, you almost forget that you’re still in Japan.
In the mountains the air is much cooler, making it comfortable to sit outside as well, which
we decided to do this time, since we were travelling with a furry friend.
You gotta love restaurants that are dog friendly!
This oshibori smells like peppermint candy canes, like, it smells like christmas.
It’s so good!
For first time visitors, I would recommend getting a set lunch, which, while a little
pricy, will not leave you disappointed.
For vegetarians, there are pastas and salads, and veggie pizza—Oh, and don’t forget
to try the herbal tea!
In Japan, small appetisers are called “お通し” and are usually served right after you order.
Our お通し was egg tofu.
Then came our veggie and ham pizza.
This is a handmade pizza stuffed with seasonal fresh veggies, of course, harvested straight
from the farm.
It’s so crunchy, you can tell they used lots of fresh vegetables, because when you
bite down, it’s like, “shaki shaki”?
It’s really really crunchy.
We also ordered a tomato and eggplant pasta, which is served with a generous amount of
juicy eggplant.
This made Tatsu particularly happy, because eggplant is his favourite food.
So why do you like eggplant?
I don’t know, when I was ten years old, my mom cooked the tempura of eggplant.
And I really really love it.
Since then, you know, eggplant became one of my favourite foods.
Finally, our main dish arrived.
Roasted duck, with truffle sauce, and decorated with, you guessed it, seasonal farm fresh
vegetables.
It smells as incredible as it looks, by the way.
This is so nice, we have so much food and it’s all gorgeous!
Presentation is such an important part of eating, and I feel like, it’s a bit of a
drive out to Mitsuse, and the prices on the menu can be a little expensive, but when it
comes to presentation, everything is just perfect, everything is made so professionally,
so beautifully, you definitely get what you pay for.
Not to mention, this fresh mountain air, and the garden fresh herbs and veggies are probably
doing your body a favour as well.
Oh my god.
That is SO good.
It’s so juicy and succulent, and the sauce is just like, amazing.
Holy crap.
The total for our lunch was just over 5,000yen, or $50.
I would recommend this restaurant for a special occasion, or as day trip retreat from the
summer heat.
So that is Mitsuse Farm, if you’re interested in checking it out check out the link in the
description box below.
We’re going to go somewhere now, I dunno, drive around, take pictures BORING STUFF.
So, talk to you again soon goodbye!