Hiroshima/Miyajima Nov 2011 - Part IV

Continued from Part I, II and III.

After viewing sunset at the beautiful torii gate, we headed back to the Ryokan and found our room already laid with futon beds. Felt tempted to fall directly into the cosy futon but dinner was beckoning us :)

Dinner at Momiji-So was prepared by the old Granny who's over 70 years old. She's very proud of her culinary skills and went around the tables chatting with guests and insisted good naturedly we finished every item served even the garnishes.

For starters and appetizers, we had sashimi, vinegared prawns and scallops, spinach/carrot/radish in sesame dressing, pickled veg with konnyaku and seaweed/cucumber with eel. All were very refreshing and appetising and we couldn't wait to taste the main dishes!

Grilled prawn with sea salt. The prawn was huge, nicely grilled, very crunchy and juicy.

Even the rice was nicely cooked and served with toasted white sesame seeds. I wished I could have a second helping but stopped myself as I was controlling my carbo intake :p The pickles were also very tasty too!

Miso soup with oyster. Another way of cooking oyster; this cooking method enhanced the flavour of the oyster with miso.

Grilled beef and salad. The beef was juicy and succulent but I thought it was a tad too tough. The salad at the side was really refreshing with a citrius dressing.

Simmered sea bream in soy sauce. I love the fish, the sauce complimented the fish meat very well indeed. Some bits of lime zest were added to give the fish a tangy and refreshing taste too. The greens at the side was a type of Japanese pasley; initially I didn't eat it but old Granny said to try and true enough it helped cleanse the palate.

Dessert was cheese cake with pear and grapes. The cheese cake was smooth and creamy. The grapes was big and juicy, taste was very different from our usual grapes. You know those grape-flavoured candy? They tasted just like those. The pears were very juicy, crunchy and sweet :)

Although the meal was not extravagant like those kaiseki meals served at big Ryokans, a home-cooked meal prepared with love and pride by granny and her family was a more precious experience.

After dining, we just retired back to the room, enjoyed a soak in the hot bath, watched some TV and then fell asleep in the cosy futon.

The next morning, we woke up bright and early and proceeded for breakfast at around 8am.

There was buttered thick toast with strawberry jam, yogurt, coffee and orange juice. I love the thick toast, crispy on the outside yet fluffy when you bite into it. The yogurt was yummy too! Too bad it can't be found here! I don't normally drink coffee, but this coffee was really aromatic.

Smoked ham slad with citrius dressing, very refreshing.

I love this scrambled eggs!!! It was rich and creamy and tasted so good.

Vegetable soup to warm the stomach.

Some fruits for Vitamin C. I love the orange and pineapple.

After the hearty breakfast, we decided to take a stroll around the Ryokan and Momijidani Park.

It was quite chilly in the morning.

We saw water vapour coming out of the moss growing on the tree bark. It was as if the tree was letting off steam.

Many lovely waterfalls and streams around the park.

After the stroll, we headed back to the Ryokan, packed and lazed a bit before checking out.

Walked around the island and decided to visit the Miyajima Aquarium.

The sea lions were adorable, so were the kids who were wildly excited.

Soon, it was time for lunch again. We just popped one of the eatery near Omotesando Shopping Street.

My set lunch which came with soup, appetizers, deep fried breaded oyster, pickles and rice. Well, must try the different methods of cooking the oysters right?

Hubby ordered a soba and eel with rice set. Eel is also a specialty of Miyajima.

The weather was much better with clear blue skies but too bad we didn't have time to ascend Mount Misen again. It would have been beautiful with this perfect weather.

Once again, we bade farewell to the torii gate.

Walked through the shopping street and saw this particular stall selling Gratin Oyster.

Couldn't resist and ordered 2. Like I said we must try the different methods of cooking the oysters. Indeed, this was good too, surprisingly the cheese and creamy complemented the oyster very well.

Finally, we made our way to the pier and took the ferry back to mainland Hiroshima.

Travel Resource

• Miyajima Public Aquarium http://www.miyajima-aqua.jp/