We’d seen “Butchers Hida”:http://www.butchers-hida.com/ earlier in the day whilst sight-seeing in Takayama and checked out the menu which consisted not only of local Hida beef, but also pastas and salads.
The restaurant has two tables at the front of the restaurant, a bar running down the side with space for eating at the counter, and what we assumed were more tables at the back judging by the raucous noise coming from it. We were therefore pleased to be seated at the only remaining table at the front. Despite its proximity to the door, there was a free-standing heater near us which we figured would compensate for cold draughts.
Menus came on furled paper placed in tin cans. There was one focusing on their range of meat products, one for other food and a wine list. Although I’m sure the meat would have been good, it was expensive, despite a number of meal deals being on offer, and we’d sample Hida beef in the ryokan the previous night.
So despite being tempted by sausage and mash and beef stew we chose a quiche, Butchers salad and spaghetti bolognaise.
Olives arrived with our Chilean White Sauvignon Blanc at ¥3000 (£20). It was a good job we’d decided to share, as the quiche and salad arrived 15 minutes before the spaghetti. Still, at least everything was placed in the middle of the table with bowls and plates put on the side.
The warm quiche was tasty with crisp pastry. Bearing in mind we’d order the Butchers Salad, we shouldn’t have been surprised that it contained generous portions of salami and cold chicken chunks. The bolognaise sauce was made using chunks of beef, rather than mince, but it was very good and a sensible portion size.
Whilst there was a pudding menu with ice cream, chocolate fondant and tiramisu, we were full.
The one thing that slightly marred our night was an irritating, gushing glamorous Japanese girl at the next table who spoke American English loudly to her less glamorous, older gentlemen companion – it was either her dad or he was paying the bill. It turned out to be her birthday and when the cake arrived, it brought on yet more gushing and primping of the long hair so a photo could be taken.
Unfortunately the cake was not big enough to be shared with us.
