Service: Very friendly and familiar
Equipment & Facilities: Spotless clan. Superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Very healthy food mainly made with local products. Dairy products. Souvenirs
Shizuoka Prefecture is a large Prefecture by Japanese standards and its peculiar shape make it feel even larger. It takes no less than three hours non-stop to cross it by normal train!
Yesterday I had the occasion to travel (by car) again to Fujinomiya City located on the western slopes of Mount Fuji, which means it is protected from the cold weather coming from the east and is a thriving agricultural area in an already very rich prefecture.
You will not find this side view of Mount Fuji just in front of Makai Ranch in usual pamphlets because of its collapsed flank! It is nonetheless worth the trip!
Foreigners are certainly made welcome!
This is Japan, not Germany!
It is not America, either! LOL
The Buffet Restaurant was our destination on the way to a local farmer we were going to interview in the afternoon!
Have a good look before entering as there is a lot to see and sample!
This is another restaurant inside the same premises. Come early!
Milk, milk, milk!
Take your time to visit the many stands inside offering some great healthy food made local ingredienst and milk from the ranch: Cheese cakes!
Ice cream made on site!
You will have the pleasure to discover other products created by neighboring farmers such as delicious Japanese sake!
Top class milk!
Cheese made on the ranch and at other dairy farms!
Even German craft beer by Stephan Rager in Fujinomiya City!
Premium ham and sausages!
We did not have the time but the ranch activities is a must for children and adults alike!
The entrance to the Buffet Restaurant called Itadakimasu/Bon Appetit!
Some of the food ingredients waiting for you!
All self-service!
Plenty to choose from and as much as you like!
You will find the pictures and introductions of the main local farmers contributing vegetables, meat, fish and fruit to the restaurant above the kitchen!
I have already interviewed quite a few of them!
All kinds of hot soups for all tastes!
The system is simple enough. You pay at the entrance where you will be given a ticket/coupon for one main dish. As for starters, salads, soups, drinks Non alcoholic), bread, rice and desserts you can take and re-take as much as as you want with no time limit between 11:00 and 15:00!
My first plate of starters with corn potage!
Already a meal in itself!
My main dish: Local chicken in honey mustard sauce!
Bring your main dish coupon there and point to the dish of your preference!
As much as freshly home-baked bread as you want!
The desserts!
Choose and make your own tea!
That was all I could eat! But I can assure that many people came again and again!
Great value for very healthy and tasty food!
MAKAI RANCH/MAKAI NO BOKUJYO/Buffet Restaurant Itadakimasu
418-0104 Fujinomiya City, Uchino, 1327
Tel: 0544-54-0342
Fax: 0544-29-1027
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Opening hours: Ranch (09:00~17:00, 08:00~18:00 from April to October)
Buffet Restaurant (11:00~15:00)
Closed either on Wednesdays or Thursdays
Free Car Park available
Ranch visit: Adults, 700 yen, Primary school and under, 500 yen. Special prices for groups (this applies for entrance fees only)
Activities are paid separately.
Pets are allowed but have to be left in a special guarded pet area for a monthly fee of 300 yen.
RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES
Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,
Must-see tasting websites:
-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery
Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents
HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 