Nanairo–shokudo is a new restaurant in Katashina that just opened at the end of 2014. The inviting green house on route 120 on the way to Marunuma is not to miss. Haruki and Yuki Yangisawa renovated this house and turned into a beautiful and cozy restaurant that is filled with love. The name ‘Nanairo’ refers to the beginning of the japanese numbers 7 (nana), 7 (nana), 1 (ichi), 6 (roku) – 7716.Nanairo
To enter Nanairo–shokudo you have to use the back door, almost as if you are visiting your friends that told you “to come ’round the back”. The big windows leading to the snow-covered fields behind the house, nicely light up the sitting area. A big stove on the left heats up the restaurant and brings a sweet woody smell to the room. The coziness of this restaurant – the warmth of the stove, the light jazz tunes playing and the friendly atmosphere… – just make you want to snuggle up. Therefore, they have purposely placed a warm blanket on each chair to get nice and snug.
You can probably tell I am in love with Yanigasawa’s carefully designed restaurant & house. So enough about the house, but let’s get to the food. Their menu has a french influence and they serve galettes & crepes, but also curries & steaks. They try to use as many local ingredients as possible to keep the taste fresh and natural. The food is served on a large wooden tray (handmade by Haruki) and on ceramics with their personal logo (handmade by Yuri).
The young couple is originally from Saitama but their love for snowboarding brought them to Katashina. They started off earning money on a tomato farm as a part-time job. The owner of the farm recommended them to start their own, which they did. As a result they also sell and serve their tomato produce at the restaurant – such as their tomato juice or curry. They had also worked at restaurants and cafes at the ski resorts but it was always their dream to have their own restaurant and now we are here eating their food at ‘Nanairo’ – an enrichment to Katashina. Their slogan is the equation: Smile + Food = Happy. The friendly atmosphere and the food, which cannot be found elsewhere in Katashina, that Haruki and Yuri create really do create happiness.
Normally they open from 11am – 8.30pm, but on weekends they open at 7am in the morning so you can already enjoy a big fuelling breakfast before you hit the ski slopes. At the moment it seems like the restaurant will only be open during the winter season because of their farming in the summer. Nevertheless, you might as well have a look if the ‘Open’ sign is out or not. Otherwise, if you are interested in farming you can contact Haruki & Yuri.
For more information check out their website: http://7716batake.com/
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