[Nanki Exploration] Simply! The treasure trove of mountains and seas in Kishu, and the one-of-a-kind experience with Mr. Yunai—a series of new discoveries!

During the end-of-year hot spring trip, we went to Minamijima. When it comes to Minamijima, it’s a treasure trove of natural ingredients—such as scallops, tuna, and other delicious seafood. While hotel meals are fine, since we had such a wealth of ingredients available, we wanted to find a place where we could enjoy these ingredients to the fullest. After some research, we ended up at the Tawara No Mukonan-kan.

Let's make a reservation through Yumlog right away. And here comes the really amazing part! The communication starts with Mr. Yunai, the owner of this restaurant, via email... "We will adjust the prices accordingly. What do you want to eat?" "I want quエビ!" "Quエビ become less in quantity when it gets cold, and sometimes they aren't caught at all in winter." "Real quエビ is quite expensive." "How about delicious akahata?""This week, we caught deer as well. There are still about 10 days left, but we will definitely search for the right ingredients and make preparations."... This is how the communication with the owner lasts for nearly a month♪
What guests desire, we create together with them—that is the essence of the Yunai style!

And, they are committed to using local ingredients. They go out into the mountains to pick them themselves. They talk with local fishermen and have them catch the best fish at that moment. They are not afraid to discover rare local ingredients… In short, their enthusiasm for providing good food is truly remarkable!
Upon hearing this, I learned that Mr. Yunai, who is from Nagoya, trained in Kyoto. Later, he was attracted by the charm of Kōchi and came to Wakayama, where he continues to captivate people from other prefectures!

And so, on the day arrived.

First, while I'm quenching my thirst with the local Tanabe's craft beer "Boujager," I begin to enjoy the preparation of the eight-course meal by Mitsuji-san and his lively conversation.

◯ 八寸
Quinoa seeds
ー柿と紫芋の白和え
ー紫蘇で包んで漬けた封じ梅
ー温州蜜柑の生姜醤油漬け
ホオズキネットと不思議な卵（白味噌の床に漬けられた鶏卵）
ーキハダマグロの酒盗寿司（サリに酒盗を混ぜた寿司）
ー鯖の燻製の鮪平卵（マグロのカラスミ）挟み

◯ 草履海老と海菊貝
I had asked the chef in advance to prepare the slipper shrimp, but it seemed that no suitable ones could be found that matched his preferences... “I found some really good slipper shrimp!”
Absolutely stunning visual experience! The chef, in a playful manner, asked, "Let's try both raw and cooked versions to see which one tastes better..." The straw crab is delicious even when eaten raw, with a slight crunch and a very rich, slightly sweet taste. However, when cooked, it becomes extremely soft and offers a completely different texture and taste... It's truly an amazing dish.
If you pickle this in the special dashi made from tofu with sea urchin flavor and the local yuzu fruit from Ryukou, it will be simply amazing~♪
The shells of these sea shells have a crunchy texture that definitely doesn’t seem like ordinary soft shells. The taste is truly impressive!
By the way, the lanterna flower that grows on the back of the sashimi was said to be effective for nourishment according to traditional Chinese medicine. It was recommended as a side dish for sashimi, and indeed it had a faintly sweet aroma without any unpleasant taste. It was quite a good choice as a condiment for sashimi!

◯ Akahata's Plum-Aroma Grilled Meat
Made with the plum vinegar produced during the process of making dried plums and white miso. Pickled on bamboo leaves, then steamed and grilled in a style similar to幽庵味噌風… This dish has a surprisingly delicate taste, and the result is tender and fluffy! It’s absolutely delicious!

◯ アシライ…日野菜のカブを使った酸味のある料理
Enjoy the gifts of nature in a refreshing taste♪

The bowls contain a plump Itoyori-dai, with red clams and agar-agar inside. The mashed lily roots create a fluffy, snow-like texture within the bowl, adding an accent to the dish with the addition of stonewort (tsuwabuki).
The miso of red lobsters is extremely rich in texture—the combination with the broth is truly remarkable!
While I was marveling at the deliciousness of the red octopus, the head chef, also looking very happy, said, "It's really challenging to have a red octopus of this size available. It all depends on luck at that moment♪"... Laughing.

◯ White Sweet Tuna Fried
…これは本当に素晴らしい！ウロコを一度きれいに取り除き、別途揚げてから再び魚に戻しているので、白甘鯛の身は超ふんわり柔らかく、旨味と甘みを存分に味わえます。サクサクなウロコが素晴らしい食感を加えてくれます…今日は本当に最高だった！
The sweet potato served in this dish, from Sakamoto in Wakayama, is a super rare variety of potato. It has a higher water content compared to other potatoes, resulting in a juicy texture that feels like eating fresh fruits. This is truly outstanding!

◯ Roasted turnip radish with the heart of Kumano beef
…さっきの白甘鯛で大満足だったのに、さらに素晴らしいものが登場した！希少な熊野牛を食べてみたいと頼んだら、なんと熊野牛のハツを使って料理を作ってくれたのだ！
I've never seen a cut of beef with such sweet fat and unremarkable taste before♪
What impressed me even more was the process of cooking and finishing the kabura radish over a period of four days. They cooked it and then used it as a mat under the meat. The combination of the flavors of this radish, meat, and ginger created an exquisite balance of taste—it’s truly amazing!
The mushrooms served alongside are also a great complement... truly an outstanding dish!

So far, I have been recommended local Japanese sake. But here, I would like to enjoy a sake made from natural kue.
“どのお酒で作りますか？”と、また無理難題を投げかけられましたので、お任せでお願いしました。福島県の南郷を勧められました…これがまた感動的です！漬ける時間が経つほどにどんどん甘くなってきて、この味わいを楽しむだけで堪えません！三杯目を頂いた時には、不思議なぐらいかなり甘くなっていました♪ここでも大将が一言、「ヒレの干し方とゆっくりじっくり焼くのがコツなのよね」と…脱帽です。

◯ タカノハダイのレア焼き酢漬け玉葱和え
…次に現れたのはタカノハダイ。大将はまた悪戯っぽい笑みを浮かべている。聞いたことがないので調べてみると、南紀や房総周辺に生息するこの魚は、夏には磯臭さがあり、外見も怪しくて人気がないようだ。しかし、水温が下がる冬になると、餌が変わることで、美しい白身の肉はしっかりとした歯ごたえと清らかで淡泊な味わいを持つ美味しい魚に変わるという！大将によると、この魚には「嫁泣かせ」という異名もあるほど、鱗が硬く、そのため下ごしらえが難しいことでも有名だそうです…
This fish was carefully prepared by removing all the bones. It was served grilled, and its texture is truly remarkable! It has a soft, chewy texture, and the umami flavor that overflows in your mouth is perfectly balanced. Surprisingly, it’s not too strong or overpowering! The sea of Minamie is truly amazing!

◯ ウツボ(有田川)
…〆前の最後の一品は、ウツボです！
This dish of boiled carp, with the spiciness of Sanjō from Basho added as an accent, has tender flesh despite being light in flavor. The generous amount of collagen between the skin and the flesh gives it a chewy texture, while its sweet taste is truly remarkable! The side dishes are also no slouch! Along with the "Shirona" (cabbage that was harvested before it grew larger),
上富田の胡桃、ヒジキ、人参、椎茸を使って作られた自家製ガンモドキが、またとても美味しいです〜♪

◯ 〆の白甘鯛の炊き込みご飯
“人力で頑張って、骨を丁寧に取り除きましたよ〜”と大将が言った。
The way of using the broth is truly excellent; it’s so delicious that you can eat several cups!
Even more impressive than that was the aroma of the food! The pickled vegetables were truly outstanding, especially the cucumbers and carrots—they were simply divine!

◯ The dessert is a Feijoas from Minamie Koshigawa.
This was also my first time eating it. Compared to its appearance, the flesh was soft and sweet, with a strong aroma that reminded me of pineapple and guava. It was delicious!

不知不觉间，转眼就过去了三个小时♪
Enjoying the delicious seafood from Naniwa’s seas and mountains, while enjoying the大将's lively conversation and quiz-like challenges!
This is segment 54/57. Translate only this segment and keep the wording natural.
雲井さんの真摯な食へのこだわり、食材への探究心、そして食材の美味しさを引き出す技術と手際に脱帽！
If I think back, during our correspondence♡ we talked about wanting to eat "Kue or Kutsuebi or Kumano beef." But I said, "That's not all~ the depth of Minamie is truly amazing!" That was a wonderful three hours spent teaching me just how vast the world really is! ♪

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