Close to Sairin-ji Temple on the 88 temple pilgrimage route is a rather lovely park in an otherwise unremarkable urban setting. It has an imposing entrance marked by pines, a large stone inscribed with the words Jonofuchi Koen, and a gateway with fancy tile-work. The freshwater spring within the park is said to have sprung at the bidding of the priest Kobo Daishi to which the pilgrimage is dedicated. The ponds and channels formed by this spring water are home to koi carp and ducks, who like to be fed with the food sold at various outlets in the park. One of these is the Teiregi Chaya teahouse in one corner of the park.
When I ambled up there at about one o’clock, the lady inside promptly stood up from her newspaper and pulled open a window.
“Fish food?”
“Actually, I was hoping for a little lunch for myself.”
“We only have Japanese food… Otherwise there’s a convenience store just over the road.”
“Japanese food is fine. What have you got?”
“We have udon noodles, and pork with ginger.”
“That sounds good, but I left my wallet in my car. Let me go and get it.”
As I headed off, a tinkly voice behind me called out, “That’s the long way. Yyou want to go thataway…”
Back with wallet in hand, the lady guided me to the seat with the best view. I could see Kobo Daishi standing in his cone hat with his staff in hand above the pool he created (so ‘tis said). The menu was explained to me very nicely and I chose the pork in ginger with the tea or coffee to follow for 1,000 yen.
As I waited for my meal to arrive, I took in the calming modern Japanese interior with bamboo features here and there. I didn’t have long to wait. The food was presented on some very characterful ceramic tableware. The pork was sweet and succulent with a rind of soft fat in the Japanese fashion. It was served on a salad of grated daikon radish with sesame dressing, with a crispy cream croquette and a ball of rich potato salad. As side dishes, there was lightly seasoned lotus root and sato imo, with stewed tofu skin and dried daikon, and another dish of vinegared daikon and seaweed with a touch of ground sesame. The set was completed with miso soup with mushrooms and wakame seaweed. Plus a bowl of high quality rice. I would have liked a little more of this, but I was quite satisfied nonetheless. You can easily come to regard this kind of intricately prepared and well-balanced meal as commonplace, but it’s always a joy when each element is done just so, as it was at Teiregi Chaya.
I think the serving lady was quite gratified to see how gratified I was with their lunch. The coffee was excellent too.
Teiregi Chaya serves shaved ice and other good things in season.
