In true Dormy Inn style, the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet features regional specialties including pork dishes and mikuriya soba.
Dormy Inn is a chain of Japanese business hotels that is well-known for its amazing breakfast buffets featuring local specialties, such as the location in Otaru, Hokkaido that serves all kinds of fresh seafood. Our Japanese-language reporter Masanuki Sunakoma recently visited Gotemba City in Shizuoka Prefecture and stayed at the “Natural Hot Spring Fujizakura no Yu: Dormy Inn Express Mt. Fuji Gotemba” location. Gotemba is located right next to Mt. Fuji and you can see stunning views of the mountain from anywhere within the city. In fact, this hotel even offers a rooftop terrace with a foot bath from which you can admire the view. As spectacular as the local scenery is, however, Masanuki was all eyes for the hotel’s famous breakfast during this particular visit.
Dormy Inn Express Mt. Fuji Gotemba’s breakfast area is situated in its spacious Hatago restaurant on the first floor. While the restaurant was previously open to anyone, including non-hotel-staying guests, beginning in November 2022 Hatago is now limited to hotel guests only for an unspecified duration of time.
Dormy Inn breakfast buffets in general are an all-you-can-eat gastronomic tour featuring roughly 50 different items, including both regional Japanese cuisine as well as Western-style foods. Even better, you can watch the chefs prepare the dishes right in front of your eyes. The regional cuisine highlight of this particular Dormy Inn is grilled pork and pork stew made using Shizuoka’s famous Fujinokuni brand pork, an extremely tender and flavorful variety. Masanuki made sure to grab dishes of each.
▼ Fujinokuni grilled pork
▼ Fujinokuni pork stew
He would also be remiss if he didn’t try the Gotemba region’s traditional mikuriya soba. These special noodles are made using Japanese yams as a binding agent, an ingredient which is noticeable in its smooth texture.
▼ Mikuriya soba
After putting all of the dishes together, Masanuki had to take a moment to marvel at his tray’s perfection. This spread could easily be a decadent dinner, let alone breakfast!
It was finally time to get down to business. Alternating bites between the grilled pork and pork stew, his taste buds marveled at the divine flavor and texture of the pork. He already felt like he had gotten his money’s worth from just these two dishes–and yet, an all-you-can-eat invitation was at his disposal.
If you request it, a chef will even cook you a ready-made omelet to mix in your stew. He discovered that the thick, creamy stew also pairs well with either rice or bread.
Large chunks of local Taiyo brand chicken were waiting in his mikuriya soba. The plump chunks, together with the sweet broth, were also outstanding.
On top of those main dishes, the buffet also featured many smaller dishes and even desserts. There was absolutely no way Masanuki would walk away from this venture without overeating.
▼ Hot spring-cooked eggs from Gotemba
▼ Fruit slices galore
Hatago’s breakfast entry fee is 1,800 yen (US$13.90) per adult and 900 yen per child (ages three through the end of elementary school). The buffet is open from 6:30-9:00 a.m (9:30 a.m. on Sundays only). Masanuki concluded that a stay at the hotel is more than worth it for the breakfast alone (never mind the on-site saunas and foot baths as well). This one now probably ranks at the top of all Dormy Inn breakfasts he’s tried, and he highly recommends it as your home base for exploring the Mt. Fuji area.
Hotel information
Natural Hot Spring Fujizakura no Yu: Dormy Inn Express Mt. Fuji Gotemba / 天然温泉 富士桜の湯 ドーミーインEXPRESS富士山御殿場
Address: Shizuoka-ken, Gotemba-shi, Higashi-Tanaka 1505-3
静岡県御殿場市東田中 1505-3
Website
Reference: Dormy Inn
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