日本三大秘境のまち

The Iya Valley in Tokushima Prefecture’s Miyoshi City attracts visitors from around the world to its Kazurabashi Vine Bridges, and there are several restaurants which offer local specialties for these travelers. However, if looking for the down-home taste of Iya where the locals go to eat, which serves all of Iya’s specialties and more, then the place to go is this “undiscovered” little gem.

For the uninitiated, the restaurant at the Oku-Iya Hotel may be a bit tricky to find. Though it is located on the main street in the “down-town” Kyojo area of Higashi-Iya, the sign out front only names the hotel.

But inside the doors through the indigo-blue half-curtains, which announce “Oshokujidokoro” (“A Place to Eat”) in Japanese, the restaurant is immediately found.

The “Awa Gibier Curry Festival”

On the day I visited, Tokushima Prefecture (also known as “Awa”) was currently hosting a promotion campaign for curry using locally hunted “gibier” wild game meat.

In recent years, an increase in deer and boar populations has led to severe crop damage in Japan, so efforts have been made to promote hunting and to utilize the delicious and wildly natural meat. 

The restaurant at the Oku-Iya Hotel is no exception to this concept and have always participated in events to enliven the community, and since their menu already featured the exact item currently being promoted, being part of the “Awa Gibier Curry Festival” was a perfect fit.

Iya Deer Curry

In checking out the traditional wood-panel menu of the restaurant, the “Shika (deer) Curry” and “Shika Plate” immediately catch one’s attention. 

Actually, the restaurant here only sells curry with deer meat, which may seem strange compared to the typical curry offerings in the rest of Japan that use beef or pork.

And the Shika Plate has a range of special venison based items including the curry, so in wanting to sample the full set, I opted with the this.

When the “Plate” arrived I was immediately impressed with the size as my stomach growled with hungry anticipation.  The set featured the curry, a fried deer cutlet, a deep-fried deep croquette, fresh salad, and a heaping mound of rice.

Enjoying the Taste of Local Venison

I first tried a bite of the cutlet, and the deer inside looked more like lean beef. It was tender and not at all too chewy, and the crispy outside was a nice balance.

Next up was the croquette, and the minced deer meat inside was equally delicious. If there was any disappointment, it was that there was only one of them.

And finally there was the curry. At first glance it appeared to be like regular Japanese curry, but the rich mix of spices and thick hunks of deer meat made a taste that went beyond the norm. One reason it was different was perhaps the lack of fat on the lean deer, which made the curry much less oily than with the usual beef or pork.

Many people feel that deer meat can have an odd “gamey” flavor, but that wasn’t at all the case with the meat being served here. Maybe it was their blend of spices, but more likely, it was probably due to the freshness. Either way, it was hearty and satisfying.

Iya’s Famous Potatoes

Additionally, the curry also featured a bounty of the small, dense potatoes for which Iya is known. Being that soil in the hillside farm plots here is rather rough and rocky, Iya potatoes only grow to a small size, but they are certainly firmly packed. So dense are the potatoes that even after being long boiled they maintain their consistency and don’t readily fall apart like other potatoes would, so they make for the perfect curry potatoes, with each one being just about bite sized.

As it can be imagined, the Iya people are quite fond of the deer curry served here, and many customers just order it as a stand alone meal, including the man sitting next to me.

Accordingly, the curry often sells out since they only make a limited amount each day. So if you want to be sure to get yourself a serving, don’t arrive too much after noon!

In Part 3 I’ll explain what else is on the menu at the Hotel Oku-Iya Restaurant.

For more info, check their website (Japanese only): https://www.okuiya.jp/

Or for English info, check their page on IyaTime:

https://www.iyatime.com/Oku-Iya-Hotel-and-Restaurant

(Text & Photos by: Shaun Lamzy)