お食事 — SEASONAL RESTAURANT
One seating. Six-fifteen.
One small restaurant within the ryokan. An omakase dinner, a meal entrusted to the chef and the seasons, guided by the week's harvest. A traditional Japanese breakfast is also served each morning.
お料理 — TWO MEALS, ONE KITCHEN
Cooked for the day, not the menu
There is no long menu to consider. You simply tell us if there is something you cannot eat, then leave the rest to the chef. Each meal is created from the week’s harvest and served in the spirit of omakase, trusting the seasons, and the person cooking for you.
Two ways to come to the table.
四季のおまかせ料理
Omakase dinner
A seasonal omakase that unfolds slowly, one carefully considered course at a time.
ご朝食
Japanese breakfast
A traditional Japanese breakfast that begins the day slowly, with a balance of nourishing seasonal dishes.
お料理の一例
This season’s menu
See a sample of what is on the table now, the menu turns with the produce and the weather.
四季のおまかせ料理 — THE OMAKASE DINNER
Dinner, left to the chef
Omakase means “I leave it up to the chef.” There is no set menu only a succession of carefully prepared courses served at an unhurried pace: sashimi and a clear broth, something from the grill, a slow-cooked dish, rice and pickles, and a delicate dessert to finish. Each evening’s menu is shaped by the best seasonal ingredients available, making every dinner a reflection of the season.
- Dinner Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
- One seating — drinks 6:15pm, dinner 6:30pm
- Five seasonal courses, chosen by the chef
- $108 per guest ($98 booked with your room)
- Dietary requirements with advance notice
- Available to both staying guests and visitors
ご朝食 — JAPANESE BREAKFAST
A traditional breakfast, set for the morning
Served in the traditional teishoku style, breakfast follows the Japanese principle of ichijū-sansai — rice, miso soup, a seasonal main dish and three small side dishes with green tea — a slow, grounding start before the day opens up.
- Included with every stay booked direct ($35pp otherwise)
- Served from 8:30am each morning
- A traditional set — no ordering
- Changes with the season
料理長 — MEET THE CHEF
Cooking with Yu
In Japan, traditional cuisine comes wrapped in rules, “and that’s beautiful,” Yu says, “but to me, it’s a little too much.” Here she follows the growers and the guests instead: “Making people happy and full, that’s a chef’s job.”
“Even simple carrots or potatoes — they’re so full of flavour here I don’t have to do much. Good salt, good vegetables. Less is more.”
“Someone told me — I’d never had sashimi before, but your food just changed my opinion. That always makes my day.”
The Japanese breakfast? Yu wants you to notice how nourished you feel. “You’re full, but not heavy. Your energy keeps going slowly, and your body feels happy after.”
作り手 — SEASONAL & LOCAL
Our growers
Most of what reaches the table is grown or raised within a short drive of Hepburn Springs. We name our growers because they shape the menu as much as the kitchen does.
Two Good Acres — Newlyn North
Darren’s small-scale market garden at Newlyn North — and the district’s old scotch-oven bakery, which he keeps as custodian. Vegetables cut to order, arriving with the morning.
Reveille Farm — Korweinguboora
Catherine and Jason farm regeneratively — vegetables, pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed cattle and busy bees. They grow our greens, our eggs, and even the flowers for our ikebana.
UmeNojo — Macedon
Founded by Tomi and inspired by her grandmother’s garden in Japan, Ume NOJO grows Japanese vegetables organically in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges, sharing Japan’s unique produce and food traditions with Australians.
ご予約の前に — GOOD TO KNOW
Before you reserve
| Dinner Service | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday. No lunch service. |
| Dinner Seating | One seating — drinks 6:15pm, dinner served 6:30pm. Allow around two hours. |
| Dinner Price | Omakase dinner $108 per guest ($98 booked with accommodation). |
| Breakfast | Traditional Japanese set, from 8:30am — included with every direct stay ($35pp otherwise). |
| Drinks | Fully licensed — Japanese beers and sake, local wines, BYO welcome ($10 corkage). |
| Dietary | Vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and most needs catered with advance notice. |
| Reservations | Overnight guests and visiting diners welcome — (03) 5348 2030, or book below. |
| Where | The restaurant, inside the ryokan — 7 Lakeside Drive, Hepburn Springs. |
ご予約 — RESERVE
Reserve your table
Some dates may show limited availability online, particularly when the ryokan is busy. We reserve a small number of tables for our overnight guests, but we’ll always do our best to welcome outside diners whenever possible.
We prepare each meal for the guests who have reserved to dine with us, allowing our chefs to cook thoughtfully with the season’s ingredients. Advance bookings are therefore essential. Choose your date below to see what’s available, and please include any dietary requirements when making your reservation.
If you can’t find a suitable time, please email us at [email protected] or call the Shizuka team on (03) 5348 2030 between 9:00am and 9:00pm. We’ll gladly check whether we can arrange something for you.