Yanagi-ja-ya

Yanagi-ja-ya Review

At this main branch of this Nara institution in Nara Koen, just past the Five-Story Pagoda, you may find yourself just popping in to try some warabi mochi for morning or afternoon tea. Delicious morsels made from warabi (bracken fern root) are tossed in soybean flour and sweetened with brown sugar syrup. At a second branch, the unassuming exterior belies an elegant interior. You're transported to a bygone age in a secluded tatami room overlooking a garden where you'll be served simple bento meals of sashimi, stewed vegetables, and tofu in black-lacquer boxes. Lunch costs ¥4,000-¥6,000.