Shuzengi is a popular hot-spring resort so it has many nice restaurants showcasing the superb local ingredients including fresh mountain vegetables and fungi, wild boar, seafood from the waters around Izu, and of course, wasabi.
The restaurant was a high quality establishment in the woods near Shuzengi called 'Tengu no Mori', (Tengu Forest) which even had its own hot-spring. 'Tengu' are mountain demons who live in the with crows (link). They have big noses and ruddy complexions.
As an aside, when the first westerners arrived in Japan there were compared to Tengu.
Anyway we enjoyed a lunch of 9 terrific courses:
Zensai Mixed starter of vegetables, meats and seafood.
Otsukiru. Sashimi of prawns and Tuna. The port of Numazu, about 30min drive away on the east coast of Izu is a major port for tuna and prawns.
Sunomono. Marinated salmon (no photo)
Yakimono (fried things). Kinmedai and scallop. Kinmedai is a small tasty red fish that is associated with the port of Ito on the East coast of Izu
Tobanyaki. Hotpot of pork and mushrooms
Deep-boiled things. Porkbelly and parsnip
Tempura. Renkon, eggplant, red snapper with almond
Sushi
Desert. Mango Pudding
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