Let me start off by saying that Hotel Metropolitan Nagano’s breakfast is nothing to write home about. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s bad. Much like with the hotel breakfasts that I’ve had in Japan, there are things that I liked and things that I didn’t particularly care for (though not because I didn’t like them).
Breakfast at Hotel Metropolitan Nagano: Huge Variety for Different Tastes
If I were to describe the breakfast area (at the Hotel Metropolitan Nagano then the first thing that would probably come to mind is that it’s quaint. What it lacks in size though, I think it more than makes up for in charm and in the variety of food it offers.
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One of the first things I gravitate to at hotel breakfasts’ is the meat section. Here we have the staple sausages and bacon. I think I’ve said this before but Japanese bacon is kind of weird and looks (and tastes) more like a ham. Personally I’ve gotten used to its taste a little but it’s definitely not as good as the typical American bacon.
If you’re not too keen on processed meats for your morning proteins, then there’s some scrambled eggs here that you might want to try instead. The scrambled eggs were just the right consistency for me and while it might look saturated in the picture, it looks perfectly okay in person.
Rounding out the items in the meat section are the grilled chicken with miso and some fried fish fillets. The chicken honestly looked like the most appetizing in this section while the fried fish was a close second. Overall, the selection of meats here is fine though I would’ve preferred a tad bit more options.
To balance out the proteins, you’re probably going to need vegetables and this section is where you’ll find plenty of them. The deep fried yam with nuts is one of the best-selling items here and it does look appetizing. I also think the Hijiki seaweed and tofu paste with spinach looked fine though I didn’t personally give them a try.
I actually thought the simmered radish was tofu until I saw the sign. Ideally, you’d want to pair this with the grilled salmon right next to it.
Who said veggies can’t be tasty? If you want more umami for your breakfast then definitely check this section. Here you’ll find classic Japanese veggie side dishes such as enoki mushrooms, shoyumame, nozawana, and umeboshi.
Of course, any talk centered around Japanese breakfast items won’t be complete without mentioning Natto. Next to it is a regional specialty called Nagaimo (Japanese mountain yam also called Chinese yam) from a town in Nagano called Matsushiro. Like Natto, it’s best paired with rice or noodles. And speaking of Chinese food, if you’d like to have some of it here in Nagano, you can go to the Fan Fahr Chinese Restaurant near Nagano station.
I think the salad bar here is also okay. It’s got fruits,vegetables, and other salad ingredients that I think go well together. In this side of the salad bar you’ll find yogurt (made from 100% fresh milk), almond jelly, fruit cocktail, blueberry and strawberry jam, and fruits like lychee, apple, and oranges.
For guests who want something to warm their stomachs that isn’t coffee, you might want to head on over to this section. Aside from curry, rice porridge, and miso soup, the section also allows you to make your own ochazuke with 6 different condiments and a tasty broth.
Back to the salad bar, what’s pictured here is its veggie section. Of course there’s plenty of greens in addition to some potato salad, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, corn, as well as seaweed salad.
If you’re looking for a more Western style of breakfast then consider heading to the bread section. The freshly baked mini croissants look nice though if they’re too fancy, then you can go to town on the sliced bread.
Craving for pancakes with whipped cream and maple syrup? They have that here as well as French bread and Strawberry Danish.
Other than butter, the hotel also has packs for strawberry and blueberry jam. This was surprising for me since most of the hotels I’ve been to typically only offer butter.
Unfortunately for guests craving cereals, these were the only options I found when I was there. For what it’s worth though, the brown rice flakes and the dried mixed fruits probably have enough carbs to power you through the day.
I also appreciated the diversity of the sauces that you’ll find here. You have staple sauces like Mustard, Ketchup, and soy sauce along with more non-Japanese condiments like sriracha sauce, habanero sauce, kecap manis, Sel de Guerade, and even German curry ketchup.
If you want something fried but don’t want your arteries to get clogged then some mushroom tempura just might be what you need. Don’t expect this every day though. The tempura they cook here might change from time to time.
Soba noodles are also available along with seasonal Ima-Nishiki sake. Apparently the sake is new and comes from Ina Valley in Shinshu, Nagano.
If alcoholic drinks in the morning aren’t your thing, you could just opt for some good old coffee. This coffee machine dispenses hot coffee, cafe au lait, iced coffee, as well as matcha and iced matcha au lait.
Aside from the hot and cold coffee dispenser, the hotel also has a soft drink dispenser for guests who want lemon squash, soda, cold water, Lipton tea, White Grape Soda, and Ginger Ale (among others). For a relatively healthy alternative to these, you can also just get the 100% Kale juice on the left.
Here are even more drinks that should pair well with your breakfast. Milk is of course always a breakfast fixture regardless of where you’re from. Same with tea in a bag. In contrast, love for tomato juice might not be as universal though it is admittedly as healthy as the other two.
While I personally am not a fan of ice cream for breakfast, I still appreciate that the hotel is offering it here. If this were any time of day, I’d probably go for the Yuzu though I am also curious how the Brown Sugar Syrup and Soybean Flour flavor tastes.
Breakfast at Hotel Metropolitan was actually okay. I wouldn’t say this was the most memorable meal I had here which really isn’t a bad thing. I think what’s most important in a hotel breakfast is the variety of the food and the taste. In these aspects, Hotel Metropolitan’s offering was alright. I managed to finish my meal and that gave me strength to push on with a busy day out in Nagano (especially for me because I’m planning to go to the Snow Monkey Park!).
