Considering all the walking I did at Snow Monkey Park, I had to get myself a bite to eat. Thankfully, I came across Crystal Terrace which is a restaurant that’s in Yamanouchi Town. It’s a pretty unique establishment because it specializes in Italian cuisine in the heart of rural Japan.
Crystal Terrace Restaurant: Nice Place for a Meal After Visiting Snow Monkey Park
Crystal Terrace is just adjacent to the Shiga Kogen Roman Art museum so the focus on Italian cuisine is pretty on brand. It’s pretty hard to not miss because of just how odd (for lack of a better word) it’s conical structure is.
Entering the restaurant, I was greeted by this sign here and what looks to be a bustling space with customers already seated. The interior was adequately lit in my opinion. I initially thought it would be a lot brighter considering all the glass but I was pleased to know that my assumption was wrong when I did step inside.
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Like a lot of Japanese establishments, Crystal Terrace has signs with English translations. I was expecting a lot more quirky and creative decorations considering it is just adjacent to an art museum but a minimalist aesthetic is fine as well.
Menu of Crystal Terrace Restaurant
The Japanese value efficiency and nothing exemplifies that more than these automatic ticket machines. Once you’ve picked what to order, you’ll just need to choose the item from the machine on the right (in this picture) and then pay. After punching in your order, you’d just then need to wait for it to be delivered to your table.
What about the food? The menu lists the available food items for the day that you can choose from. When I went there, these were what was available. Price-wise, it was relatively affordable with the most expensive item priced at just JPY1100.
The drink selection was also relatively affordable albeit uninspired. Some items stood out such as the Rosehip and Chamomile mint teas but other than these, the drinks here can be found in most restos and bars in the country. I personally didn’t opt for any drinks to include with my meal.
For hard drinks, the options here are far less diverse. With beer, you are limited to an Asahi super dry, a local Nagano beer, or an alcohol free alternative if you aren’t too keen on getting buzzed. There are also Nagano red and white wines as well as Japanese sake. Outside of the non-alcoholic beer, the prices of these hard drinks is a uniform JPY750 each.
One reason why I was hesitant on getting drinks was because the restaurant already provided water. Another reason was that I didn’t really think I would be staying long here. I just was feeling hungry and wanted to load up on food after my rather long walk at the Snow Monkey Park earlier.
The ambience here was really chill and I’m guessing it might get rather chilly (literally) because they have a heater near the guests’ tables. Joking aside though, this was a rather comfortable and sunny section of the restaurant that also offered a decent view of the outside.
I finally got my order of basil pasta with oysters! I was so hungry that I managed to wolf this down fairly quickly. The taste was okay. I wouldn’t say it was life-changing or worthy of a Michelin star or two. Still, if you’re in need of a quick meal after your activities in Snow Monkey Park then I don’t think you’ll go wrong with it.
I’d say Crystal Terrace was okay overall. Not great but not bad either. Its ambiance is great though and it’s pretty easy to spot thanks to its unique conical structure. Have you had the chance to visit here? What do you think of this restaurant in Yamanouchi Town? Do share your insights!
