Internship Experience in Ryoutei (料亭)
Ryoutei is a luxurious traditional Japanese restaurant, which served kaiseki style meals for business and formal meetings (source from Wikipedia). Everyone that goes to a Ryoutei has a purpose. It is not just a simple filling the stomach meal. It can be a business meeting, a celebration, a family meeting, a book sharing session, a reunion, a party or any occasion you can think of, which is why the customers going there are usually dressed formally. Having said that, anyone are welcomed to visit a ryoutei to enjoy the exquisite, delicate meal prepared by a qualified chef and served by the beautiful omotenashi-san (something like waitress?). However, do remember to make a reservation in advance as meals are prepared freshly according to the number of customers. The ryoutei I worked in is called Shikiryotei Sukeroku (粋料亭 助六) currently managed by Okami - Chikage Nakamura and her husband, Hideyuki Nakamura, who is also the head chef of Sukeroku. During my whole internship experie...