Ryugu: Authentic Cantonese Dining Inside the Imabari Kokusai Hotel
Looking for a proper sit-down meal in central Imabari? One of the city’s most reliable options hides in plain sight: Ryugu (龍宮), an authentic Chinese restaurant in the basement of the Imabari Kokusai Hotel, the white high-rise that stands out on the city skyline.
It is open every day, about a 10-minute walk from JR Imabari Station, and serves everything from good-value weekday lunches to full banquet courses in private rooms. For travelers and Shimanami cyclists who want a guaranteed, comfortable dinner without hunting through unfamiliar streets, a hotel restaurant of this standard is a very safe bet.
Cantonese cooking in a hotel basement
Ryugu sits on the B1 floor of the hotel. Take the elevator down and you step into a calm, classic dining room. The kitchen is rooted in Cantonese cuisine, with Taiwanese and Sichuan dishes on the menu as well, so the range runs from delicate dim sum to a properly spicy mapo tofu.
What a course meal looks like here
We visited as a small group and ordered one of the set courses. The meal opened with a Chinese-style salad topped with roast pork and crispy fried wonton chips.
Then came a steamer basket of three kinds of dim sum: a plump shrimp dumpling, a sticky-rice shumai and a pork shumai. Three little bites, three different textures.
The beef stir-fried in oyster sauce was tender, glossy and full of savory depth.
A personal highlight was the okoge, crispy rice served in a hot clay pot with a rich sauce poured over it. The crackle and the toasty aroma are half the fun of a Chinese course meal.
Next was a plate that pairs fried chicken with mayonnaise sauce and fried cod in chili sauce, two flavors on one plate.
Mapo tofu followed, silky and satisfying.
The course closed with shrimp fried rice, the shrimp plump and springy, followed by almond jelly for dessert. Coffee and almond jelly came with free refills, so we lingered over dessert without watching the clock.
A private room and attentive service
We had reserved a private room, which turned out to be a lovely way to enjoy the meal. Our room seated six, and with four of us it felt very spacious and relaxed.
A printed menu card waiting on the table added a nice sense of occasion, too.
Service was another quiet pleasure. Staff waited just outside the room, so whenever we wanted more tea or an extra order, they appeared almost immediately. The whole meal felt carefully looked after.
Lunch is great value too
Ryugu is not only for special dinners. At lunchtime (11:30 to 14:00) they serve a daily lunch for around 1,250 yen, limited to 30 servings, along with a choose-your-mains lunch for around 1,800 yen and a dim sum lunch course for around 2,700 yen. Prices and menus change, so check the latest before you go, but as a weekday lunch inside a hotel this is very reasonable for the quality.
Getting there from JR Imabari Station
The Imabari Kokusai Hotel is in the Asahimachi area in the center of town, about a 10-minute walk from JR Imabari Station. The hotel is one of the tallest buildings in the city, so it is easy to spot; the restaurant is on basement floor B1. There is a large hotel parking area (about 250 cars) if you are driving.
You can check the location here: Imabari Kokusai Hotel on Google Maps.
For cyclists, central Imabari makes a natural overnight base before or after crossing the Shimanami Kaido, and a dependable dinner spot that is open every day is worth knowing. It pairs easily with a visit to Imabari Castle, and after a long ride you can soak at Kisuke no Yu hot spring near the station before dinner. If you are just setting up your ride, our guide to renting a bicycle in Imabari may help too.
Good to know
Hours: Lunch 11:30-14:00 (last order), dinner 17:00-21:00 (last order 20:30), open every day.
Private rooms: Available, and comfortable for groups; ours seated six. For a private room or a course meal, it is safest to book ahead by phone (0898-36-1801).
Where exactly: Imabari Kokusai Hotel B1F, 2-3-4 Asahimachi, Imabari. Head into the hotel lobby and take the elevator or stairs down one floor.
Original article in Japanese: https://starlife2016.net/3306.html
