Chateau Bunga シャトー文雅 (Saga, JAPAN) ★★★☆☆

I wanted to make our Christmas Eve lunch a special one for everyone, but with many restaurants in Saga taking the week off, planning turned out to be trickier than expected. Thankfully, I managed to find Chateau Bunga (シャトー文雅) on Tabelog.

Located in the northern part of Saga City, Chateau Bunga is set in a building resembling a French chateau, exuding elegance and romance, just the kind of setting I had in mind for our celebration meal…or so I thought at first.

After checking in at the reception, we were led up a spiral staircase to the main dining room.

Chateau Bunga offers a variety of set menus, most of which revolve around Saga beef as the main course, nicely complemented by Japanese-inspired French bites.

We started off the meal with a small amuse-bouche, a deep-fried shrimp mousse ball served on a bed of silky potato foam. A hit with little nugget, who almost licked the plate clean.

That was immediately followed by a seafood bowl, featuring a medium-sized abalone placed on top of baby scallops, razor clams, and mushrooms, all drizzled in garlic-parsley butter reminiscent of the classic sauce used in traditional French baked escargot.

Next up, a summer vegetable mousse with consommé jelly and salmon roes, offering a burst of clean, fresh flavors.

Our lunch officially began with the first course of the set menu, a comforting sweet corn soup, topped with crispy croutons.

Steamed egg custard topped with foie gras and mushroom sauce soon followed. 

The sauce was rich and flavorful although it overpowered the delicate custard to a point that egg custard was barely noticeable.

The smoked salmon tartare, served with seasonal vegetables and caviar, was one of the less successful dishes this afternoon. The plating lacked finesse, and despite the name, there was no smokiness found in the tartare.

A scallop and potato croquette drizzled with black truffle sauce arrived next.

Sadly, it was mostly potato inside with the scallop barely detectable.

Then the moment we had been waiting for: succulent Saga beef tenderloin. While the portion was modest, it turned out to be just right given how much we had already eaten this week. True to its reputation, the Saga beef was incredibly tender and delicate.

Following the main course, we were presented with a small curry rice dish. We had the option of choosing one or two spoonfuls. This was slightly sweet with a gentle kick, which was well-suited to our Asian palates.

Dessert was milk ice-cream served with strawberry sauce, a nice icing on the cake.

A cup of hot milk tea, my first since we arrived in Japan a few days ago summed up this multi-course meal.

This 10-course meal took me on a nostalgic journey back to my childhood. In those days, local Western restaurants often rolled out special Christmas menus (聖誕大餐) with half a dozen or more small courses. Since dining out was a rare treat for us, seeing those festive menus always made our eyes light up like Christmas tree lights. Any kid would be thrilled!

These days, you don’t see that kind of Christmas feast much anymore. I guess we don't really wait for a holiday to indulge anymore. Any day can be a celebration now.

Looking back on our brief time in Saga, it's been fun. The highlight was definitely our visit to the Saga Castle Ruins (佐賀城跡), now a history museum.

Originally established in the late 1500s, the fortified village was later rebuilt and expanded by Nabeshima Katsushige (鍋島勝茂), the first daimyō of the Saga Domain, in the early 1600s. The highlights include a 45-meter-long tatami corridor and a vast 320-tatami hall, a space little nugget seemingly enjoyed running around over. 😆😆

Food Rating: 5.6/10

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: 2592-12 Yamatocho Oaza Kuchii, Saga, 840-0202 Japan

Tel: +81 (0)952-62-5444

Website: https://www.bunga.jp/

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 3:30pm, 5:30pm - 9:30pm (Wed - Sun)