REF Matsuyama City Station by Vessel Hotels (Matsuyama, JAPAN)

Our tempura dinner took a little longer than expected to finish so by the time we arrived at REF Matsuyama City Station by Vessel Hotels, it was already 9:30pm. Almost time to crash!

To out a further delay on our rest time, we soon found out that the hotel didn't have any onsite parking (nor was there underground parking at Matsuyama City Station). So after much deliberation among our team members, we decided to find a temporary parking space, unloaded our luggage, and headed up for our check-in first (and returned for the car).

Fortunately, check-in was pretty quick. In fact, we were probably the only group that hadn’t arrived yet, so the key cards were already waiting for us at the front desk.

We quickly grabbed a few complimentary toothbrush and toothpaste, and off we go to our separate rooms from the second-floor lobby.

For a room of about 22 square meters, I didn't expect a lot of space to wiggle around.

Other than the two small single beds, there wasn't much furniture around.

The color palette — white and light wood — plus the simple linens reminded me of a hotel I've stayed in Tokyo before by the name of Karaksa Hotel Tokyo Station.

Not surprisingly, there was no room in the bathroom for the basin.

The bathroom itself looked pretty boring.

The only real “surprise” came from the temperature control. We had a hard time locating the controller on the wall, but eventually mystery solved... it was installed on the ceiling. (But later, we found the remote control, so that explained everything.)

Most of us didn't particularly enjoy the stay, partially due to our late arrival. I personally didn't like the mattress (it was pretty thin so not enough support for the back) and pillows. But hey, tomorrow is another day. The city view from the window was pretty nice.

I also love the abundance of hangers mounted on the wall.

And the ceiling-to-floor window from the hotel lobby, it's almost like a scenic painting of Matsuyama.

While there were definitely some positives in the interior design of REF Matsuyama City Station by Vessel Hotels, it still didn’t feel like it justified the steep price tag for the 12 hours we spent there.

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: 5-2 Minatomachi, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0012, Japan

Closest Train Station: Matsuyama City

Tel: +81 (0)89-915-8111

Website: https://www.vessel-hotel.jp/ref/matsuyama/

Tempura Nakamura 天婦羅中村 (Matsuyama, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

We spent a lot more time at Dogo Onsen (道後溫泉) than I originally planned so we were a little late for our tempura dinner tonight. Situated on the 3rd floor of a discreet commercial building in the heart of Matsuyama (松山), Tempura Nakamura (天ぷら中村) is one of the few top-rated tempura omakase restaurants in town. 

The kitchen here is helmed by a young owner-chef who has trained at some of the top tempura restaurants in Tokyo and Osaka including Tempura Osakaya Soutetsu (天婦羅 大坂屋草哲), the sister restaurant of my favorite Tempura Shinsaibashi Ittetsu (天婦羅 心齋橋一哲) in Osaka.

We specifically requested seats at the counter table so little nugget could get a clear view of what’s happening behind the scenes.

As usual, we got a visual tour of the ingredients tonight. And wow — there was definitely a lot of fish on the menu… perhaps a few too many.

Tonight's condiments were simple, just some powdery salt and the usual tentsuyu.

We started with a cold dish — octopus with chilled cucumber, drizzled in a zesty, lemony sauce. Refreshing right off the bat.

Shrimp head — Really nice and flaky just like it always is.

Shrimp 🍤 — The first of the two shrimp tonight.

Not surprisingly, both were incredibly bouncy.

Japanese kiss fish — One of my favorite fish tempura. As usual, it worked really well with the tentsuyu.

Green pepper — Pretty juicy but I always prefer red pepper when it comes to tempura.

Sea bream — We started with a squeeze of lemon juice but this was a tad too soft.

Sweet corn 🌽 — As always, the corn tempura had a great crunch. I love the texture of the light, super crispy batter and how well it held up against the corn.

Eggplant 🍆 — Melt-in-the-mouth good! 👍🏻👍🏻 One of the best item so far…

Pike conger — The pike conger from Nagano Prefecture (長野縣) came topped by a homemade sauce made with okra and plum.

The conger fish itself wasn’t bad but slightly minty and herby sauce was an interesting match.

Ayu — These sweet fish were almost too cute to eat. Of course, there were way too many tiny bones for me, but the preparation was still spot-on.

Baby sardine — Some of us who were counting were surprised to learn this was already our fourth fish dish — and we were only halfway through! To be brutally honest, I didn’t like this item at all. The center of the deep-fried baby sardine ball was just way too raw for me. Even with soy and ginger, it didn’t manage to take away the fishy smell.

Seaweed — I thought we were going to have seaweed tempura, but when the chef asked if we liked sea urchin from Hokkaido, our eyes lit up. This was wonderfully delicious, though I bet it would be even more elevated with a little shiso leaf.

Potato 🥔 — Like the one I had at Tempura Tenon, this took about an hour to cook but yet it stayed wonderfully sweet and satisfying.

Abalone (2,500 yen) — Our only add-on item. The abalone was extremely tender and juicy. 

Enjoying it without a flavorful sauce (abalone liver sauce?) was actually a nice change.

Sea eel — Always a treat for the texture.

Sweet potato 🍠 — Another really nice dish. Very very sweet and just perfectly soft (almost powdery in the middle).

Our rice course was next.

Ochazuke (茶漬け) — We didn't have a choice tonight and there would be no tendon (天丼). Just green tea over rice.

Red miso soup

And a cup of green tea to help with our digestion and we all needed that after the big meal.

Dessert was fresh mango from Taiwan, served with an exotic sauce made with passion fruit. 

This was the first of a trio of big meals planned for this trip. Personally, I enjoyed it immensely even if the pacing was a little rushed (less than an hour from the first to the last item). There were definitely standout hits: the shrimp, eggplant, abalone, and sweet potato. But at the same time, I thought there were just too many fish dishes. Some of us joked that we didn’t want to see another fish course in the next couple of days. I have to say, I tended to agree.

Food Rating: 6.7/10

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: 3/F 2-1-2 Nibancho, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0002, Japan

Closest Tram Station: Okaido

Tel: +81 (0)89-9393-7785

Website: https://www.hotpepper.jp/strJ003872915/

Opening Hours: 5:30pm - 12:00am daily

10 Factory Dogo 道後店 (Matsuyama, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

Next up, we’ve got about 30 minutes to check out Dogo Haikara Dori Street (Dogo Shopping Street) in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, right near the famous Dogo Onsen hot spring (道後温泉) resort.

One of the most popular spots here is 10 Factory Dogo Store, a premium mikan (蜜柑, a mandarin orange, satsuma mandarin, or tangerine) specialty shop with a sleek, modern, and minimalist look. They are best known for their transformation of Ehime’s famous mandarin oranges into high-quality juices, sweets, and souvenirs.



Their best sellers are their mandarin orange juices and jelly, each made with different blends of oranges. They also vary by the degree of sweetness, acidity, and bitterness. 

Right inside the shop, they display these levels on a clear chart (each rated out of five) so you can choose what fits your taste.

They even include a detailed comparison chart that highlights the striking contrast between varieties in terms of sweetness, tartness, and richness.

Their number-one signature experience is the Mikan Juice Tasting Flight. You’re served a wooden board featuring three different types of 100% mandarin orange juice, with no additives. An omakase-style tasting experience that really lets the oranges speak for themselves.

With the brutal heat today, I thought it would be perfect to grab everyone a bottle of their fruit jelly. It was incredibly refreshing, thirst-quenching and instantly cooling.

We didn’t want to miss the chance to enjoy the jelly at the shop’s sit-down area. 

So this guy immediately claimed a seat and started sipping away.

I decided to try the other signature item here: their mikan soft-serve ice cream. I love the twist cone with mandarin orange (mikan) and milk soft-serve — rich and creamy, with a clean, fruity finish that feels deeply refreshing, especially on a hot summer day.

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 12-34 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0842, Japan

Closest Train Station: Dogo Onsen

Tel: +81 (0)89-997-7810

Website: http://10-mikan.com/

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 9:00pm daily