Just when we were running out of new ideas on activities, both us and our kids would enjoy, come an invitation from a dear friend to treat my whole family to a dairy farm and restaurant in Katsuargi city. Our itinerary included harvesting fruits and vegetables from our friend’s farm and then off to go milk cows and grab some ice cream. The thought of milking cows made me and my wife really excited, doing something for the very first time in quite a while, sounds just what we needed. As for my kids, what can be better than a combination of milk and animal (cow), two of their most favorite things in the world? Well, add ice cream in the mix, and my kids were extremely hyped for this trip.
You don’t need a reservation to go see or feed the cows, however, you need to call in a reservation to milk it. We arrived at the Latte Takamatsu in time for our appointment. The delicious all- you-can-drink cold milk counter at the entrance is a clear indication of the heavenly goodness, snack time had in store for us.
We were then brought to our milking cow guide. An old man who bore the harshness of the hard work he does every day. You get a feeling of sadness, thinking how hard his job milking the cows and cleaning after them, every single day. The old man asked us to wear plastic on our shoes then ushered us in the milking area. Wow! The cows are huge. There were around 20 cows in the neatly kept cottage. We fed the cows for a while, took pictures, then, he started giving us a lecture on the history of the place.
Never judged a book by its cover, the feeble looking old man and his wife actually run and own the whole place. He told us that they started with 2 cows and was heavily in debt. And fate, what do you know, they won the lottery, paid all of their debts, and purchased more cows. Put up a restaurant, and now distribute their gourmet dairy products to high end stores around the country. He is such a nice guy and seemed really happy doing what he does, also teaching us about how important milk is. You can feel how passionate he is with the subject matter, even quizzing my kids on dairy products and offering us trivia on anything milk related.
All of us get to milk a cow. It was really fun and easy. Then it was time to say goodbye and head back to the restaurant.
The restaurant is also a famous ice cream parlor. They have more than 32 flavors from all-time favorites, such as,milk, banana, vanilla and chocolate. Japanese inspired such as, green tea and sweet potato. Of course, they also have wild and exciting flavors such as, black bean flour, sake oil (rice wine), fig and more. They also offer seasonal flavors such as, rapeseed and honey, peach and persimmon. A scoop will cost you 300 yen.
But that’s not all. They also have variety of treats such as cakes and pizza. And as you’ve guessed it the icing, cream, frosting and cheese used for these heavenly menu came from the beautiful beasts next door.
The restaurant is a sight in itself. The view from their outdoor dining is very beautiful. You can admire the lush mountains and rice fields while you dine at this charming wood restaurant.
The dining alone is worth a visit or two. They also cater to barbecue meals upon request.
