Gion Nishikawa () in Kyoto on October 23rd

This was one of my favorite restaurants I visited in Japan. Kaiseki cuisine often gets called underseasoned because it’s primarily about the natural taste of the ingredients, but I didn’t think think it lacked seasoning. Sure, these ingredients would be cooked in a very different way in a western restaurant, but I don’t think that means this approach is at all inferior.

Standout dishes were the mushroom tempura (although the sauce makes it look a bit gross), the grilled lobster with miso sauce (no idea why the menu says brain sauce), and the sushi which is eaten like a sando with the sea weed. Product quality was excellent throughout the menu, and the only disappointing dish was the soup with Kyoto beef because it was overcooked. No idea why they decided to add that ingredient to the soup.

I was the only foreigner in the restaurant which felt a little weird initially, but I was able to use my limited Japanese to make some small talk with some of the other guests. I would absolutely recommend people visit this restaurant if they can get a reservation as it is a stellar way to experience traditional Japanese cuisine. Total cost including a nihonshu/sake pairing was around ¥50,000 and the amount of food was just about right.