Lunch started with a cup of hot fresh spring water from a well they drilled (Supposedly sharing the same water source as the Imperial Palace); which will be used as the cornerstone for their dashi.
Chef Kiyama is renowned for his dashi, a dish he creates in front of diners. Unfortunately, we missed the opportunity to witness this performance as we were seated in a private room. Bright side, we were “able to” take pictures of the food 🙂
Next was a welcome sake, before the start of the course.
Similar to my experience in Tagawa*, dishes were presented with simplicity, yet artfully arranged, showcasing an elegant and beautiful presentation.
The execution of each dish was excellent, with an fine balance of texture and flavor, highlighting the seasonal ingredients. Furthermore, many courses incorporated their dashi in various ways, enhancing the freshness of the ingredients and delivering a richer, more flavorful taste.
As you can see, their fresh water played a crucial role throughout the entire dining experience, from the creation of their dashi broth to it’s preparation of the matcha green tea.
You can also ask for different sizes of the rich and noodle dishes, tailored to suit your preferences; all were very delicious. As for dessert, their pear drink was exceptionally tasty.
Overall, this was an exceptional Kaiseki meal. Despite the somewhat higher lunch price compared to other Michelin restaurants, the Cost to Performance was high, given the substantial amount of food provided, resembling more of a dinner course.
The sous chef and servers explained the food in basic English; enough to understand.
Definitely one of my top meals during my stay in the Kansai Region (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe).
Personal Rating 9/10
PoopEbum
Thanks for posting! Just reserved Koke…
Rixia
Gotta try this next trip. It’s been getting bad reviews recently though. That made me hesitate recently when I went to Kyoto.
5 Comments
Price: $100USD Lunch, Dec’23
Location: Kyoto (Central)
Private Room.
Lunch started with a cup of hot fresh spring water from a well they drilled (Supposedly sharing the same water source as the Imperial Palace); which will be used as the cornerstone for their dashi.
Chef Kiyama is renowned for his dashi, a dish he creates in front of diners. Unfortunately, we missed the opportunity to witness this performance as we were seated in a private room. Bright side, we were “able to” take pictures of the food 🙂
Next was a welcome sake, before the start of the course.
Similar to my experience in Tagawa*, dishes were presented with simplicity, yet artfully arranged, showcasing an elegant and beautiful presentation.
The execution of each dish was excellent, with an fine balance of texture and flavor, highlighting the seasonal ingredients. Furthermore, many courses incorporated their dashi in various ways, enhancing the freshness of the ingredients and delivering a richer, more flavorful taste.
As you can see, their fresh water played a crucial role throughout the entire dining experience, from the creation of their dashi broth to it’s preparation of the matcha green tea.
You can also ask for different sizes of the rich and noodle dishes, tailored to suit your preferences; all were very delicious. As for dessert, their pear drink was exceptionally tasty.
Overall, this was an exceptional Kaiseki meal. Despite the somewhat higher lunch price compared to other Michelin restaurants, the Cost to Performance was high, given the substantial amount of food provided, resembling more of a dinner course.
The sous chef and servers explained the food in basic English; enough to understand.
Definitely one of my top meals during my stay in the Kansai Region (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe).
Personal Rating 9/10
Thanks for posting! Just reserved Koke…
Gotta try this next trip. It’s been getting bad reviews recently though. That made me hesitate recently when I went to Kyoto.
All these at USD100? It’s a steal!
“Kindly request you don’t take any photos”
*proceeds to take 18 photos for Reddit