HOTEL SHIKISAI KYOTO - Vacation STAY 74867v

The house began life as a travelling fishmonger, carrying fish from Wakasa Bay to scattered markets, then gradually transitioned into a restaurant. The sixth-generation head, Motokazu Nakamura, took over the reins having been the only one entrusted with the craft he learned at his father’s side. For the white miso zoni, he only uses water drawn from a well on the premises to dissolve the miso. Sake-grilled tilefish is doused in sake multiple times, piling flavour on top of flavour. The chef tends the kitchen with his son, who trained abroad, passing skills and spirit from one generation to the

Coming from a family of vegetable wholesalers, the chef grew up with fond memories of visiting the market. As an apprentice he frequented marketplaces with his mentor, learning how to recognise good produce, listening to wholesalers and forming bonds of trust. Those days spent with his mentor, driving to the market and shopping for ingredients, may have been the origin of Kyoryori Fujimoto. The menu, rich in vegetables, evokes a sense of both season and the people behind the cuisine.

After learning the basics at a ryotei, the chef worked at a kappo, where he discovered how to make dining fun. What he finds compelling about being a chef, he says, is that while the food itself is consumed at once and disappears, the occasion lingers in the memory. His ingenuity comes to the fore in Kyoto cuisine rich in dashi and vegetables. Side dishes such as boiled vegetables and ground soup, skilfully served both cold and warm, make for a treat that is simple yet impressive. Rice cooked in clay pots joins items such as preserves simmered in sweetened soy sauce, dried mullet roe and peppe

One of Miyawaki’s strengths is the menu’s deft sense of rhythm—white fish tsukuri served with salted kombu, for example, or fruit and yuba made into a smooth surinagashi soup. The use of Kagawa wagyu reflects the chef’s wish to support his home region, featuring in heartier dishes such as charcoal-grilled wagyu and cutlets. The generous number of dishes is another pleasure, and the easy banter between the couple helps put guests at ease. Guests leave feeling both full and content.

Bold, elegant cuisine, stripped down and pure, sets off works by Rosanjin and other artists. Avoiding piling element upon element, Ogata finds creativity in deceptively unsophisticated appearances. Technique is guided by intuition gained from each ingredient or inspired by seasonal expressions. Seasonal aesthetics are manifested through the choice of ingredients, revealing the natural vitality of each.

The name is short for ‘yakitori no saki’, meaning ‘the future of yakitori’, and a harbinger of things to come in the yakitori world is just what Torisaki aims to be. Using brand-name chicken from Fukushima, the chef and his team grill skewers of chicken over a high flame. A chicken skewer combining liver with chochin has become a signature item thanks to the affinity between the cuts used. The atmosphere of the machiya interior is nostalgic; the sight of the cooks in their twisted headbands a cheerful welcome.

This creative cuisine reflects the chef’s gastronomic journey. Spanish and French techniques find application in recipes from Okinawa, where the chef was born and raised. A tapa named ‘Ryukyubon’ is one example. This version of a dish from the Ryukyu royal court is arranged on Yachimun pottery and served on a Ryukyu lacquer tray. Purees and sauces form tracks drizzled atop asado grilled over wood or charcoal in a stone oven.