LJ INN Shijo Omiya hanare 5 Bike Free Wifi

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.

An amiable couple from Nagasaki run this restaurant. The husband, an admirer of Kyoto cuisine, left his family’s kappo restaurant to gain experience in Kyoto. As he studied ways to present food, he fell in love with the bounty of ingredients available and decided to go independent. His habit is to visit producing regions, securing fresh ingredients in season, such as picking wild edible plants and mushrooms in Miyama and angling for sweetfish in Shiga. Under the tutelage of a potter, he makes his own ceramics, on which the couple serve their culinary creations.

Flexible and creative while revering the classics, Kinobu adds new twists to the way Kyoto cuisine reflects yearly events and the changing of the seasons. At the heart of the chef’s approach is a restless curiosity. He corresponds regularly with overseas chefs to deepen his store of knowledge. His ‘wine menu’ of dishes that pair well with wine is an innovation that broadens the scope of kaiseki. Kinobu began as a caterer and transformed itself into a ryotei. Treading a contemporary path, Kinobu keeps its eye on the future.

A procession of dishes that linger in the diner’s memory. Seasonal flavours are used in generous measure, such as Japanese pepper flower, pike conger, matsutake mushrooms and crab. Preparation methods, whether that be grilling, boiling or more, are astutely tailored to each ingredient, showcasing its qualities from every angle. This talent for bringing out the best in food is born of long years of experience. A favourite haunt of the literati, the Uozuya sign calligraphy is by essayist Masako Shirasu.

Countertop French dining in a merchant’s house with a brick oven. The classic cuisine here is interlaced with woodfire cooking learned in Spain. Shiitake mushroom and shrimp wrapped in pie pastry is a feature menu item. Sauce is thoroughly reduced over the fire, wreathed in smoke from the embers. ‘Ima’ means ‘now’, inviting you to live in the moment. Every dish is imbued with the magic of wood smoke; all focus trained on the moment when the flavour of the ingredients leaps out.

The first feature to catch your eye in the tasteful tea-house style interior is the lacquer counter, which the chef polished and coated himself. ‘Kentan’ means ‘the deep pursuit of self-improvement’. The seasonal interior decoration, serving ware and cuisine combine harmoniously to celebrate the history and food culture of Kyoto. Modern cooking techniques are also adopted here, such as grilling over low flame. A place to appreciate Japanese cuisine in a broader context.

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