Super Hotel Kyoto Shijyo Kawaramachi

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

‘Strive for simplicity, elevated by technique’ is the chef’s credo. Prizing seasonal flavours above all, he visits production areas the length and breadth of Japan. At first glance, the food arrangements and serving-ware appear ordinary, but each detail reveals the meaning of Japanese cuisine and patiently cultivated skill. Experience the graceful culture and hospitality of the tea ceremony, learned at a long-established ryokan, in a counter dining setting.

In a teacher-and-student quest, Hiroshi Sasaki and his understudies vie to create the greatest flavours. Combining Sasaki’s wealth of experience with the youthful sensitivity of his disciples, the restaurant builds a menu that surprises and delights, suffusing classic Japanese cuisine with fresh technique and imagination. The counter becomes a theatre that brings cooks and diners together, each playing their parts. The performances of ‘Sasaki Kitchen Theatre’, fun for eyes and tastebuds, have a presence that keeps the house packed night after night.

The interior’s keynote black bespeaks modern dining; the cuisine, modern Chinese with further innovations, confirms the impression. The concept of Chinese-French fusion cuisine adds uniqueness, exemplified by the foie gras sandwiched between two thin, crisp wafers redolent with Shaoxing wine. Use of decompression cooking and liquid nitrogen ensure that ingredients retain all their flavour. Advanced methods give rise to new directions in cuisine.

The prix fixe selection of numerous small dishes borrows an idea from Spanish tapas. Playful presentation and gorgeous arrangements upgrade Italian cuisine to a modern interpretation. The open kitchen is a stage, the semicircular counter the theatre’s front row. White serving-ware matches the white interior and the whole dining room feels like a canvas, a space to be filled by bright and colourful cuisine.

As an apprentice, while honing his skills in simmering and cooking, the chef discovered a love for grilling. The delicious taste of char-grilled boar impressed him and sparked his curiosity. Placing his grill at the centre of his kitchen, he hung out his shingle as a char-grill kappo. The bounty of mountain and ocean are roasted and slipped into the soup and dressed vegetables. Guests can choose between grilled fish or beef; game is also available in winter. Artful manipulation of the flame wreathes each item in the aroma of charcoal smoke.

The ‘kaname’ is the crucial pivot pin of a folding fan. Taking that pivotal role, the husband-and-wife proprietors tour the famous restaurants and wineries of the world, blending the thoughtfulness and passion they find there with Kyoto’s spirit of graceful hospitality. Cooks and service staff are united in their shared mission. Guided by the rubric that ‘tradition is just the continuation of innovation’, this is a restaurant that is open to new ideas, like a folding fan produced by numerous artisans.