Guesthouse Chayama

Next to Shimogamo Shrine, surrounded by the Tadasu-no-Mori forest, lies Kyokaiseki Kichisen. The chef, a devotee of Japanese cuisine and the performing arts, built a ryotei on this spot. Respectful of Kyoto traditions, menu items are accompanied by charming details. Lids of soup dishes are emblazoned with dew, expressing freshness. Tuna sashimi is arrayed like a sea of clouds, creating a fairytale-like scene. Serving dishes of Kyoyaki ceramics, garnished with fresh-cut flowers, beguile the eyes. A unique interpretation of Kyoto kaiseki, accompanied by the spirit of graceful service.

A return to the origins of French cuisine. To sublimate the classics, the chef pores over old cookbooks and interprets their recipes for modern ingredients and environments, giving free rein to his curiosity with wine, butter and sauces pungent with spices. He emphasises herbs picked in the morning in Oharano and ingredients from around Kansai, expressing in food his conversations with producers. ‘Droit’ means ‘straight ahead,’ and that’s the steady course this restaurant charts.

The menu evokes the changing seasons and traditional culture of Japan. The proprietor is an accomplished gourmet whose deep knowledge comes from experience as a fishmonger and attentive reading of literature. Hassun platters, garnished with flowers as if to paint a picture of nature, showcase the ideas and origins found in the foods of traditional festivals. Behind each meticulously crafted dish breathes the living aesthetic and customs of Japanese cuisine.

Shinya Matsumoto expresses delicacy and rustic beauty through his cooking. A perfect example is his grilled offerings, cooked upright as if around a sunken hearth. Matsumoto polishes his artisanal skills with a keen eye fixed on the culinary techniques of antiquity. Foods are grilled upright over charcoal in a pot, concentrating their flavour as they roast. The meat and fish’s natural fats fall onto the charcoal, wreathing each item in smoke that adds to their aroma. The chef’s perspective and techniques draw out delicious flavours.

This fare shows equal reverence for the aesthetics and traditions of Japanese cuisine and for classical works of art. The teahouse-style interior that greets guests is appointed with hanging scrolls, vases and other accoutrements accumulated over many years. To harmonise with the serving-ware, cuisine is presented simply, accentuating the beauty of blank spaces. Knowledge of home-brewed sake and fermentation pay tribute to traditional foods. ‘Doppo’, meaning ‘unique’, was a favourite phrase of epicure Rosanjin Kitaoji, a devotee of beauty in all its manifestations.

The rice is seasoned with rice vinegar and salt; the chef doesn’t use sugar, preferring to draw out sweetness from the fish instead. To ensure compatibility with the sushi rice, he pays attention to the temperature of the toppings. Though it depends on the preparation, he likes to start the hand-formed sushi with light-flavoured squid, so you can taste the sushi rice. Blueback fish are seasoned with buds of the pepper tree, white-fleshed fish with a paste of chilli peppers and yuzu zest. Mackerel sushi and steamed sushi are served from autumn to winter, in true Kyoto style.

The aesthetic of ‘wabi-sabi’, restraint and impermanence, breathes in the walls of this veteran ryotei. The garden of moss-covered stone lanterns and washbasins, channels flowing with clear streams from Lake Biwa and a still, quiet tea arbour all give it a shadowed atmosphere. Hyotei eggs are a tradition handed down through generations from the founder. Eiichi Takahashi changed the dashi from dried bonito to dried tuna; tomato and soy sauce gracing Akashi sea bream sashimi is a permutation courtesy of the current chef, Yoshihiro Takahashi. Over the years, layers of innovation build up to cater