I requested a lunch for 7000 yen. The most memorable part was when I tried the sushi with child-bearing ayu fish, which was fluffy and delicious, paired with vinegared rice for the first time. It was truly impressive, especially since I had previously eaten dried-up child-bearing ayu fish elsewhere and had a different impression. The fig miso dish was juicy and tasty, and I was amazed at how well it paired with white miso. The white rice had a distinct sweetness and flavor, making it a delightful experience. The red miso soup was also delicious. Surprisingly, the dessert at the end was a pleasant surprise with a selection of 8 different options to choose from. Even though I was already full, the staff kindly suggested a smaller portion of the walnut mille-feuille, so I ended up choosing 3 desserts. The Mont Blanc made with Tanba chestnuts was incredibly delicious, with a unique cream made from chestnuts and crispy meringue. The mille-feuille was also crispy and all the desserts were delicious. I had actually visited this restaurant about 10 years ago and forgot to record it on Tabelog. Although I hadn't visited again until now, I would love to return to this restaurant soon.

I visited this restaurant based on a recommendation from a local. I opted for the cheapest course priced at 5000 yen as suggested, and I was pleasantly surprised by how satisfying it was. Located right in front of Yasaka Pagoda, the restaurant was surprisingly quiet despite being in an area that could be crowded with tourists. The appetizer of assorted vegetables was flavorful and well-balanced, with each ingredient cooked to perfection. The purple crispy dish turned out to be fried young corn silk, offering a unique and crunchy texture. The seasonal conger eel soup was incredibly tender and flavorful, with no bones to worry about thanks to the careful preparation. The sashimi of conger eel and flounder were both delicious, while the vinegared dish of sweetfish sushi stood out for its perfect balance of flavors. The boneless grilled dish was a delightful surprise, with crispy and well-prepared bones that left me wondering about the chef's technique. The rice, cooked in a traditional hearth, had a sweet aroma and a delicious taste. For dessert, we were offered a variety of options to choose from, and I heard some people even order all of them. Despite the slightly off taste of the cold sake, the overall dining experience was excellent and well worth the 5000 yen price tag. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Despite the fact that a new counter-style restaurant opens almost every month, this place manages to stand out with its unique personality and delicious food. They don't rely on expensive or rare ingredients with exorbitant prices, but instead focus on providing quality dishes at a reasonable price. The service may lack refinement and the staff may not always keep up with the latest trends, but these quirks add to the charm of the restaurant. Although recent reviews are scarce, I decided to upload some photos this time, even though I'm not very good at it. I would consider revisiting this place in the future, so I give it a rating of 3 stars.

I chose this restaurant because I was looking for a good place for lunch with my family to see the autumn leaves, and the location is great. It also has a Michelin star, which is appealing. The taste may be a bit different from traditional Kyoto cuisine, but compared to Osaka's Japanese restaurants and kaiseki restaurants, it was just as good, if not better. The mackerel sushi and grilled barracuda were especially delicious.

Kiyomizu-dera is a shop located on a bustling street in Kyoto where many people come to visit. However, upon entering the shop, you are greeted with a serene and tranquil atmosphere typical of Kyoto. The vegetable assortment included daikon radish, red heart radish, black radish, yellow zucchini, water eggplant, lotus root, Jerusalem artichoke, mukago, keguri, and arugula. The meal included a soup with bamboo shoots from Tsukahara in Kyoto and goby from Nagasaki, sashimi with natural sea bream from Awaji, saury from Nagasaki, and natural bluefin tuna from Katsuura. The vinegar dish featured local moroko fish from Lake Biwa and mackerel sushi from Nagasaki. The grilled dish was miso-marinated grilled blackthroat seaperch from Nagasaki. The simmered dish included bamboo shoots from Tsukahara and white asparagus from Saga. The rice was from Yumegokochi in Shiga Prefecture. For dessert, there were five options to choose from, and the reviewer enjoyed all of them. The reviewer particularly loved the miso-marinated grilled blackthroat seaperch. Overall, all the dishes were delicious, and the white rice served was especially tasty. The reviewer is looking forward to trying the lunch menu next time.

One of the few Japanese restaurants I frequent. I have been visiting this place about once a year for over a decade. It is a place where I can enjoy seasonal dishes. The restaurant is located very close to the Hōkanji Temple in Higashiyama, near the Yasaka Pagoda, and the Kyoto atmosphere becomes even more pronounced as the sun sets. Whenever I come, I am welcomed by the shy smile of the owner, Mr. Yoshida, and I am reminded of why I came to Shūhaku. Now, what will I be able to enjoy tonight? Initially, the restaurant gained a reputation for its elaborate sashimi dishes, but recently it seems that role has been taken over by vegetable dishes, offering a variety of colors and flavors through different cooking methods. The matsutake mushroom in the soup is from Tanba, Kyoto. At around 100,000 yen per kilogram, it's a waste not to grill it, right? The sashimi consists of three types, including tuna, which may be common for us Kanto people but not often used in Kyoto. Each is served with a different soy sauce. This is followed by the hassun, a small dish, and the otoshi, a palate cleanser. The boneless ayu fish is uniquely presented, resembling a shachihoko. From head to bone, you can enjoy it without touching your teeth. Following the grilled tuna that is full of wild flavors, there is the grilled nodoguro fish. It's huge. Although only a portion of the nodoguro fish is served, considering the whole, it is quite large. With this size, you can fully appreciate the true deliciousness of the nodoguro fish. Finally, there is tai-meshi with ikura. The delicate flavor of the tai-meshi pairs surprisingly well with the gentle saltiness of the ikura. The dessert is a bit too much (laughs). In the past, Shūhaku amazed customers with dishes like natural sea bream that could be mistaken for chicken, fluffy bird rice, and Tanba matsutake mushrooms grilled on a charcoal brazier. However, around the time when vegetable dishes started being served, the sense of amazement seemed to diminish a bit. I wonder if I'm the only one who longs for the powerful and rough but impressive dishes of Mr. Yoshida's youth.

I made a reservation for Sunday lunch opening time. It seemed like we were the only customers there, as walk-ins were being turned away. The course included 15 types of vegetables. The soup had early-harvested bamboo shoots from Fukuoka and red snow crab from Hyogo. There was also foie gras, abalone vinegar dish, grilled mackerel sushi, grilled cherry salmon from Aomori, miso-marinated grilled loquat from Lake Biwa, golden kumquat, lily root, and shrimp and taro from Mie. The main dish was a light sukiyaki-style dish with Kyoto beef and celery. The meal ended with rice omelette, and a choice of desserts including warabi mochi, cold sweet red bean soup, and strawberry daifuku. You could order several small-sized desserts from a selection of 6-7 items. I chose strawberry daifuku, Mont Blanc, warabi mochi, and a fruit plate.

As a traveler to Kyoto, I used this restaurant about half a year ago and liked it so much that I upgraded my course this time. It cost around 15,000 yen. The contents were as follows: - Assorted vegetables - Soup with abalone and a strong aroma of fresh bamboo shoots, which was delicious - Sashimi with kelp flavoring, which was intense and tasty - Mackerel sushi, hairy crab, and special mackerel sushi with a rich flavor. The hairy crab had jelly on top, which added a unique twist. - Sashimi platter with grilled cutlassfish, cockles, and firefly squid, all with a sweet seasoning - Grilled blackthroat seaperch, a specialty of the restaurant that is not oily - Assorted dish of bamboo shoots, white asparagus, and fuki buds, with a wonderful aroma of bamboo shoots - Rice - Dessert selection where you can choose as many as you like I usually enjoy strong-flavored dishes like Chinese or French cuisine, so I liked the strong and distinct flavors here. The aroma of the bamboo shoots was well-preserved despite the strong flavors, which was impressive. The location and interior of the restaurant really make you feel the essence of Kyoto, and in terms of cost performance, I think it surpasses restaurants in Tokyo. I would definitely like to visit here again during my future trips to Kyoto.

<October 2015 revisit> I went back for lunch. The dishes I had were from the same 5000 yen course as last time. Despite the counter being empty, we were seated at a table because they were doing preparations at the counter. It was disappointing. Also, the food was almost the same as three months ago, so there was not much change. I was expecting more... The food was delicious, but because the impact from last time was strong, it felt even more disappointing. Additionally, out of 6 dessert options, 5 of them were the same. I was hoping for more variety. It made me realize that your perception can change after visiting a few times. I have changed my rating from 4.7 to 4.0 this time. It was a restaurant I wanted to visit. I visited with my wife and second son. When I called to make a lunch reservation, there was availability so we went. The location is great, just as everyone had mentioned. As you enter, you can see the kitchen and there is a white wooden counter that seats 8 people. In the back, there is a raised area with a table for 4. Sitting at the counter, the backside has shoji windows, making the interior very bright and with a high ceiling, creating a pleasant atmosphere. We ordered the 5000 yen lunch course (5400 yen including tax). Everything was delicious. The appetizer of vegetables was cute. The soup had conger eel, with good quality and quantity. The sashimi was light and fresh, and the swordfish had a good texture and taste. The sea urchin was also excellent in terms of quality, quantity, and presentation. Especially, the grilled ayu fish bones were turned into fried bones, with rice inside the fish. It was delicious. The rice cooked in the hearth was, needless to say, delicious. Finally, there was a choice of 6 desserts, but you could choose all of them if you wanted. Surprising! I wanted to try them all but couldn't. Among them, the monaka had a crispy outer layer with grape and sweet bean paste inside, a nice combination. Everything was homemade and delicious. I really liked this place. The space, ingredients, seasoning, and ideas were impressive. In my opinion, the lunch at "Sasagi" is perfect, but I had trouble evaluating this place. What is the 0.3 point difference between Sasagi and here? A question for myself. I plan to visit Sasagi next month and reassess. Japanese cuisine is wonderful. Thank you for the delicious food. I will visit again.

The Gion Festival is a festival of conger eel. In July, at any restaurant you go to, you will find conger eel and sweetfish. If the seas in Kansai are rough due to typhoons, this trend becomes even stronger. The restaurant "Shuhaku" gained a lot of attention initially because the owner had experience in French cuisine. They only offer set courses, but they used to come up with various unique ideas, so I have been there about 4-5 times before. I visited after a long time, but perhaps because it was lunchtime, the excitement that was once there seemed to have faded. In particular, the elaborate arrangement of various ingredients that they used to boast about was missing, and it felt like the elegance had diminished. The soup was surprisingly intense in flavor, leaving some doubts. The first dish was a "Vegetable Assortment", featuring about 20 types of Kyoto vegetables and Western vegetables prepared in various ways. Each vegetable is cooked differently, similar to the concept in Michel Bras's gargouillou. It would be irresistible for vegetable lovers. However, the downside is that it takes a long time to be served. The soup featured Awaji conger eel, Kamo eggplant, and Katsura cucumber. The broth was dark and rich, almost like a soup. The assortment used to have around 10 varieties, which would excite the diners, but now it feels lonely. The Awaji conger eel had a good texture and flavor, but the grilled hairtail lacked depth and was overshadowed by burnt aroma. The vinegar dish consisted of white asparagus from Kagawa and tender octopus simmered in Tosa vinegar jelly. Since they don't explain the dishes, you have to ask to understand. The octopus was cooked well, but it wasn't memorable. As a side dish, they served grilled boneless Biwa Lake sweetfish. This seemed to be their specialty. The fish was grilled crispy and boneless, making it enjoyable to eat. Next was the abalone cooked on a hot stone with liver sauce. Perhaps because I ordered the most expensive lunch course at 10,000 yen, this dish seemed unimpressive, like they were trying to balance the cost. I would prefer such dishes at a traditional inn rather than at a counter-style Kyoto restaurant where the cooking is done in front of the customers. The salt-grilled sea bass with figs was cooked meticulously for a long time, but the fish was dry and lacked richness. The figs, on the other hand, were delicious with sweet white miso. This restaurant excels in sweet dishes, as evident in their famous "Unlimited Desserts" offer. Despite all this, the restaurant seemed to be struggling, perhaps due to it being lunchtime or just a slow day. The owner is a typical Kyoto person, which is reflected in their wine list. They only offer Jacky Charlot Champagne (very expensive, who would drink that?). The other wines are also famous and expensive brands, but are they really suitable for the dishes? It would be necessary to consider the guests' budgets and offer wines that are at least equivalent in price to the dishes. It might be necessary to show more consideration in this regard. There is a concern that they might be overtaken by their disciple's restaurant, "Kyoto Cuisine Fujimoto," but worrying about that may be unnecessary.

I went to Kobe to visit my grandmother for two nights and three days. On the second day, my companion suddenly said, "I want to go to Kyoto." I asked, "Why all of a sudden?" He replied, "I want to eat delicious Kyoto cuisine...I want to have a winter kaiseki meal..." So, on the third day before returning to Tokyo, we went to Kyoto just for dinner. We found this place. When we called, they only offered a course menu for 10,000 yen. We quickly agreed and made a reservation for the earliest seating at 5:30 pm. It was located down a small road, near the Five-Storied Pagoda, with a small entrance. Inside, it was cozy, with a counter that could seat about 8 people. There was also a sunken kotatsu seating area for one group. There were already two other customers there. It was quiet, but the kitchen was bustling. One group was local, and the other seemed like a gourmet hunter from Tokyo, taking notes. I thought to myself, this place would be great for business dinners if it were in Tokyo! The course included about 15 dishes in small boxes for the appetizers, shirako, soup, sweet zoni, marinated sea bream sashimi, grilled fish...I should have written down the details...but everything was delicious with fantastic ingredients. And all this for just 10,000 yen! It was a steal. Since it was January, there were special New Year's dishes like appetizers and zoni. Moreover, the specialty here is that you can have unlimited dessert. I ordered two, but my companion ordered everything...embarrassing. But he managed to finish everything, so impressive! They even told us to take the napkins home as souvenirs, which was great. They are so absorbent and perfect for wiping dishes. A great spot for entertaining, dating, or even dining alone. A wonderful hidden gem of a Kyoto cuisine restaurant.

I often watched the Kyoto gourmet walk. My favorite Sakuradazan Gensha is introduced as a kaiseki cuisine. It turns out that Shuuhaku is a Kyoto cuisine. Thinking back, it may not have been kaiseki cuisine. I went with high expectations, but I wasn't blown away. However, I think the perception and reception of such cuisine may vary depending on the season and the menu of the day. As a guest, I made a reservation a month in advance (Shuhaku only takes reservations up to a month in advance). I was looking forward to what would be served after the end of the conger eel in early autumn. What kind of atmosphere does the restaurant have? I go with great expectations. The food was delicious, but not particularly memorable. Overall, the flavors were on the strong side, and there weren't many delicate dishes that I liked. The first dish, a salad of scallops, ginkgo nuts, and white beans, had a good miso aroma and sake flavor. The third dish was visually appealing. The mackerel liver sauce and mackerel sushi were delicious with thick flesh. The new rice cooked in the hearth was probably the best. The rice was excellent, shiny, and standing tall. The location is too good here! Is that good or bad? I will go out of my way for delicious food, and since they operate on a reservation-only basis, ordinary tourists probably won't be able to come, so it might be okay not to be in a place with so many tourists. (I might like such places...sorry.) The apprentices and servers are all doing their jobs well, so I have a good impression. But I still prefer sitting at a lively counter, chatting with the owner and asking about various things while enjoying the food. The hospitality at Sakuragawa in Kiyamachi was wonderful. Finally, the owner kindly saw me off. Thank you very much. Thank you for the meal.

This is also one of the popular Japanese restaurants in Kyoto. The owner is said to have trained under Maruta Akihiko, who used to work at the now-closed ryotei "Maruta" in Okazaki. However, he also seems to have knowledge of French cuisine, as some dishes go beyond traditional Japanese techniques. The presentation of the dishes is innovative, especially the way they are served and the arrangement of the appetizers. However, I found the overall seasoning to be on the heavy side. The shrimp shinjo soup lacked depth in the broth, and the sea bream and fig tempura had a salty sauce. Additionally, the grilled Spanish mackerel with winter melon and shishito peppers was overcooked, resulting in dry meat. The dessert served on the wagon service had a mix of decent and mediocre options. Honestly, the most memorable dish for me was the simply delicious steamed white rice. While the dishes served this time didn't quite suit my taste, the location near Yasaka Pagoda was undeniably fantastic. I apologize to the fans of this restaurant, but taste preferences vary, and this is my honest evaluation.

I had a delicious meal with friends who also love good food. It had been a while since we had traditional Japanese kaiseki for lunch in Kyoto. We usually go to more niche restaurants, so this was a refreshing change! We walked quite a bit from Gion Shijo, but it was enjoyable to explore Kyoto. As we searched for the restaurant, we found ourselves getting closer to Yasaka Pagoda until we finally arrived at the restaurant, right in front of the pagoda. It was a standalone house in a non-alley location. The food was delicious, but overall, I think Yamagencha might be better. I felt that the service, conversation, and smiles from the staff could be a bit better. Not that it was bad, but I think they could make more effort. The highlight of this place is the location and the numerous desserts. The best part was being told that we could have as many desserts as we liked! We tried various types of sweets. Personally, I liked the purple sweet potato manju and the matcha jelly. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

Shuhaku is a Kyoto cuisine restaurant located in Gion, under the five-story pagoda. As a Kyoto local, I don't often visit this area, maybe because it's my hometown. The interior of the restaurant has no music playing and mostly consists of a counter. I felt quite nervous at first, not being used to this style. It's a reservation-only restaurant. You can see the chefs preparing the food behind the counter, which makes you look forward to the next dish. Due to financial reasons, I visited for lunch. The meal included eight appetizers, a clear soup, and rice cooked in a hearth, which was delicious. You can have seconds, and for dessert, you can choose three out of several options. I recommend the mango dessert. I even had a beer during the day, so I left feeling very satisfied. The chefs were quiet throughout, but when they took a photo of me in front of the restaurant, they were very friendly. Lunch starts from 5,000 yen, so I can only go on special occasions, but it's a lovely restaurant that makes me want to visit again. Shuhaku is located at 392 Kinencho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City. Phone: 075-551-2711. Opening hours: 12:00-14:00, 17:00-20:00.

I had been curious about this restaurant for a while, but never had the chance to visit until now. It had been a year since I last explored new places in Kyoto, so this visit was a welcome opportunity. The location is right next to Yasaka Pagoda, near Il Ghiottone. I arrived a few minutes before my reservation time, but the curtain was still closed. I started to worry that I had the wrong date, but then the curtain opened and I felt relieved. The interior is small, with 8 seats at the counter and 4 tables in the back. I wanted champagne, but they only had bottles, so I ordered cold sake instead. The selection of drinks and service didn't impress me much, but the food left a lasting impression. The appetizer of assorted chilled vegetables set the tone with its sweet and crunchy flavors. The chopped matsutake mushroom and conger eel in the soup were a perfect match. The sashimi platter was a highlight, beautifully presented like a jewel box. The two types of steamed abalone had a satisfying texture. Grilled ayu with crispy skin served as a palate cleanser. The grilled fish with kombu, fig, and chili pepper was a delightful combination. The steamed conger eel and myoga dish was flavorful. The dessert selection was a tough choice, but a delightful end to the meal. Overall, the restaurant showcased the quality of its ingredients in each dish, providing a satisfying dining experience from start to finish. I would definitely revisit this restaurant in the future.

After a long time, I went to Kyoto with my friends. We aimed for Shuuhaku, which I had been curious about for a while. We had a hard time finding the restaurant, wandering around near Yasaka Pagoda. But then we realized it was behind us! We finally arrived and entered the restaurant feeling nervous. The meal cost 5,000 yen, but we were completely satisfied. Women will definitely be happy with the all-you-can-eat dessert. And it was delicious. I thought the soup was too salty, but overall the meal was satisfying. It was a restaurant that made me want to go again. The owner was also kind and wonderful.