One of the restaurants in Kyoto that left me with a great impression is Kyo-Machiya Wakyuden. Not only was the food delicious, but the service was also excellent, which was very impressive. There was a sudden incident where my daughter felt unwell during the meal, but they handled it wonderfully. When I went to buy a bento at JR Kyoto Isetan, I had already decided that Wakyuden was definitely a good choice among various options. However, when I went to the basement area of Wakyuden, the bento I was looking for was unfortunately sold out. It seems that I need to make a reservation in advance. Instead, I purchased a traditional Japanese sweet called "Hasu no Tsuyu." It is a simple confection made by adding wasanbon sugar to lotus root powder and kneading it slowly. It has a soft and gentle taste when freshly made. I realized once again that traditional Japanese sweets are best when freshly made. And, as expected, the sweets from Wakyuden were truly elegant with a subtly sweet flavor that never gets tiring. Another favorite was added to my list.

One of the pleasures of returning from my occasional trips to Kansai by Shinkansen is the bento from Murasakino Wakuden. This time, I enjoyed their elegant "tai chirashi" bento without any fried items. The rice is topped with thinly sliced sea bream on black sushi rice, lightly seasoned with vinegar and chopped kombu. It also includes cabbage and small shrimp cooked in broth, fresh wheat gluten, bamboo shoots, bracken fern, myoga, and other spring vegetables. I was worried that the sea bream chirashi might get boring with the same taste, but to my surprise, I enjoyed it without getting tired of it. The cooked dish also highlighted the deliciousness of the ingredients. It was so delicious that it left a light impact on me! I now want to try other bentos from here. You can make a reservation in advance on their website (up to 5 days before) and pick it up at the dedicated counter on the basement floor. The evening Depachika (department store basement) is quite crowded with tourists and locals buying ingredients, but ordering here allows for smooth pick-up. The Isetan at Kyoto Station is convenient as you can pick it up just before boarding the Shinkansen.

Ending our trip to Kyoto with a meal here once again. I love this window seat. The Suou course for 7,000 yen was all carefully prepared and elegantly presented. The dishes and plating are truly exceptional. We were able to leisurely enjoy the Kyoto atmosphere. The seasonal dishes never fail to delight. Another satisfying experience this time. Looking forward to trying the Ai course next time.

For the final meal of my trip to Kyoto, I visited the long-established restaurant Wakuden. It was a good decision to reserve a window seat in advance. You can clearly see both Nishi-Honganji Temple and Higashi-Honganji Temple. It seems like the dishes were created with this view in mind. The Sōhō course for 7,000 yen was meticulously prepared, and the service was excellent. I truly enjoyed the delicious food and had a pleasant time until the end. I will definitely make a reservation when I come back.

I heard that the mackerel sushi here is delicious, confirmed that it is not sold on weekends at Kyoto Isetan, and went there right after the Isetan opening on Saturday to purchase it. The mackerel with a strong kelp flavor is tender, the red vinegar rice is mild and easy to eat, and it's nice that there are cuts on the skin side.

I bought some sweets from the takeout store of the traditional Kyoto restaurant Wakuden. The sweets are made with lotus root and wasanbon sugar, wrapped in a beautiful bamboo leaf. When you peel off the two large bamboo leaves, you'll find something like black mochi. Sweets made with lotus root? I thought, but when I tried it, it had a delicate flavor of wasanbon sugar with a fluffy texture. I was surprised by this unique texture. I enjoyed it chilled. They also have a great selection of bento boxes, so I would like to try something else next time.

I have always wanted to try the lotus root mochi from Seiko. I thought it was pronounced "saiko" but it's actually "seiko," haha. It's a small sweet that costs 300 yen. It's wrapped in two large bamboo leaves. Nowadays, even the kashiwamochi for Children's Day is wrapped with just one leaf. Be cautious when opening. Huh? It's this soft? It's so fresh and wobbly! It's made only with lotus root starch. There are many mochi with a bit of lotus root starch mixed in, but here it's the main ingredient. I was surprised because I thought it would be chewy. The wasanbon sugar is rich and elegant yet strong. This is delicious! Nishiko for 324 yen.

The salmon and black beans were surprisingly delicious! The duck was too bland. Is it because it's a bento over 4000 yen? I felt that pickling myoga in vinegar might be tasty. The prosciutto on top was wrapped around potato salad bought at the train station. It was delicious.

"Wakuden" is a renowned Japanese restaurant in Kyoto. It was founded as an inn in Kyotango in the 3rd year of the Meiji era, and in 1982, it relocated near Kodai-ji Temple in Kyoto and opened a traditional Japanese restaurant called "Kodai-ji Wakuden." Over the years, it has nurtured many famous chefs. "Shinno Wakuden" offers bento boxes and sweets as souvenirs from the restaurant, sold in department stores and online. I purchased the limited edition mackerel sushi from "Shinno Wakuden" at the bento section of JR Kyoto Isetan without a reservation. I enjoyed it as a lunch on the Shinkansen ride from Kyoto to Kokura. The mackerel sushi from "Shinno Wakuden" was delicious, with thick and fatty salted mackerel lightly marinated in vinegar, creating a well-balanced harmony with the kombu-marinated mackerel and brownish vinegar-seasoned rice. Truly a delightful experience. Thank you for the meal.

【Kyoto Stroll Series】The weather was nice, so I went for a walk in Kyoto after a long time. Because the wind was strong, I first headed to Isetan at Kyoto Station to avoid it. I strolled from the basement 1st floor to the basement 2nd floor and was immediately intrigued by the sea bream sandwich! Σ(￣。￣ﾉ)ﾉ A sea bream sandwich? I know about mackerel sandwiches, but it was my first time seeing a sea bream sandwich, so I bought it out of curiosity. 1,296 yen is quite expensive (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀). Mackerel sandwiches are around 700 yen. But my expectations are high. I went back to the car to eat it. It's like the version where the box already contains castella. There are 4 slices in total. One slice is 324 yen. Well, I'll enjoy it while having a somewhat stingy feeling. The sea bream is definitely marinated and has an elegant taste in a nutshell. It's delicious. Sorry for the comparison with the mackerel sandwich m(_ _)m. Well, it was a good start for my Kyoto stroll. Thank you for the meal (^人^)

I purchased a bento box from "Kyotoshumi Hishiiwa" for around 5000 yen in Kyoto about 5-6 years ago. When I ate it on the Shinkansen, I felt like I was rejecting all the flavors, thinking, "This tastes more like medicine than food, doesn't it?" Personally, I felt it was too strange to be called food of this world, more like flavors from a phantom realm. Although what I had this time didn't feel as unique, I still found the price of around 5000 yen to be too high for the level of cuisine. On the other hand, even as an amateur, I could sense the high level of skill and precision in Hishiiwa's bento, but I didn't feel the same exceptional skill and precision in our products. I made a reservation and ordered the "Shinno Wakuden Nidan Bento," but taste-wise, it falls short compared to the "Shun-sai Bento" lunch from Gogatsuya in Senju, Tokyo, in my review. Is it because it's a pre-made bento? Is that really the case? Gogatsuya also has plenty of pre-made items. One is 1340 yen, the other is around 5000 yen, with the latter filled with incomprehensible katakana-laden items that make me want to vent my grievances but I hold back. Since it's a bento, is it inevitable to have katakana-laden items? Is it really necessary? How did they manage in the past? I'll only write three things. I don't want to be too involved with this product, so I'll stop here. The layers of the dashimaki tamago are too many and too distinct. It loses its fluffiness. While our product had countless distinct layers, I could only sense 3 layers in Gogatsuya's, both in taste and visually. Taste-wise, ours felt lacking in depth, while Gogatsuya's had a well-balanced sweetness in the Kanto style. Both are pre-made. (I personally feel a sense of unnaturalness in the combination of tamagoyaki and watery grated daikon.) Also, the croquette in this bento was mushy. It couldn't compare to a freshly fried croquette from a butcher shop or a regular homemade one. I will also review Akisaka Dainuma's sea bream at a later time, but it's on a completely different level. By the way, Akisaka Dainuma in Akasaka(!) used to offer a sea bream ochazuke set (now discontinued) for 2500 yen. I'll rewrite the title: "It looks beautiful, but the actual taste is just slightly better than average. There's nothing outstanding in terms of flavor. The value for money is not good at all." I'll add, "Depending on the restaurant, it's better to enjoy the live cooking at the restaurant." I won't provide a more detailed review this time. (I took detailed notes.) If you doubt this review, please try both establishments' dishes blindfolded and decide which one tastes better. I won't be swayed by names or special rules just because it's a bento. I have specific points I want to address, but I will refrain. I trust the Michelin Guide more than the reviews on this website, but I sometimes notice weaknesses in the review system. However, I also have my faults and should have looked more carefully at the pie chart. (I didn't have more time than usual to plan.) I rated the value for money as low as possible at 1.0 (I actually wanted to rate it lower), and I felt 3.3 was a fair rating for taste, so I left it as is. This time, the rating method is exceptional, but the overall rating is calculated by averaging both, resulting in 2.2 for both establishments. The value for money is too low. Even 3000 yen would be too much. About 40 years ago during my student days, I believed in TV and almost all the restaurants except one were a letdown. When the Michelin Guide was published in Japan, I bought various editions for 2-3 years, and while there were good restaurants, there were also quite a few disappointing ones. I had purchased the Nikkei Off Duty in Kyoto and Ginza over 25 years ago, and both were good. Oh well, reputation and ===========

I have been traveling around the country as a corporate worker for over 15 years, and station bentos have been my precious friends since long ago. Choosing a bento box and enjoying a 500ml can on the Shinkansen ride home after work was a bittersweet and fun experience for me. This bento box was the first one I bought after becoming independent, and since that day, I have been reigning as the "Bento King" in my own right. On this particular day, when I peeked into the booth at the Shinkansen ticket gate that offered traditional Kyoto-style bentos, I found it!! Kasane Tai Chirashi Bento by Murasakino Wakuden, priced at 3,780 yen. It had been hard to come by lately due to it being sold out or the store being closed. (For those interested, you can reserve and purchase it at Kyoto Isetan department store.) This bento box seemed too good to eat on the train, and since I wasn't hungry until my return home that day, it was perfect. After returning home and taking a breather, I opened the bento box. The visual presentation exceeded my expectations. The "Tai no Kuro Sushi" showcased beautifully arranged sea bream, and underneath the seaweed was sea bream dashi rice. The amazing part of this sushi is the delicious sea bream dashi flavor that truly stands out. It goes beyond the norms of a bento box. The second layer was packed with equally stunning dishes. Not only were the visible portions beautifully arranged, but there were also no gaps underneath, filled with a variety of dishes. From simmered prawns to croquettes, grilled silver salmon, duck with ginger, assorted vegetables, and even dashimaki tamago with nama-fu, every dish was meticulously prepared. And to top it all off, there was lotus root mochi wrapped in bamboo leaves. It was truly wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed this bento box and would definitely purchase it again if given the chance. Thank you for the delicious meal.

I purchased dinner at "Old and Famous Bento" located in the basement of Kyoto Isetan. They offered more than 10 different options. I chose the seafood chirashi and side dishes. The quality was exceptional, surpassing even the popular Minoyoshi. The limited edition "Murasaki no Chirashi Sushi" at Kyoto Isetan was delicious.

I really wanted to have lunch at the restaurant, but I didn't have time, so I bought a West Lake. Made from lotus root starch, it's smooth and chewy with a unique, not overly sweet taste that is truly Kyoto. It's delicious after all~ If you ever return from Kyoto, let's buy some in bulk! :)

I purchased a bento box to eat on the return Shinkansen from the renowned bento corner of the B2F floor at Kyoto Isetan. I bought one bento each from the long-established Tsujitome and Waku Senden. Waku Senden is a Meiji-era established long-established ryotei based in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto. Shino Waku Senden refers to a shop that offers the taste of Waku Senden as a souvenir (merchandise). Shino Waku Senden can be found in various department stores in Tokyo, but only the Kyoto store or Takashimaya Osaka store allows you to reserve, purchase, and receive souvenir bento. Just to be sure, I made a reservation by phone a few days ago. I arrived at Kyoto Isetan in Kyoto Station Building around 3:30 pm. Among the crowds of people, I received them at the long-established and famous bento corner on the B2F. The popular sea bream chirashi was still available, but the two-tiered bento I wanted was sold out. If you want something other than sea bream chirashi, it's safer to reserve in advance. The two-tiered bento (4860 yen) is opened on the Shinkansen. The top tier measures 10.5×15.5×4.5 cm, and the bottom tier measures 10.5×15.5×3.5 cm, not very large. The top tier contains sea bream black sushi, and the bottom tier contains various flavors of ryotei. The sea bream black sushi is made with the highest grade konbu, ryuhi konbu, and the thick flesh of the sea bream, which is konbu-pickled, is beautifully arranged on top of the sushi rice. The second tier looks like a sparkling jewelry box. And surprisingly, when you look at the whole thing from above, it includes dishes that correspond to a Kyoto kaiseki course. If you try writing a menu, it looks like this. Eat roughly in this order and savor the mood of Kyoto kaiseki cuisine. Please note that such a menu does not actually exist. Appetizer: Spinach and Abura-age, Komatsuna Ohitashi Hachitsuke: Dashimaki Tamago, Hiryu Head, Awabu (Kyoto's fresh gluten), Rikyu Fu (fried fresh gluten from Kyoto), red konjac from Shiga, simmered pumpkin, silk pods, small beans, black bean sweet syrup Nimono: Simmered shrimp Agemono: Mini croquette Yakimono: Silver salmon Strong dish: Roasted duck meat Gohan: Sea bream black sushi Mizugashi: Kyoto-style lotus root mochi I'll try eating it right away. The famous sea bream black sushi is seasoned with the exquisite sea bream and Kyoto rice, flavored with a light but deep sea bream broth, and it's so delicious when eaten together. The silver salmon was fatty and had a refined sweetness that burst in the mouth. The dashimaki tamago is slightly sweet but still falls within the realm of Kyoto cuisine with its high level of completion. The roasted duck meat is also lightly seasoned in the Kyoto style and is wonderful. Kyoto cuisine is the ultimate in broth dishes that bring out the taste of the ingredients while being light in taste. It was a bento that allowed you to enjoy it in the style of kaiseki cuisine. The cooking technique to make it most delicious when cold is remarkable, and it also shows the quality of the ingredients. In comparison with the Tsujitome's bento that I ate at the same time, Tsujitome was elegant with a subtle taste, exuding the elegance of Kyoto cuisine, while Waku Senden was slightly more flavorful and sweet in taste. Waku Senden's bento makes you want sake. It's easy to understand when comparing the taste of the dashimaki tamago, which uses a large amount of dashi in Kyoto. Both bentos are truly wonderful and hard to judge, but on this day, Tsujitome's bento slightly outperformed. It may feel a bit expensive to hear that it's close to 5000 yen, but it's a bento worth the value. Thank you for the meal.

On the final day of my Kyoto trip using the 2020 GoTo Travel campaign, I browsed for a bento box at Kyoto Isetan's basement. The two-tiered bento box costs 4,860 yen, with the top tier featuring a selection of side dishes and the bottom tier containing sea bream sushi rice, silver salmon, rolled omelette with dashi broth, fish head, shrimp, eggplant, and duck. Everything was delicious, but the sea bream sushi rice at the bottom was particularly good. The price is high, but it is definitely worth it for the quality of the bento box.

This is a shop called Murasakino Wakuden, a branch of the renowned traditional Kyoto restaurant Wakuden, located on the 11th floor of Kyoto Isetan. After having the sea bream and black vinegar sushi for lunch at Kyoto Wakuden, I hesitated a bit before choosing the sea bream chirashi. The sea bream chirashi was priced at 2,700 yen (tax included) and included black vinegar sushi with sea bream, kombu, ginger, wasabi greens, wood ear mushrooms, deep-fried tofu in broth, zucchini, mugwort wheat gluten, new potatoes, round eggplant, cherry tomatoes, lima beans, Fushimi chili pepper, snap peas, small beans, and fried wheat gluten with sesame dressing, prepared by Yoshihiro Matsuoka. The bento box featured Wakuden's signature sea bream and black vinegar sushi as the main dish, accompanied by well-prepared side dishes, making it a satisfying meal. It was convenient to be able to purchase it without a reservation. In the basement of Kyoto Isetan, there are various bento boxes from Kyoto's traditional Japanese restaurants, and I think this one is a safe choice among them.

I bought it again today. The dried small fish here is very delicious. It really goes well with rice, doesn't it?

I made a phone reservation for this bento box two days ago. The sea bream chirashi bento costs 2,916 yen. It is a single-tier bento, so it lacks the extravagance compared to the two-tier luxurious ones. The sea bream chirashi included sea bream black sushi rice, kelp, ginger, yuzu cabbage, deep-fried tofu, sweet potato mash, apple horikawa burdock, rapeseed ayame turnip salt koji daikon, golden sweet potato, cucumber dried persimmon, persimmon paste, inch beans, black beans. I had it on the return trip of the Shinkansen. The sea bream slices were glossy, with a scent of yuzu and a good flavor combined with the fine-cut kelp. The vegetables were also flavorful, and everything tasted delicious. I visited the store to purchase after 3 pm (it may have been a coincidence). There were still many bento boxes from various famous shops, and most of them were discounted. I thought it might have been better to not reserve and compare various items on the spot before choosing.