In recent years, I have been visiting the popular year-end spot in Kyoto, Ruan Kikunoi. The cuisine, needless to say, always showcases dishes that make the most of each ingredient. The head chef, along with the rest of the staff, always provides impeccable service. When enjoying the duck hot pot flavored with green onions, it truly feels like the end of the year. After finishing the meal, I go to get some mochi, then all that's left is to wait for the New Year's dishes and soba to arrive.

I went to Kikunoi Roan and had the 10,000 yen lunch course! With the easing of COVID restrictions, there were some overseas guests as well. The chef mentioned that at night, about half of the customers can be foreigners, so it's better to make a reservation at least a month in advance. The strictness of the chefs who train here is often talked about, but once you taste the food, it all makes sense. I had yuzu sake as an aperitif and ordered Kikunoi's junmai ginjo sake. The dishes were as follows: 1. Yuzu miso tofu - warm and perfect for the season 2. Hamo and maguro sushi rolls, with ginkgo nuts, shiitake mushrooms, and squid - paired well with the sake 3. Buri and tai sashimi 4. Maguro sashimi with homemade egg yolk soy sauce - the sauce was rich and delicious 5. Steamed uji with chestnuts and mushrooms, topped with spring chrysanthemum sauce 6. Miso-marinated karei - flavorful and tender 7. Winter fish hot pot with mizore broth and various vegetables - had a refreshing yuzu aroma 8. Anago and mushroom mixed rice - the anago was so plump and tasty 9. Shredded napa cabbage - smooth and delicious, similar to a soup 10. Caramel and soba castella - rich ice cream and castella, a perfect combination. The service was great, and I enjoyed chatting with the chef. The lunch service is a bit faster than the main branch, but it's perfect for those who are short on time. There are also tea rooms on the second floor.

I had a little errand in Kyoto, so I visited for lunch as usual. Even though I come around the same time every year, the menu changes slightly so I always look forward to it. Every dish was truly delicious and visually appealing. The chestnut rice for the finale was my favorite. The hospitality from the head chef and all the staff is always admirable.

It has been three years since I last visited for Obon. It was a rare August visit, and it was enjoyable to see some changes in the nostalgic dishes. This year, I was pleasantly surprised to find warm eel drop soup, which I had almost given up on. The delicious sweetfish rice was also a delight. It was a fun and enjoyable time.

One of Kyoto's famous restaurants is Kikunoi Roan. It's a pleasure to watch the chefs working diligently right in front of the counter. The close proximity to the counter adds to the sense of presence. The eight-course meal at Kikunoi is beautiful. The prices are reasonable and the quality of the food, service, and overall experience is satisfying. The young ayu fish were delicious, as was the eel rice dish. The ice cream served with the water candy was interesting and tasty. I would love to visit again.

Kikunoi Honten has a similar concept to Kikunoi but offers various styles like counter seating, tatami rooms, and private rooms. Watching the chefs cook at the counter can be fun, although it may feel a bit tense. Dining in the tea room or private room is also a nice experience. The food comes out quickly, so we finished our meal in about an hour. Any leftover rice can be made into onigiri or packed to take home. For lunch, you can enjoy Kikunoi's cuisine for around 10,000 yen.

In between Golden Week holidays, I visited the restaurant for a birthday celebration. Normally, there are many counter seats, but this time we were seated on the second floor in a tatami room with a table. The course menu featured sea bream as the main dish, fitting for May. I was hoping for bamboo shoots, but it seems the season was late. Although I didn't mention my birthday when making the reservation, the waitress must have informed the chef as we received red rice and red and white pickled vegetables for a toast. Overall, the seasoning was good, and as always, the meal was delicious. I usually enjoy listening to the chef's stories while eating at the counter, but I also thought that sitting in a tatami room was nice for a change.

The state of emergency has been lifted, so let's go to Kyoto! I went on a 2-night, 3-day trip. For lunch on the first day, we went to a Michelin two-star restaurant. We couldn't get seats at the counter, but we were able to reserve a private room on the second floor. There were two lunch courses available, one for 7,000 yen and the other for 10,000 yen. The cheaper option was more than enough in terms of portion size. Personally, I wished for more delicacy rather than volume. The matsutake mushroom rice that we had as onigiri was delicious even when cold. The service provided by the staff was excellent, and the dishes were beautifully crafted. The restaurant is conveniently located, allowing us to enjoy kaiseki cuisine in a casual setting. Thank you for the wonderful meal. Lunch Kaiseki: 8,470 yen (including 10% consumption tax and service charge) Menu for October (end of October) Apéritif: Yuzu sake Appetizer: Yuzu miso tofu Hassun (assorted seasonal dishes): Conger eel roll, shiitake mushroom, mitsuba, bonito with pine needles, maple leaf squid, jikyo senbei, ginkgo nut, pine needle somen noodles Mukozuke (sashimi): Sea bream, flying fish, wasabi, egg yolk soy sauce, chrysanthemum vinegar Owan (soup): Steamed dish with matsutake mushroom, conger eel, mitsuba, yuzu Yakimono (grilled dish): Mushroom hot pot with conger eel, shiitake mushroom, eryngii mushroom, shimeji mushroom, mitsuba, ground sansho pepper Gohanmono (rice dish): Matsutake mushroom rice with mitsuba Mizumono (dessert): Assorted dessert with caramel ice cream and soba castella Kikunoi (junmai ginjo sake) 180ml: 1,450 yen

I went to Yamagishi-san at Fushimi Inari and decided to visit Kikunoi in Kiyamachi since I was already in Kyoto! The Kyoto cuisine here was wonderful and delicious. In particular, the beef wrapped in fig leaves was exquisite. I would love to visit again when I come back to Kyoto.

After returning from Chouraku-ji temple, I called and reserved a seat, then visited the restaurant. We sat diagonally across from each other, with excellent infection prevention measures in place. - Appetizer of hozuki: Each hozuki is filled with a simmered dish. - Sashimi of sea bream and conger eel: The conger eel is served warm, making it easy to eat. Comes with conger eel broth and fried bones. - Deep-fried Kamo eggplant: The lid of the container is made from the stems of fresh Kamo eggplants. The dish is flavorful with well-fried eggplants. - White miso stewed fig: The white miso is subtly flavored to not overpower the taste of the fig. - Black pork stew: Served with simmered red turnip and winter melon, topped with potato sauce. - Sweetfish rice: Mix the sweetfish into the rice. The soup is red bell pepper and lotus root mochi. - Dessert: Black honey ice cream and crushed peanut mochi. Everything was delicious. I will definitely come back again.

This year's anniversary is here♪ During the state of emergency, they were closed. I booked a private room for one person for 16,445 yen through Ikyu, all-inclusive. Starting today, in Kyoto's Gion Festival, we had a pre-dinner sake cup with sea urchin tofu mixed with sea urchin and wasabi sauce, topped with seaweed. The octopus eggs were rare but lacked flavor. The sea bream in the appetizer was delicious. The warm conger eel drop with plum sauce extracted from conger eel bones was also tasty. The winter melon and shrimp soup in the lidded dish was delicious. The grilled ayu fish was lively before grilling, showing a fresh bounce. It was prepared with olive oil in various ways. The vinegar dish had two types of tomatoes crushed, with whipped yuba on top. The strong-flavored tomato was excellent. The simmered pork belly matched well with mashed potatoes. The conger eel rice and burdock root soup flowed smoothly. The meal ended with mint ice cream and melon. The service and hospitality were excellent at Kikunoi Honten, offering avant-garde enjoyment.

I first visited this place about 15 years ago, and although I can't come here frequently due to the distance, I make reservations for lunch consistently, usually about 1-2 times a year whenever I visit Kyoto. The seating options include traditional tatami table seats, but I highly recommend sitting at the counter. You can see the chefs working right in front of you. Sometimes they show you how they fillet fish like the sea bream from Akashi, pointing out the unique bone structure that indicates its freshness and deliciousness. In the summer, you can watch them skillfully fillet conger eel, and in the fall, you can see the chef prepare a pot of rice with plenty of autumn flavors. The dishes that are served are truly impressive. The color, size, shape of the dishes, and the presentation all show careful consideration, making them not only visually appealing but also delicious to eat. This is the essence of Japanese cuisine. It's a place where you can experience authentic kaiseki cuisine and have a very satisfying dining experience. Despite being a top-notch restaurant, it still maintains a casual and welcoming atmosphere. Whenever someone asks me for a recommended restaurant in Kyoto, I confidently recommend this place.

Celebrating a special occasion, we visited the restaurant on a Sunday at 11:30 am with two people. We enjoyed a 10,000 yen lunch kaiseki course. The presentation and dishes were incredibly beautiful. The aroma was delightful, and the gentle flavor of the dashi was exceptional. The seasoning, which brought out the goodness of the ingredients, was truly satisfying. My favorite was the "Kelp-marinated Spanish mackerel with ponzu jelly" sashimi. The fatty Spanish mackerel, marinated in kelp, was full of flavor like yellowtail. The refreshing acidity of the ponzu jelly was perfectly balanced. The local tuna was topped with mustard and served with egg yolk sauce. The sauce, made with the restaurant's proud dashi, had a rich umami and depth. I thought, "It's a waste to turn this into a sauce, I want to eat it all!" and then a staff member brought a spoon for me. Not only that, when I wanted to finish all the dashi, they kindly poured the remaining dashi into a dish for me. When I wanted to take a photo, they patiently waited, and when I thought the rice portion was too much, they made onigiri for me to take home. I was deeply moved by their thoughtful service. I ordered a sake called "Kikunoi," a selected junmai ginjo by the restaurant, to accompany the meal. Its refreshing and light sweetness paired well with the dashi and miso. For dessert, there was ice cream sprinkled with Hachio miso powder. The salty miso enhanced the sweetness of the ice cream, creating a perfect harmony. Overall, it was a luxurious lunch experience with excellent food, presentation, and service. I definitely want to visit again in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed two types of turnips that were very delicious. The combination of fatty, cold yellowtail and turnip was excellent. On the other hand, the sweet and firm texture of the sea bream was impressive. The finale of mashed sweet potatoes and salmon roe rice was exceptional, and the salmon roe rice was also enjoyable as a souvenir, tasting delicious even when cold. Kikunoi is a place I like because the staff make the explanation of the dishes enjoyable and pleasant, creating a cozy atmosphere.

This is a Michelin-acclaimed restaurant affiliated with Kikunoi. Of course, this restaurant has also been awarded a Michelin star! I had the lunch course here. Following Kikunoi's philosophy that it is important for customers to leave feeling satisfied, the portion sizes were generous. - Yuzu miso tofu with yuzu miso sauce - Appetizer platter: gingko nuts, crispy rice cracker, maple leaf-shaped squid, liver of conger eel, matsuba seaweed, sumi-e soba noodles, pickled sea cucumber, rolled egg omelette, shimeji mushrooms, mizuna greens - Sashimi with sea bream and tuna marinated in egg yolk soy sauce - Matsutake mushroom and conger eel steamed in a pot - Eel and seasonal mushroom hot pot with shimeji mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and eringi mushrooms - Ikura rice with grated burdock root - Dessert: caramel ice cream, buckwheat flour castella cake Beautiful presentation, delicious food, and very satisfying portions. I even had to take the rice to go as I was so full.

I went to "Rouan Kikunoi," a sister store of the long-established Kikunoi, which has been in business for about 100 years. I reserved a counter seat in a raised tatami area (ensuring social distance). I was very satisfied with the autumn-appropriate menu. The meal included yuzu kamadofu with yuzu miso, ankimo with mibuna, mushrooms, and karasumi, akashi natural sea bream and tuna with egg yolk, jikyo senbei, duck liver with pine nuts, maple leaf squid, pine needle somen noodles, powdered ginkgo nuts, matsutake mushroom steamed in a pot, steamed rice with scallop, and caramel ice cream for dessert. It was a bit challenging due to the current situation with the coronavirus, but I hope they continue to do their best. I will definitely come back again.

"Kikunoi Roan" in Kyoto, Michelin-rated kaiseki restaurant, offers an impressive "hassun" course with exceptional hospitality. Even if you're not a regular, they are very kind and welcoming, with private rooms available. They have a two-part lunch service, serving Kyoto kaiseki with distinct flavors and generous portions. The meal is filling even for younger diners, with no disappointments and a sense of security. Prices start at 7,000 yen, making it a reasonable choice for a Michelin restaurant. A must-visit in Kyoto, aiming to become a regular if you live in the area. #Michelin #Kyoto #Kikunoi #KikunoiRoan #Roan #KyotoGourmet #KyotoDinner #KyotoLunch #YasakaShrine #YasakaShrineGourmet #Gion #GionGourmet #ChioninTemple #KamoRiver #KamoRiverGourmet #KamoRiverLunch #KyotoSightseeing #KyotoTravel #KaisekiCuisine #Kaiseki #Kappo #KyotoCuisine #NagoyaGourmet #NagoyaDinner #NagoyaLunch #MichelinKyoto #KansaiGourmet #Dashi #PrivateRoom #Entertainment"

I have always wanted to visit this restaurant after seeing President Murata on TV. Unfortunately, he was not at the restaurant as he usually is at the main store or Tokyo store. I chose Touroan because it is close to my hotel, close to the downtown area, and slightly cheaper. Surprisingly, I was able to make a reservation easily over the phone, possibly due to the impact of the coronavirus. I ordered a course for 16,000 yen, along with beer and sake, which came to about 43,000 yen. Since there was no detailed breakdown, I am unsure about the service charge and tax. I had the impression that kaiseki cuisine was elegant and not filling, but the restaurant aims for customers to leave full, and I was extremely satisfied with the amount of food. Each dish was carefully prepared with attention to detail, and I enjoyed both the taste and presentation. The flavors of the ingredients, the dashi broth, and the richness of wasabi and sansho pepper were delightful. While some dishes were average, overall, I found the experience interesting and delicious. I rate it as follows: 4.5 stars - I would go back multiple times, 4 stars - I will definitely go back, 3.5 stars - I want to go back again, 3 stars - I might go back if I feel like it, 2.5 stars - No second visit.

Once a year, I visit Kikunoi Roan. The first thing I do when I come here is have a glass of Niigata's famous sake, "Higon." The dishes that come out are all top-notch!! The tuna sashimi is eaten by dipping it in egg yolk, and it's also amazing!! The bonito bones are skillfully cut with a pleasant rhythm and served in the dishes. Everything is excellent!! Thank you for the feast!!

"Sister restaurant to Kikunoi located on the banks of the Kamogawa River in Kyoto, Torian Kikunoi offers a spacious counter seat in a traditional Japanese restaurant style, allowing guests to enjoy their meal while watching the chefs at work. The 'hassun' course for early summer is served in a decorative insect cage, featuring simmered asari clams and asparagus with spicy egg yolk vinegar, cucumber flowers, river prawns, conger eel in vinegar, egg custard, grilled squid with sake lees, and baby octopus. The course also includes sashimi of red snapper and yellowtail, grilled conger eel with miso, and a soup with eel and winter melon. Salt-grilled natural ayu, plum jelly, Yuzawa hot pot with fresh ginger, rice with grated onion, pickles, and strawberry and vanilla for dessert."