RESTAURANTS IN KYOTO

Top Japanese Restaurants in Kyoto

Kyoto is the birthplace of much of Japan’s traditions, beliefs, and culture. In particular, cooking has become an art in Kyoto, leading to the development of Kyoto’s distinct cuisine. In addition, styles of Japanese cooking has arrived at Kyoto from all over the country, resulting in the mix of Kyoto and generic Japanese fare on offer in the city today. Here’s some of our top picks for exploring the city’s culinary culture.

Hyotei (瓢亭)

Hyotei is a three Michelin star establishment located on the grounds of the Nanzenji Temple since the 17th century, where it served pilgrims on the way to the shrine. This family run restaurant, which has been passed down to the current fourteenth generation owner and chef, serves Kaiseki meals. Founded in Kyoto, Kaiseki emphasises a balance in the taste, texture, appearance, and colour of the food. Hyotei uses local ingredients and adds almost no seasoning to them, in order to bring out their delicate flavours.

Gion Karyo (祇園 迦陵)

Situated in Gion, a district preserved in a historical style, this restaurant is housed in a traditional building. With the authentic Kaiseki fare and the historical setting around you, Gion Karyo is very atmospheric as well as perfect for experiencing Kyoto’s food culture. Unlike most traditional Japanese restaurants, an English menu is available and some staff speak English, making it more accessible and tourist friendly.

Tousuiro (豆水楼)

Tousuiro specializes in another food Kyoto is famous for, tofu. You might be wondering how a restaurant can base its entire menu around the humble bean curd, but you will be surprised by the variation. From deep fried tofu to tofu miso soup, Tousuiro explores the different ways of cooking tofu, using a variety of side ingredients but never detracting from the flavour of the beancurd itself.

Gozanbo (五山望)

If you want something a little more richly flavoured, try Gozanbo, the teppanyaki restaurant located on the 15th floor of the Hotel Granvia in Kyoto’s city centre. Gozanbo specializes in wagyu, Japan’s premium beef. Watch skilled chefs grill the fresh beef in front of you in the teppanyaki style. The restaurant also has a view over downtown Kyoto, which is especially dazzling at night when the Kyoto Tower is lit up.

Honke Owariya (本家 尾張屋)

Honke Owariya is a local favourite that specialises in soba noodles made from buckwheat. This family run restaurant has been in business for over five hundred years; during the Edo period they started specialising in soba noodles and the flavour and texture of their noodles has brought them success for centuries. Their noodles are made fresh on the premises every day, just as they have been for the past 14 generations. The seating in the restaurant is around low tables on cushions and tatami mats, making for an authentic experience. 

Ajiro (阿じろ)

Another one of Kyoto’s many Michelin starred restaurants, Ajiro is famed for its vegetarian Shojin cuisine, which is based on Buddhist beliefs and is typically the food eaten by Buddhist monks. The founder of Ajiro studied this way of cooking in the kitchen of a Buddhist temple before establishing the restaurant, therefore the food is authentic in its simplicity and delicate flavours. To accentuate the sense of tradition, the interior of the restaurant is decorated with Japanese elements such as a tatami style seating with low tables.

Ippudo Ramen (一風堂)

Ramen is one of the most iconic Japanese dishes, and Ippudo Ramen is one of the best ramen restaurants in Kyoto. This popular local restaurant, which has branches all over Japan and even overseas, has a well-deserved reputation, as its ramen is lightly flavoured and has a perfect texture, served in a rich broth of your choosing. Their fried gyoza (dumplings) are also amazing, order a plate of these to go with your ramen for the perfect local Japanese experience.

Den Shichi Sushi Saiin (傳七すし 西院店)

Sushi is undoubtedly the most iconic Japanese dish, and this ambient sushi bar in Kyoto is one of the best places in the city to sample authentic sushi. Den Shichi Sushi is decorated in the classic sushi bar style, where chefs make sushi at the long bar that extends down the middle of the restaurant. The sushi and sashimi is priced very reasonably, especially for its quality and freshness. The fact that this place is mostly frequented by locals, and by the line that forms outside it on weekends, is testament to its quality and authenticity.

Oshokuji-dokoro Asuka (お食事処 明日香)

Located in the main tourist area of Higashiyama, Asuka serves a variety of Japanese fare, from filling bowls of udon noodles, to snacks like tempura. The small restaurant has a warm and homely feel to it, letting you relax for what feels like an intimate family meal. This establishment is popular with tourists and locals, not only because of its convenient location and English menu, but also because of its reasonable prices and excellent food.

VEGETARIAN SUSHI

14 TYPES OF 

VEGETARIAN SUSHI

Sushi as we know it today evolved from Japan’s first fast food-style cuisine. The popular sushi train, carrying its cargo of delicious meals, continues to chug across the world. Sushi shops are popping up across Brazil. California cuisine has adapted sushi. Sushi is even a choice at some local outdoor markets in Thailand. 

People on all inhabited continents are loving sushi -- with devastating costs to ocean life.
Trying sushi is a major attraction for visitors to Japan, and there are many vegetarian and vegan sushi options for those with dietary restrictions-read on to discover some of these.

Nigiri-style Vegan Sushi is the most common type of sushi as we know today is the nigiri sushi, where the sushi chef takes a ball of vinegared rice and presses it into the shape of a small log. The sushi chefs can prepare these to exactly the same size and weight just by touch, without any weighing scales. The fewer touches by the fingers, the fresher the sushi will be, and master chefs can prepare these edible gems in just a few precise moves.

Shiitake Mushroom Nigiri

Shiitake is a type of mushroom which has a strong and savory taste, and is often dried to be used in flavoring soup stock. When used in sushi, the mushrooms are usually lightly flavored with salt or soy sauce and lightly flamed to enhance the fragrance. The juicy texture and rich taste of shiitake mushrooms makes this vegan sushi an extremely satisfying morsel.

Nasu Nigiri

Nasu refers to eggplant in Japanese, and is available all year round. Eggplant sushi is served either grilled, for a melt-in-your-mouth texture, or pickled for a more chewy and tangy flavor. Tempura eggplant is another popular version of this sushi, which is often served with grated ginger. All versions are succulent and tasty.

Avocado Nigiri

Avocado, or the “butter of the forest” is a popular ingredient in many different forms of sushi. In nigiri form, the rice comes topped with a slice of avocado, usually lightly seasoned with salt and fastened together with a thin strip of nori seaweed. The mild, creamy flavor of avocado sushi makes it a popular form of vegetarian and vegan sushi.

Tamagoyaki Nigiri

Tamagoyaki is a fluffy and slightly sweet omelette popular in Japanese cuisine. Tamagoyaki nigiri is a rice ball topped with a slice of omelette, often wrapped with a thin belt of seaweed. It is good to clarify if dashi has been added to the omelette, and some restaurants may offer to make the tamagoyaki sushi for you without dashi upon request.

Maki-zushi Vegan Sushi

Maki-zushi literally means rolled sushi, and is made by laying a large square sheet of seaweed on a bamboo mat, spreading out rice over the seaweed, topping this with filling in a row, then rolling up the mat to form a firm sushi roll. The sushi is then sliced evenly to reveal its fillings.

Kappa Maki

Kappa maki-cucumber roll-is a safe bet for vegetarians and vegan sushi-eaters, with a slice of cucumber wrapped in a thin roll of rice and seaweed. This is a popular starter or palate cleanser for the regular sushi diner.

Shinko Maki/ Takuan Maki

Shinko is a generic term for pickles, and is a popular order for a change in taste and texture. Takuan is a pickled radish, usually bright yellow or brown in color, and has a crunchy texture and somewhat tangy taste. This is a tasty and refreshing vegan sushi option for all.

Kampyo Maki

Kampyo, or pickled gourd, is thought to aid digestion, and so is often ordered at the end of the meal. The gourd is pickled brown and has a taste that can be described like a sweetish soy sauce.

Ume, Cucumber Shiso Makizushi

The combination of ume (Japanese pickled plum) paste, refreshing shiso (perilla herb) and sweet cucumber is another staple vegan sushi order that serves as a palate cleanser in the middle or to end off the meal.

OTHER TYPES OF VEGETARIAN SUSHI

Natto Temaki

Temaki means “handroll”, and as the name suggests, is rolled by hand. The sushi chef folds a small rectangular sheet of seaweed with vinegared rice and various fillings and, at an over-the-counter sushi restaurant, hands this by hand to the customer. This is not tightly pressed like the maki-zushi and the rice retains a fluffy texture. Natto temaki is a handroll of natto, or fermented soybeans. Natto has a sticky texture so may be a bit messy to eat but it is popular for its taste and health benefits.

Seaweed Gunkanmaki

Seaweed gunkan-maki (“battleship roll”) is a flavorful and nutrient-rich sushi option for vegans and non-vegans alike. Wakame or seaweed salad is dressed with soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, sesame seeds and red chili, then piled on top of sushi rice and secured with a strip of nori seaweed.

Inarizushi

Inarizushi is made of a fried and sweet tofu skin pouch that is filled with vinegared rice and sometimes sesame seeds is sprinkled on the top or mixed in the rice filling. It is often offered to the Gods at shinto shrines, as it is said to be a favorite snack of the fox, the messenger of the gods.

Takenoko Chirashizushi

Chirashizushi means “scattered sushi”, and is Japanese dish of sushi rice topped with various ingredients. Takenoko chirashizushi is sushi rice scattered with bamboo shoots (takenoko) that have been simmered in a broth. Takenoko is typically available during the spring season, and when simmered, the bamboo shoot becomes soft, succulent and flavorsome. As this broth may contain fish-based dashi, or be topped with bonito flakes (shaved dried fish flakes), if you’re vegan or vegetarian, it’s best to check.

JAPANESE FOOD DISHES

10 Japanese Food Dishes You Must Try

1. Ramen

You will find Ramen (ラーメン) basically all over Japan, on almost every street corner. It is a wheat noodle soup dish that was originally imported from China. It is one of the most popular and inexpensive dishes in Japan. Ramen restaurants, or ramen-ya, can be found everywhere in Japan, and they serve countless regional variations of this common noodle dish. 

Shoyu Ramen is the most common type of Ramen. This is usually what is served when the menu does not specify a specific type of soup. Shoyu Ramen is clear, brown broth flavored noodle soup with soy sauce (shoyu).

The soup is usually made of chicken broth but often contains other meats such as pork, beef or fish depending on the region. It usually also contain hard-boiled egg and different vegetables, such as onion, mushrooms, bean sprouts, seaweed and corn.

Ramen are eaten with chopsticks, and as the noodles get soggy pretty quickly you should eat them immediately after they are served. As with other noodle dishes in Japan, a slurping sound is made when eating ramen. You can actually find Ramen restaurants by it`s sound. The slurping has several purposes however, as it enhances the flavors and helps cool down the boiling hot noodles as they enter your mouth. So remember to slurp as much as you possibly can when eating Ramen, it is not considered impolite! 

Ramen is popular as a lunch dish, and is considered a fast-food. At some Ramen restaurants you choose what kind of Ramen you want from a vending machine, pay and get a ticket that you hand over to the chef. And voila you get your Ramen served at your table. Easypeacy! 

2. Okonomiyaki

Is it a pancake? Or is it a pizza? Hmm, Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き) is a real must when it comes to what Japanese food to try, as it is delicious! It is pan fried and consists of batter and cabbage. Different toppings and ingredients are added, anything from sliced meat and seafood to wasabi and cheese. This variability is what gave it it`s name “Okonomi”, which means “to one’s liking”.

You will find Okonomiyaki all over Japan in restaurants that specialize in the dish, but it is most popular in the west, particularly the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka which have their own variations. We had Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima and Kyoto, and they were very different. The Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki includes a layer of fried Soba noodles.

At some Okonomiyaki restaurants the dining tables are each equipped with an iron griddle (“teppan”), and customers are given the ingredients to cook the Okonomiyaki themselves.

3. Udon

Udon (うどん) are thick white noodles made of wheat flour. They are thicker than Soba and Ramen noodles, whiter and chewier. Udon is very popular and available at specialty Udon restaurants (Udon-Ya) all over Japan, which usually also serve Soba noodles. Udon are served both hot and cold, with or without soup, and sometimes with vegetables, egg and meat.

The same goes for Udon as for Ramen and Soba – making a slurping sound when eating Udon is mandatory! 

4. Sushi

Sushi (すし, 寿司, 鮨) is raw fish and seafood packed together with rice and vegetables into beautiful pieces. Each little piece is almost like an art!

Sushi dates all the way back to the 4th Century BC, as a way to preserve the fish (sprinkled with salt and encased in rice).

Tokyo has some of the best Sushi restaurants in the world. You will however not find fresher Sushi than from the Sushi shops found around the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo.

5. Yuba

Yuba is a popular traditional dish in the Nikko area (north of Tokyo). Yuba is the skin that forms when making tofu out of soy beans. It is cut into stripes and used in everything from Udon dishes to Sashimi to fried bean buns. To tell you the truth, it doesn`t taste very much! 

6. Soba

Soba (そば) are noodles made of buckwheat flour, which make them grey/brownish in color. They are a Tokyo`s favorite, and date back to the Edo period (1603-1868) when they became popular among Samurais.

Soba noodles are roughly as thick as spaghetti and prepared in various hot and cold dishes with and without soup. They can be served with vegetables, tempura, raw egg and meat. Soba dishes are very popular and easy to find across Japan. Since 100% buckwheat Soba noodles tend to be brittle, many restaurants add some wheat flour when preparing their noodles.

Soba dishes comes in many different variations, but the most basic Soba dish is Mori Soba in which boiled, cold Soba noodles are eaten with a soya based dipping sauce (Tsuyu). You can also have green Soba, which is Green Tea Soba (Matcha Soba), where buckwheat flour are mixed with green tea powder.

Most of the Soba dishes are eaten throughout the year, but some are only available seasonally. A special kind of Soba dish is Toshikoshi Soba, a symbol of longevity, that is only eaten on New Year’s Eve.

Soba is served in special Soba and Udon restaurants, and also when eating Soba slurping is very normal and expected! 

7. Tempura

Japan can thank the Portuguese for Tempura (天ぷら or 天麩羅), as it was Jesuit missionaries in Nagaski who first introduced Japan to the art of batter frying in the 16th century. Tempura is chunks of seafood and vegetables dipped in a light batter and cooked in canola and sesame oil. The end result is far less stodgy than other deep-fried food that we have in the West. Tempura is normally eaten together with a bowl of rice.

8. Dumplings – Gyoza

Japan does not really have a “street-food” culture as other Asian countries like Thailand, but Gyoza or steamed Dumplings are the sort of food that you will find sold at street stalls around Japan and at train stations. It is originally Chinese, but has become very popular all over Japan. The dumplings have different kind of filling, like pork, beef, chicken, vegetables and beans.

9. Yakiniku

Yakiniku is the Japanese version of barbecue, which invites diners to cook slices of meat and vegetables on a plate or griddle in the middle of the table. Beef and offal are the most popular options at Yakiniku restaurants, but also pork, chicken and seafood are usually on the menu.

10. Japanese sweets

The Japanese are crazy about sweets and candy. They have some of the finest and most delicate candy and sweets, often with green tea flavor.

A typical green tea set is San-ten Nama Youkan & Macha Set. Youkan is a typical Japanese sweet made of jellied bean paste. They usually come in three different colors; brown is made of black soy beans, yellow/green is made of green soy beans while purple is made of purple sweet potato.

Japan sweets are really nice, cute and colourful, some of the most delicate sweets I have ever seen. Each piece looks like a piece of art. Japanese usually drink green tea together with sweets.Ice-cream is extremely popular in Japan, especially shaved ice (yep, normal frozen ice cubes that are shaved into small pieces) with different toppings.

The Japanese also make delicious small cakes, in different cute shapes like birds, leaves, trees and fish. One typical and popular cookie is Ningyo-yaki that you will see in all souvenir shops around Japan. Ningyo-yaki are made from fluffy batter filled with sweet bean paste, and they come in all different shapes from Hello Kitty to cute birds.