Sapporo Lager, Akashika, Hydrangea Rice, Grilled Corn, Yellow Zucchini, Minced Deer from Miyama, Scallop, Small Hamanasu Clam, Moroccan Green Beans, Tamagoyaki, Garlic Chives and Cheese, Aged Beef from Furukabu Farm, Kagura Sake, Sanuki Cloudy Soup, Edamame Clear Soup with White Miso, Grilled Eggplant with Myoga, Shichihon Yari Sake from Shiga, Grilled Salted Sweetfish (wild on the right, farmed on the left), Mountain Pepper Vinegar Tadpole, Grouper and Sea Urchin Sashimi, Mimuro Cedar Sake from Nara, Softshell Turtle Soup, Lake Biwa Water Shield, Kagoshima Beef, 14-year-old Holstein Beef Tongue, Thick-cut Tongue and Tongue Stew, Steak, Highball, Iwai Surf Clam, Bamboo Shoots, 100% Buckwheat Soba from Ryuo-cho, Nodoguro Tempura, Rice with Boiled Flower, Fugu Shirako (forgot to take a photo), Mackerel Heshiko, Green Bean with Sesame Dressing, Wild Eel, Lake Biwa Rice, Pickles, Tea, Dessert, Carrot Leaf Sherbet, Monaka, Brownie, Thin Ousu Brownie as a souvenir.

One of the most memorable locations in Kyoto is Saika, a charming restaurant with a rich atmosphere. The chef, who trained at Nakahigashi and had a shop in Kusatsu, has returned to Kyoto. They have recently started offering a lunch set for a very reasonable price of 15,000 yen including tax. The interior is beautifully designed, exuding a high-quality ambiance. The wall behind the counter is adorned with white porcelain dishes from the Joseon Dynasty, creating a gallery filled with Moonoka's love for ceramics. The meal consisted of various dishes, such as appetizers, soup, grilled fish, sashimi, simmered dish, meat dish, rice, and dessert, all meticulously prepared and presented. The chef and the hostess were very friendly, adding to the overall satisfaction of dining at this traditional Japanese restaurant. It was a delightful experience that filled the void left by the absence of another beloved restaurant.

We visited Tsukiokasan for lunch on the last day of our trip to Kyoto in mid-April. The lunch course we had was priced at 15,000 yen. The restaurant had a cozy atmosphere with the chef, his wife, and an apprentice running the show. We started with a delightful tea and then moved on to a spring-themed appetizer plate. The highlight for us was the aged beef dish, which was incredibly flavorful and tender. The fried young ayu fish was also a favorite, paired perfectly with the chef's hand-cut soba noodles. The meal ended with a brownie-filled monaka dessert. The chef's wife mentioned that the brownies were from her bakery in Kyoto, which we had visited before. Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience and we left feeling satisfied and eager to return in the future.

In April, I visited Tsukiokasan (^ ^) after wanting to come back once I visited before, but couldn't make it back for a long time. It was a really long time since my last visit. Here is a summary of the dishes I enjoyed: - Hors d'oeuvre: Lake Biwa ice fish and yabukanzo vinegar, smelt tempura, sesame seasoned bracken, spring mackerel smoked, etc. - White miso with spinach, new onion, potato dumpling, and sweet tomato and firefly squid. - Clam and red clam with mountain udo flower wasabi, served with tomato juice. - Aged beef from 14-year-old cows and tongue of a 14-month-old male calf with mountain pepper. - Bamboo shoot, wakame, hairy crab shinjo soup. - Soba with sweetfish tempura, better than a soba shop. - Steamed clams from Kuwana, asparagus from Hokkaido. - Bamboo shoot and karasumi rice. - Sakura shrimp rice. - Strawberry sherbet with sake lees. - Monaka with Catalana and brownie, served with light tea. The restaurant has a great selection of dishes, with a special mention to the aged beef from Sakae-ya. The atmosphere was enjoyable, and the hosts were friendly. Overall, it was a satisfying and filling experience. Thank you for the meal! (^｡^)

I visited Tsukioke, located in front of Shorenin Temple in Kyoto, after walking from Higashiyama on the Tozai Line, for a private lunch gathering with friends. Tsukioke, which used to be run by Yasutuki at Shigemi Koyuki in Kusatsu, Shiga, is now managed by his apprentice. The entrance exudes a calm atmosphere, with the landlady sprinkling water at the entrance before entering the restaurant. Our private lunch gathering for 8 people begins. This is a restaurant that uses naturally grown wildflowers in their dishes. They carefully pick ingredients from the fertile soil of the deep mountains of Kyoto, far from pesticides, using ingredients that are good for the body. Since the ingredients are not genetically modified, there is a certain bitterness and astringency, which was surprising in the various dishes they served. Thank you for the delicious meal. I would like to visit again when the flowers change completely.

The head chef, Masanori Tsukoka, might have been an artist if he hadn't become a cook. He has a deep knowledge of antique art, and possesses a talent for artfully writing both pictures and words. Despite his somewhat rugged appearance with sharp eyebrows and a touch of Kabuki actor style, he is actually quite fashionable. He even designed the cute round signboard for his restaurant and personally wrote the stylish lettering on it. He also draws pictures on each individual souvenir bag that he gives to customers. With his background in the famous Kyoto restaurant "Kusaku Nakahigashi" and as the head chef at the popular and fully-booked "Jimi Koyatsuki" in Kusatsu, he had been preparing to open an authentic Japanese restaurant with a new Kappo-style in New York around 2017. However, just as he was about to open, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, causing him to retreat after waiting for about a year. It was a significant loss for him. In April 2021, he changed his plans and decided to open the restaurant in Kyoto instead. Despite the challenging circumstances of the pandemic, he had put in a lot of effort to develop the restaurant to that point. It must have taken a lot of courage to attempt to open a restaurant in New York without being fluent in English, and an even greater challenge to make the decision to abandon the plans after so much preparation. Looking back, the head chef says that if he had tried to persist further, he would have definitely thrown himself into the Hudson River. I visited the restaurant for lunch. The spacious counter with only two of us and a couple from Hong Kong was a unique experience. Interestingly, there were tatami mats on the counter, and a charcoal stove was set up in the middle of the cutting board. It would surely be a delight for foreign guests. The wonderful aspect of this restaurant lies in the warm hospitality of the cheerful head chef and the female manager. Despite speaking broken English, the head chef communicates well and gently entertains the guests. This kind of attitude is sure to be appreciated by foreign customers. The guests from Hong Kong had visited three months prior with their mother and enjoyed it so much that they returned again. To turn even foreign customers into repeat customers is truly remarkable. The 15,000 yen omakase course we had for lunch was outstanding and stood out from the usual Kyoto cuisine. The head chef from Hokkaido had a turning point in his career after meeting the head chef of "Kusaku Nakahigashi" in Kyoto, and many of his dishes emphasize the importance of carefully selected vegetables. The menu included: ★Hassun: Using radishes from Kagawa to create a lantern shape, with dried persimmons and yuzu-infused firefly squid in a red turnip cup, smoked with cherry wood chips. It also included grilled Moroko from Lake Biwa, broccoli with a milk-based sauce called Daigo, clams with rice, and dried kumquats. ★Owan: A comforting bowl of white miso soup with beautifully tender wild boar meat from Miyama. ★Sashimi: Two types of shellfish, including North Sea scallops and Turban shells, served with a unique sauce made from Hokkaido tomatoes aged for 10 months to create tomato juice. ★Grilled blowfish and its milt with Kyoto burdock roots, rapeseed blossoms, fiddleheads, and other accompaniments. ★Sakaiya beef: A large piece of beef is shown before being sliced into tongue, sirloin, and rolled cuts. While the meat was of good quality, I found it a bit too fatty for my taste, especially the thick tongue slices. ★Juwari soba: The head chef personally makes the soba noodles, which were served with red radish. The soba was refreshing and fragrant. ★Egg porridge with Hokkaido hairy crab. ★Gohan: A variety of side dishes served with rice, similar to a Japanese breakfast set. The pickled fish roe was delicious and complemented the rice well. The couple from Hong Kong also enjoyed it and mentioned how much their mother had liked it during their previous visit. ★Strawberry and sake lees sorbet. ★Brownie and Catalan cream with almond powder served in a monaka.

The enjoyment of Japanese cuisine is at its peak in late autumn. Fish becomes even more fatty, and aged meats develop a deep flavor. Ingredients are thriving overall - fresh, seasonal, and with a hint of nostalgia. Chef Tsukioka skillfully utilizes a variety of ingredients, showcasing his true talent. However, this cannot fully express the relentless effort, extraordinary affection, and passion for cooking. Chef Tsukioka goes as far as Shiga Prefecture to source ingredients, facing snowstorms, typhoons, and strong winds. Regardless of the weather, temperature, distance, or road conditions, he remains undeterred as long as customers visit. This is truly the essence of a chef. The following menu is a testament to his dedication. There is no perfection in cooking, no one can define it. It lies within the taste - the aroma, texture, flavor, and lingering aftertaste. Pairing with Japanese sake and wine enhances the joy. On this night, we enjoyed the elusive Kuro Nabejima and a 2003 Pavillon Rouge. Yet, the food surpassed them all. We must make reservations early for the next visit to this highly sought-after restaurant. The next gathering, or even the next one after that, must be booked in advance. - Appetizers: Grated daikon with soy sauce-marinated ikura, Kamasu sushi, Lake Biwa natural moroko-yaki, Tanba black beans, Ohara natural shiitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes, ginkgo nuts and bamboo shoots, deer meat and chrysanthemum seaweed roll, natural gorilla simmered in soy sauce, served with grated daikon and ikura - White miso, crushed chestnuts, grilled sesame tofu, and karasumi - Sweet snapper with pine needles, green onion tempura, and sudachi - Sashimi: Natural sea bream from Akashi, autumn sea bream with skin, grated wasabi in soy sauce, salted kelp, and the fragrance of sansho pepper - Lake Biwa natural eel with Gujo green onions and thinning greens - Aged beef: sirloin and rib roast from a recently popular cow raised with love, showcasing differences in texture and flavor, adjusted moisture content, matured, served with chrysanthemum yam rice crackers, Man'enji chili peppers, and black radish skin - Buckwheat soba noodles with crab daikon and mushroom and softshell turtle broth - Rice: before steaming, simmered whitefish roe - Rice: crab miso, me-zashi, heshiko, kelp, pickles, rice milled for 12 hours in a waterwheel hut - Dessert

After training at the renowned Kyoto restaurant "Kusagui Nakahigashi" and serving as head chef at "Shimi Yasuki" in Shiga, Chef Tsukioka opened his own restaurant. Originally planning to open in NY, the pandemic led to a change of plans and the restaurant opened in Kyoto instead. Behind the counter, you'll find a display of beautiful tableware. The omakase course in the evening costs ¥30,000. Here is a summary of the dishes served: - Appetizers: Persimmon and fresh raw peanuts with kinako vinegar, Hokkaido saury with walnuts, smoked shiitake, grilled young ginkgo nuts and bamboo shoots, Moroccan sandwich with meat miso, rolled omelette with edamame, natural gori pickles, cooked snails. - Soup: Squash and white miso suri-nagashi with taro stems, small taro, autumn myoga, and white miso from Shimamura. - Grilled dish: Grilled ayu fish with ripe shishito peppers, pickled ripe shishito peppers, and vinegar-pickled autumn myoga. - Sashimi: Sea bream from Akashi, mackerel from Hokkaido, and soy sauce-marinated red sea urchin from Ehime. - Simmered dish: Eel and matsutake mushroom soup with eel from Akashi, matsutake from Nagano, water, and chrysanthemum flower. - Grilled beef: 14-year-old aged beef from Kagoshima aged for 50 days, served with young corn from Ohara, peanuts, Sichuan pepper, ripe shishito pepper paste, and mustard seeds. - Beef tongue: 14-month-old Holstein beef tongue with tomato juice puree aged for a year from Asahikawa, purple carrots, and fried carrots. - Mushroom and softshell turtle soup: Black kawatake mushrooms, ikuchidake mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, softshell turtle, thinning turnips, and softshell turtle eggs. - Handmade soba: 100% soba flour from Shiga, served with fried eel from Akashi, new pickles from Ohara, and sesame sauce. - Rice dish: Kinmedai and sasagarei fish, pickled mackerel, matsutake mushroom rice, and homemade squid ink. - Dessert: Carrot leaf gelato, Shine Muscat grapes, pear, roasted fig, and pomegranate. - Petit fours: Brownie, Catalan cream, almond powder crumble. Chef Tsukioka's restaurant offers a delightful experience with his hearty dishes. The chef's accommodating nature and delicious cuisine make for an enjoyable dining experience.

On Sunday night (July 24th), I visited this place. The husband had planned to expand to New York from a popular store in Shiga Prefecture, but due to the pandemic, they had to give up on that plan and opened a shop here, in front of the historic Shorenin Temple. It is located about a 5-minute walk from Higashiyama Station, just south of Jingu Road. The first floor has counter seats, and the second floor has private rooms. It was a hot day, so I wiped off the sweat with a towel and took a break with cold tea. For drinks, I started with my usual sweet potato shochu soda mix, the Tomonohozan from Nishi Sake Brewery in Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture. The appetizers included a variety of dishes such as vinegared mozuku seaweed and cucumber, sushi with minced conger eel wrapped in myoga leaf, and fried corn tempura topped with simmered tomato. The main dishes featured dishes like fried eggplant from Shiga Prefecture, fried shrimp from Lake Biwa, and deep-fried sweet shrimp. The drinks were a selection of cold sake, including the Koma Gold Special Junmai with a low alcohol content from Hiroshima and the Amami Junmai Ginjo with a unique brewing method from Yamaguchi. The meal continued with dishes like grilled ayu fish, sashimi with flounder from Akashi and sea urchin from Oma, and a comparison of aged beef from Omi and Hokkaido. The beef dishes were accompanied by a variety of side dishes like grilled cucumber and myoga, cresson cheese, and purple shiso vinegar pickles. The meal ended with a variety of desserts such as Shiga melon, basil tofu sherbet, and chocolate cake brownie. Overall, it was a delightful dining experience.

Tsukio-san's usual menu featured dishes such as fresh okara and nagaimo, spring mackerel chimaki, bamboo shoots and kogomi, asparagus, sand sole, fava beans, tamago usui edamame and pheasant meat, white miso swordfish, yagura negi, snap peas, okoze hokki shellfish, bamboo shoots and zinbasou, shouro, and small pillar soup with boiled anago and suginoki. Omi beef and Holstein beef from Keisan, Kuwana's simmered clams, sea urchin on top, strawberry and yomogi ice cream, and brownie-filled manju. Always delicious and satisfying.

I visited "Gekooka" in front of the Seirin-in Monzeki in Kyoto Prefecture. The location is about a 6-minute walk from the Tozai Line "Higashiyama Station" on the subway. This is a restaurant that opened in April 2021, taking over from Chef Tsukiooka, who has won "The Tabelog Award Bronze" multiple times at "Shiki Yasutsuki". (It was planned to open a shop in NY if it weren't for Corona) I dined at the counter seat on the first floor, but there are private rooms on the second floor. Overall, it gives a simple impression, with antique art displayed that you can enjoy. The dishes I had this time are as follows: - Hors d'oeuvre - Fish dish - Sashimi - Soup - Hand-rolled sushi - Meat dish - Simmered dish - Rice dish - Dessert The cozy atmosphere and the exquisite timing of serving the dishes made me enjoy the meal with a warm feeling. My personal impression... The "Hors d'oeuvre" served first. The colors were calm in the photos and not flashy, but when I tasted them, they were all surprisingly delicious and made me want more. I usually write about my favorite dishes, but this time, I couldn't choose. The "Meat dish" was beautifully presented with good quality meat. It was mentioned that Sakae-ya from Shiga is the only one distributing the meat after dry aging, and the quality was indeed excellent, allowing me to fully enjoy the red meat. The "Simmered dish" and "Soba" were also excellent. Thank you for the meal.

In front of the Seiryo-in Gate, the restaurant "Tsukioka Goemiyo" is a Japanese cuisine restaurant that opened in April 2021 in Higashiyama, Kyoto. Reservations are by appointment only, and they accept reservations for one person or more. They offer both lunch and dinner service. The restaurant is located a 5-minute walk from Higashiyama Station. The interior is a quiet and serene Japanese-style space with 8 counter seats and private rooms. The menu consists of a single chef's choice course that starts all at once. The chef trained at "Kusakui Nakahigashi" in Kyoto and worked as a head chef at "Shigemi Yasuki" in Shiga. The ingredients mainly include mountain vegetables from Miyama and Ohara, Kyoto vegetables, and aged Tokachi Wagyu beef from "Sakaeya" in Kusatsu City. You can fully enjoy the wild flavors of the ingredients. The rice cooked in an earthen pot is also exquisite and satisfying. It is a wonderful restaurant where you can enjoy Japanese cuisine in a charming atmosphere. Thank you very much. Itadakimasu. Chef's Choice Course ¥30,000: - Hors d'oeuvre: Biwa Lake ice fish, rocket and carrot ohitashi, fiddlehead fern - Bamboo shoot and sakura shrimp salad, firefly squid sakura smoked - Rape blossoms, homemade squid ink, Lake Shijo white fish isobe-yaki - Deer meat mince rice - Broad beans, powdered milk - White miso steamed new onion renkon dumplings, onion monk - Grilled beltfish, snap peas, taranome, sansho pepper - Sashimi: Blackthroat seaperch - Sashimi: Yamaguchi ark shell - Soup: Golden eye snapper, bamboo shoot, jinba grass, sansho pepper - Hand-rolled sushi: Flathead, horse mackerel, sea urchin, dried persimmon and yuzu - Meat dish: Hokkaido 14-month-old Holstein, 14-year-old Omi beef - Simmered dish: Densuke conger eel, butterbur, burdock, fuki no to, sansho pepper - Rice dish: Boiled crab, crab miso, lemon - Soba: Shiga 100% soba, pheasant and grilled green onion dipping sauce, Aomori seaweed - Biwa trout - Dessert: Strawberry, sake lees, cherry blossom - Dessert: Monaka, brownie, kumquat, almond - Matcha drink - Sake: Shichihonyari - Sake: Tatsunokuchi - Sake: Mukokoji

I revisited Tsukioka-san, a restaurant located quietly in front of the Aoren-in Monzeki. The place has a high-class feel with a setting reminiscent of a tea room or an art museum, focusing on traditional Japanese design. Once again, I enjoyed a satisfying meal incorporating the blessings of nature. The dishes I had included bottled beer, cold sake, a variety of appetizers, grilled Nagasaki octopus and sea urchin, simmered turnip soup with mackerel, Ehomaki sushi roll, charcoal-grilled Hokkaido Holstein beef and Omi beef with goat cheese topping, crab miso rice, and more. The courses were plentiful and started from appetizers, featuring delicate dishes using local vegetables and aged meat. The craftsmanship of seamlessly blending the flavors was impressive. The service was attentive and made the dining experience enjoyable. I learned that the drawings on the business cards and paper bags are hand-drawn by the owner, showing his versatility. The relationship between the passionate owner and the caring hostess was heartwarming, making them a lovely couple. This restaurant has become one of my favorites, and I will definitely visit again. As a bonus, I attached a photo of the Aoren-in Monzeki during the Higashiyama Hanatoro event, which was enchanting and beautiful.

This year has also begun with dishes such as chrysanthemum greens, fresh shiitake mushrooms, tsukushi (horsetail plant), dried persimmons, yuzu citrus, karasumi daikon (dried mullet roe radish), natural moroko fish, yuba and conoko (young bamboo shoots) in white miso soup, tachiuo fish, whole mackerel, sunflower sprout sorbet, pufferfish and carp sashimi, steamed turnips, hand-cut soba noodles made with beef from Mr. Shinbo's farm, rice with shirako (cod milt), and crab. I am full around here. Looking forward to another great year!

I felt the goodness for the second time, and this place is definitely authentic. The taste of the eight-course meal is exceptional... It must be because the head chef handles everything himself... Everything was delicious. We brought our own wine. We tried the sake from the restaurant, and it was delicious. The aged beef is a fantastic experiment. Comparing Holstein and domestically produced beef... I want to witness the evolution of this further. I will visit again in May... I want to experience this restaurant in different seasons. Thank you for the meal. The precious tea leaves made by one person, not for sale. The tea has a unique taste. The eight-course meal, the white miso soup, the splendid grilled icefish, the sashimi of yellowtail, and the vegetable sherbet were all wonderful. The best yellowtail. Perfect fat content, excellent freshness, no smell. Fugu sashimi with white sauce. This thick fugu is not tough at all. The carp soup. It's rare to see such a beautiful carp. Carp scale tempura, steamed turnip with crab. The delicious crab meat. Holstein beef, Omi beef, domestically produced beef. The meat quality has a slightly rough texture. Powerful. Buckwheat soba noodles with clam dipping sauce. Soba noodles of a level that a soba shop would serve. Fugu milt, delicious. Crab rice, a satisfying finale. Dessert: kumquat, yogurt, black bean daifuku, brownie, matcha.

I recommend a new restaurant in Kyoto that opened this year. It is located far from the station but has a quiet and nice atmosphere. I ordered the omakase course for 30,000 yen, starting with beer and moving on to sake from Ohara and Miyama. The vegetables were brought from the fields of Ohara and Miyama, and there were plenty of them, allowing me to feel the season and enjoy the delicious flavors. The staff was flexible with the final rice dish, making it a fun dining experience.