KADU
---March 2014---I visited my favorite restaurant after 4 months, and it was as delicious as ever! The chef seemed lively, and they had one more staff member now. This time, I opted for the 4000 yen course! The yuba and Kyoto vegetable tempura with shirako sauce was delicious and innovative! The assorted appetizers were all tasty, including rice with small fish, crab and cucumber rolls, fried bamboo shoots, sea cucumber vinegar, simmered clams with Japanese pepper, and grilled fish. I'm not a fan of oysters, but the grilled oysters were surprisingly good. The white tofu with turtle sauce was amazing. The sashimi platter included tuna, blowfish, and yuba sashimi. The chicken salad was delicious, although I was already full. The grapefruit sherbet was refreshing and had a hint of bitterness. The collaboration of winter and spring flavors was impressive. The ideas behind the dishes were truly shining. For 4000 yen, you won't find another Kyoto cuisine restaurant that offers this much! It was truly delicious once again, thank you for the feast.
---November 2012---I've lost count of how many times I've visited this place. Whenever I think of Kyoto nights, this is where I often go. I stumbled upon it on the internet and visited for the first time. They offer a course of Kyoto cuisine ranging from 3500 yen to 5000 yen. If you tell them what you want to eat, they will accommodate your request. In the past, I expressed my desire to eat conger eel, and even though it was out of season, they prepared a full course of conger eel for me! And all for just 4000 yen, what a steal! The location is near Nijo Castle, behind the International Hotel. At first, I had a hard time finding it, as all the roads in Kyoto look the same to me. The restaurant is run by the husband and wife, with one staff member. This time, only the husband was there, so it was a bit chaotic. I opted for the 4000 yen course this time. The conger eel tempura was delicious, with a flavorful sauce. The steamed lily bulb with sauce was gentle and tasty. The conger eel sweet vinegar fry was crispy and flavorful. The assorted appetizers included mackerel sushi, pickled vegetables, grilled fish, simmered dish, and more, all delicious. The steamed dish was exceptionally delicious, with conger eel and matsutake mushrooms in a special vinegar citrus sauce. The sashimi platter had yuba sashimi, which was a nice touch. The pasta-like dish made with daikon radish was a brilliant idea by the chef. The grilled rice ball soup was what I always look forward to, but the course is so generous that I always end up too full to enjoy it fully. The dashi soup with the rice ball is truly delicious. The restaurant's signature is the generous amount of food in the course and the special dashi flavor. The chef's cooking skills and conversation are top-notch. The wife is also cheerful and talkative, but I heard she is currently battling an illness. I hope she recovers soon! The chef's expertise from training at famous restaurants is evident in the dishes. While it's not traditional Kyoto kaiseki, it's a unique twist on Kyoto cuisine, and for the amount and quality of food you get for 3500 yen, it's hard to find elsewhere. I wanted to keep this restaurant as my own little secret, but I wanted to share this delicious food with everyone, so I decided to write a review. When you visit, be sure to enjoy it fully!