ベスタ
In June 2018, when visiting Kyoto's Higashiyama area, one must visit Yasaka Shrine. In July, the area will be bustling with the Gion Festival! We visited "Gion Maruyama Kagari-bi" next to Yasaka Shrine for a meal. The restaurant had a charming atmosphere with gas lamps burning on both sides outside. Inside, there was a large dining area suitable for banquets, offering a variety of hot pot courses such as yudofu, but we opted for the sukiyaki course priced at 3560 yen with all-you-can-drink option. The meal included appetizers, sukiyaki, pickles, rice, and dessert. We cooked the meat and vegetables in the divided iron pot provided. I noticed that the vegetables used were different from what I was used to in the Kanto region, with ingredients like onions, wheat gluten, Chinese cabbage, burdock, leeks, grilled tofu, and plenty of bean sprouts. As a Kanto person, I usually don't have memories of eating sukiyaki with bean sprouts, burdock, and onions, and the main vegetable was shungiku (chrysanthemum greens). Thanks to the burdock and onions, it had a slight taste reminiscent of gyudon (beef bowl) (laughs). The taste was balanced considering the price. The service was not particularly friendly, somewhat mechanical. The drink options for the all-you-can-drink were limited to beer, sake, oolong tea, and juice, with maybe wine as well. I was surprised that there were no shochu or sour options available. It was an interesting experience to see the differences in vegetables available depending on the region. Just like how ozoni (New Year's soup) varies by region, it's fascinating to learn about unfamiliar food cultures in different places. Thank you for the meal~