There is a large red lantern hanging down. It is a sushi restaurant. I sit at the counter seat made of white wood. There is a Tochi-no-tsuki (a type of wooden stand) and flowing hand water. I finished with the Omakase (chef's choice) and added Oita a la carte. Super Dry beer. - Appetizer: Grilled Ise Ebi (spiny lobster), warm tamago (egg) with Tosazu (vinegar) jelly, nagaimo (mountain yam), lightly beaten okra, and water temple seaweed. - Sashimi: Thinly sliced honmaguro (bluefin tuna). The richness of the fatty flavor is intense. It is refreshing with grated daikon radish. - Sashimi: Akashidai (red sea bream) belly. Served with wasabi salt and vinegar citrus. - Owan (soup): Shirauo (icefish) and tamago tofu in clear broth with nanohana (rapeseed flowers). - Yakimono (grilled dish): Guji Wakasa-yaki. Vinegared Akamidai (red sea bream) head cut into arrow shapes. - Yakimono: Kujo negi (leek) and shiitake mushroom steamed and grilled. - Sabazushi (mackerel sushi): Long and narrow in shape. Rolled with sweet vinegar-infused white shiokonbu (kelp). It is served with finely chopped ginger pickled in sweet vinegar between the ears. - Anago sushi (sea eel sushi): A whole, plump conger eel is simmered in sake to remove any odor, then grilled. Served with a sweetened anago sauce on top of vinegared sushi rice wrapped in nori. - Nimono (simmered dish): Combined with wakame seaweed, shirako (cod milt), takenoko (bamboo shoots), and kome (rice). - Nigiri sushi: Kohada (gizzard shad), akami (lean tuna), uni (sea urchin), sumi-ika (cuttlefish), nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), yuba ebi (boiled shrimp). - Oshinko (pickles): Cucumber asazuke (lightly pickled), pickled ginger, eggplant nukadzuke (pickled in rice bran), red turnip in sweet vinegar, sesame and wasabi, senmaizuke (pickled turnip), takuan kome (pickled daikon with rice bran), natto gunkan (natto with quail egg yolk), white onion. It is colorful and vibrant. - Tsumono (clear soup): Ebi-jiru (shrimp soup) with white miso. Served with a cross-section of the head of Ise ebi. - Mizugashi (dessert): Citrus jelly. - Wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets): Botamochi (sweet rice cake). Strong matcha green tea. A futomaki (thick sushi roll) with shrimp, conger eel, thick omelet, shiitake mushroom, and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) as a souvenir. Kyoto-style sushi. Delicate, intricate, and bold. Thank you for the feast.

The matsutake mushroom tempura was my first time trying it, but it was crispy and had a delicious aroma that spread out. All the sushi was undoubtedly very delicious.

I have been visiting this restaurant since the time of the previous owner and the current chef. Despite being known for sushi, the other dishes are also delicious. The chef trained at Tokyo Kyochon and seems to use Kyoto-style dashi. This restaurant started with pickled vegetables before moving on to sushi. While still considered high-end, the prices have become more reasonable over the years. In the past, the sushi pieces were exceptionally large, with anago being three times the normal size. The clam soup bowl is also huge with thick, meaty clams. The dashi is excellent. If you prefer traditional Edo-style sushi, you may be unsure about this place, but it has its own unique charm that I highly recommend to those interested. It's different from places like Kyubei or Sukiyabashi Jiro, as it combines sushi and kaiseki cuisine.

The restaurant "Fang Liu" provides excellent service.

You can feel the 70-year history of the long-established sushi restaurant through its taste and the atmosphere inside the store. Celebrities also visit this restaurant incognito.

Delicious, delicious, delicious!

Oh, it was amazing. Sushi is so delicious. When you eat fatty tuna sashimi wrapped in grated daikon, the harmony of the rich flavor, sweetness, and moderate fattiness in your mouth is just the best (laughs). Sushi like nodoguro and anago are also incredibly delicious. Well, everything was a moment of bliss. I've been thinking recently that good fish goes well with Japanese sake. They use Kikumasamune here all the time, but various local sakes are also good, surprisingly Kikumasamune is delicious. It feels like it enhances the dish without unnecessary assertiveness. Sorry for forgetting to take a picture of the sushi.

I was walking in Kyoto's Kiyamachi, and passed by a large lantern. I remembered buying mackerel sushi as a souvenir from this shop last winter. This sushi restaurant, which was popular during the bubble period in Kyoto, was a symbol of that era. The sushi was simply the best. And the bill was also top-notch. Eating at this restaurant was a status symbol. It was frequented by famous people from the political, business, and entertainment worlds. When I was in my twenties and didn't even know one street in Kyoto, I was brought to this sushi restaurant. I was trembling like a pig and nervously sitting in a corner of the counter. I came to get the famous mackerel sushi as a souvenir last year, to revisit the atmosphere of that era. When I opened the door, the scene from 30 years ago appeared unchanged. The son of the late famous chef, who was from Kitcho, continues to faithfully maintain the old-fashioned atmosphere of the restaurant. When I opened the bamboo wrapping at home, a large mackerel sushi with a heavy weight appeared. Thickly sliced mackerel with plenty of fat. The deliciousness remains unchanged, as if it has captured the excitement of that time along with the rich mackerel. The lantern in front of the shop has become quite old, but it quietly observes the rise and fall of Kyoto. The "Ran" of Kiyamachi. A name that everyone knew in that era. A famous restaurant that shone in the glory of Showa. It continues to operate quietly today.

I received a saba (mackerel) stick sushi from the sushi restaurant Ran in Gion Shijo as a souvenir. I had received this before, but the taste is still delicious! The fatty saba is perfectly seasoned and the flesh is thick. It has no fishy smell and is really tasty! The sushi rice has chopped ginger in it, adding a nice texture. I think it's meant for takeout. The vinegar rice and saba are well balanced. I brought it home and we all enjoyed it. Thank you for the delicious meal!

I was delighted to be called upon suddenly to this restaurant where I knew I could enjoy a kaiseki meal and sushi. I indulged in seasonal crab and Ise lobster, both of which were undeniably delicious. I had no idea such a restaurant existed in Kiyamachi before. The sushi at the end was also delicious. I mostly ate striped jack, but the squid was also incredibly tasty. However, I could never go there on my own. P.S. I have met the proprietress of this restaurant before at a local bar in Miyagawacho, but I didn't recognize her.

In a luxury sushi restaurant in Koyamachi, there is a fortune teller named Misao Hosono who frequents the place. Misao Hosono, who has a mansion in Arashiyama, Kyoto, visits this restaurant often. Sometimes she goes with the hostesses from the clubs in Gion. The restaurant is a high-end sushi place where you can enjoy dishes like fatty tuna with grated daikon radish or a box overflowing with matsutake mushroom sushi. Personally, I find the overwhelming parade of high-end ingredients at this sushi restaurant a bit unsettling. I would never go alone to such a place.

The place is located on the east side of Shijo, a little up from Kiyamachi Street. You can easily spot it by the large lantern hanging outside. Inside, there is an L-shaped counter with about 12-13 seats, and there is also a counter-style room at the back. This was my first visit since the change of ownership. The sushi used to be very large in size and the prices were quite high under the previous owner, so I didn't visit often. However, under the new owner, the size of the sushi pieces has become more manageable and the prices have become more reasonable. They offer omakase sushi and omakase sushi course, with a flexible style of operation. I had the omakase sushi course on this visit, which included various dishes like sashimi, soup, tempura, grilled fish, and a variety of nigiri sushi. The rice used for the sushi is on the sweeter side typical of Kansai style, but the grains are small and firm. One dish I highly recommend is the toro sashimi with special soy sauce and the special mackerel sushi. These two dishes are truly outstanding. The mackerel sushi is a hidden gem, where a piece of grilled mackerel is wrapped in seaweed with a bit of rice. It's a must-try. The toro sashimi is also top-notch. The pickled vegetable sushi at the end is light and delicious. Overall, the quality of the food here is excellent, and both the sushi course and nigiri sushi are recommended. Usually, changes in ownership can have negative impacts, but in this case, the improvements in sushi size and pricing are definitely a step in the right direction. Despite being located in a lively area, if you're looking for special sushi in Kyoto, this place is worth considering. You won't be disappointed.

After 7 years, I visited the same restaurant. I took a taxi from the hotel. When I tried to explain the location to the driver using the street name and the nearby hotel name, he didn't seem to understand, but when I mentioned the name of the restaurant, he knew where to go. It made me realize once again that this is a well-known establishment. The restaurant had a large counter that could seat about 7 people, with plenty of space for each person. I started with a large bottle of beer. The appetizer included a platter of 3 items, followed by thinly sliced fatty tuna with grated daikon. The harmony between the tuna fat and the lightness of the daikon was exquisite. I quickly switched to sake. I had a special junmai sake with gold flakes from Kamoizumi. Then, I enjoyed sashimi of octopus, sea bream, and striped horse mackerel. I added some ark shell and rolled shrimp sashimi. For nigiri sushi, I had fatty tuna, sea bream, and shrimp. I was completely satisfied, so I thought about finishing with tea and paying the bill, but then they served me their specialty "oshinko" sushi, 4 pieces. Dessert is said to have a separate stomach, but here, it seems like "oshinko" sushi also requires a separate stomach. It was light and delicious every time. I received two packed treats as souvenirs. The next day, on the Shinkansen train, I opened the packed treats and found "salted kelp" and "ohagi and oshinko sushi." Ohagi is also a specialty here. I enjoyed the ohagi along with the oshinko sushi in the car. I have loved Kyoto's salted kelp since I was a child, so I am looking forward to having it with tea at home.

2-3 years ago, the charismatic owner chef, Seitaro Asaoka, was in charge. Unfortunately, he has passed away. Now, his son is working hard on his own, supported by his mother, the female proprietor, Katsuko. The son trained at Kitcho in Tokyo, so his cooking skills are solid. The appetizers include fish somen, simmered young bamboo shoots, and tempura of young sweetfish. They have preserved the taste and arrangement left by the late Seitaro, which is reassuring. The sushi is top-notch, but the sushi rice is a bit firm and lacks vinegar, which doesn't go well with fatty tuna. The son needs to gain more confidence before becoming a host. However, the prices are a bit on the higher side for a casual visit.

I remember having a pleasant conversation with the owner and the young master at a sushi restaurant in Kyoto that had a hand washing counter, which is rare these days. We enjoyed some delicious sushi and had some chawanmushi as well. The sushi mainly featured conger eel, which was perfect for the hot weather at the time. I made a reservation from the hotel and easily found the restaurant thanks to its large lantern. I visited a few sushi restaurants in Kyoto, and noticed that the sushi rice there tends to be sweeter compared to the more tangy and salty Edo-style sushi. It seems that nowadays, Edo-style sushi caters more to international tastes. Despite the challenges of limited fish supply during the hot summer in Kyoto, the proximity to the Japan Sea and the Pacific Ocean allows for a great sushi culture that focuses on quality preservation and delicious flavors.

When it comes to the most luxurious sushi restaurant in Kyoto, this is the place. During the bubble era, having a banquet here cost almost 40,000 yen per person... Nowadays, it may be a bit cheaper, and if you sit at the counter on the first floor, you can enjoy a meal for around 10,000 to 15,000 yen. Considering the quality of the ingredients, it's a reasonable price. When you come here, you must try the medium fatty tuna and sea bream sashimi. If it's autumn, they also serve matsutake mushroom sashimi. The mackerel sushi is also delicious, comparable to specialty shops like Izunou. If you try all these dishes, the bill can be quite high. It might be difficult to order sashimi without a reservation. I once saw a geisha sitting next to me enjoying sea urchin with wooden clogs. It's interesting to see different ways of eating!