I revisited Fukiage, a gourmet restaurant in Kyoto where I dine out every day. This time, I visited to enjoy the moon-viewing at Fukiage. We had the luxury of renting out the first and second floors with my friends. We relaxed on the tatami mats on the second floor while waiting for the moon to appear. When the moon finally came out, the landlady asked us to come downstairs to the counter seats on the first floor to serve the dishes. The meal was left to the discretion of the owner. The dishes included bachi, ginkgo nuts, chestnuts, persimmons, and chrysanthemum greens, crab meat, fatty tuna sashimi, sea bream sashimi, grilled bonito with yuzu salt, matsuba crab, turnip steamed dish, followed by sushi including mackerel, sweet shrimp, saury, squid, steamed conger eel, shrimp, sea bream, green onion fatty tuna, and rolled oshinko. Despite eating double the amount of sushi compared to last time, the cost was slightly less at around 50,000 yen per person. It's a mystery, but I'm grateful for the lower price. Perhaps it's because we didn't add additional dishes like dumplings as we did last time. The owner, landlady, and us have developed a friendly relationship each time we visit, and our impression of Fukiage continues to improve. It's a restaurant that offers an exquisite atmosphere, service, and food! Thank you to the owner, everyone who joined the private party, for a wonderful time. Looking forward to visiting again next time.

Nakamura Sotoji Construction Company in Nishikamo built a traditional tea ceremony house. First, enjoy a high-class meal on the second floor while overlooking Mt. Hiei, followed by sushi on the first floor. The elderly owner is becoming legendary for his cooking. The prices are quite high, but the reputation of the chef seems to be due to the respect shown to the owner.

This restaurant operates with only one group per day. Reservations can be made by phone with about a two-week notice. They offer a style of serving a variety of dishes, including sushi, in different locations. The interior is simple yet very well-designed with features like a garden view from the counter, beautiful table tops, and windows. It's worth visiting just to see the decor. The hostess is also very service-oriented. The food is delicious and well-prepared. This is a place where one can enjoy the ambiance as much as the food.

I visited a restaurant that I used to go to 30 years ago before it relocated. The restaurant mainly serves kaiseki cuisine in the first half, followed by sushi at the counter in the second half. The dishes included three appetizers, soup with conger eel, sashimi with sea bream, simmered eggplant, grilled ayu fish, vinegar dish with water shield, steamed abalone, and more. The sushi was made with gentle seasoning and a relaxed style of sushi making, typical of Kyoto. The overall dining experience was calm and traditional, offering a taste of history rather than bold or flashy flavors found in modern or trendy restaurants.

The most impressive restaurant I visited during my trip to Kyoto. Although it was quite far away, it was worth the visit. The location and hospitality were fantastic. The dishes served in the room were all incredibly delicious. The Shiraae and Ginnan Age were meticulously prepared and very tasty. The soup was also excellent, and the conger eel was on a different level compared to others. The grilled Managatsuo was outstanding, especially since I had tried it in many other places. After enjoying the White Miso soup, I moved to the counter below to have sushi, starting with Matsutake Oshi Sushi. The sushi had a Kansai-style, sweet and tender, which perfectly matched the atmosphere of the chef. It was a gentle sushi to enjoy after the meal, quite the opposite of the punchy sushi you find in Tokyo. The chef made plenty of sushi for us and shared many enjoyable stories. I love the delicious dishes and would like to visit this restaurant again to experience the changing seasons. I also like the personalities of the chef and the hostess.

Excellent!

One year later, I visited the high ground of Nishikamo Konohara-cho with a view of Mt. Hiei. This year, six of us (4 males, 2 females) will enjoy the stage. "Fukiage" san. "Are ya kore ya" was the opening line, followed by a Matsutake and Conger eel soup from Mt. Hiei. I have lost count of how many times I forgot to breathe while eating this soup. With the seasonal boxed sushi, everyone's voiceless smiles appeared. We drank, didn't we, this year too. Maybe we'll do it again when it gets colder./////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////With a group of five people who know each other well, we had a moon-viewing banquet at "Fukiage" in Nishi Kamo the day before the Mid-Autumn Festival. You might not believe it, but... We were speechless at the Conger eel sashimi, and we forgot to breathe while eating the Matsutake and Conger eel soup, and we all cried out with joy when we ate the natural eel from Lake Biwa. If you think it's a lie, you should go there once. Just the "Hibigan" was close to two sho, or maybe even more. Lately, due to various circumstances, I have been living with a constant feeling of hunger. Thanks to that, I have also managed to lose 15 kg. I have bid farewell to my reckless eating habits of the past and now focus on carefully selecting my meals. At almost 55 years old, I have reached an age where I think about each meal in the remaining years of my life. Just kidding.///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////Kansai Michelin ★★ "Fukiage" This traditional Japanese restaurant is filled with my most precious memories and gratitude. Only one group per day, up to seven people. In Nishikamo Konohara-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto City... Oh, I'm so happy to be back here (after two years). With no background music, the cherry blossoms flutter in the air, the lights come on in the fading Kyoto, and oh, the full moon from Mt. Hiei... Playing with a group of four friends, we rejoice in the delicious sea bream from Akashi and laugh with our blackened teeth over the exquisite squid ink pasta. At this moment, in this space, with this cuisine, my heart is moved. The craftsmanship of the dishes is superb, with surprises like Nakamura Sotetsu's lacquerware, Michibata, Ko Shimizu, early Imari, and Chokushikawara Hiroshi's works... And the building itself is a tea-ceremony house built by the late Nakamura Gaiji. But, let me tell you, the conversations between the owner, Mr. Fukiage, and his wife are the most entertaining. Looking back, in my daring thirties, I visited without fear, and even now, I am still desperately trying to reach higher. Especially the conger eel from summer to autumn (selecting the ingredients and deboning), and the matsutake mushrooms from Kyoto, I don't know of anywhere better than here.

Located on the outskirts of Kyoto, on a hill, is a traditional Japanese restaurant that is well-known among those in the know. I first heard about this place a few years ago from Mr. Iida in Kyoto. Mr. Iida is known for his love of ceramics, and he mentioned that Fukiage, the restaurant, has over a million pieces of tableware. Over the years, I heard stories about how impressive this restaurant is. Recently, after reading a review by a fellow reviewer, Ishiyan, I decided to visit the place. During the bubble period, the restaurant used to be located in the center of Kyoto and catered to many politicians and businessmen, serving dishes that cost over 50,000 yen per person. Now, the restaurant is located in a traditional wooden building on the outskirts of Kyoto, where it operates comfortably and peacefully. It has received two Michelin stars as a sign of respect. The building is a stunning example of traditional Japanese architecture, designed by the renowned architect Sotoji Nakamura, who has a legendary reputation for his work. The restaurant operates on a reservation-only basis, serving only one group of guests per day. The experience is split into two parts: a Japanese meal on the second floor with a breathtaking view, followed by sushi prepared by the owner on the first floor. The dishes are served on impressive tableware, and the quality of the food is exceptional. However, I found that there was a noticeable difference in quality between the Japanese meal and the sushi course. The price for a meal here exceeds 40,000 yen per person, so my expectations were quite high. The highlight of the experience is not only the food but also the building, the tableware, and the overall atmosphere. The restaurant feels like an extravagant event, especially for those with a keen interest in ceramics. The owners, a husband and wife team, are warm and welcoming, despite the restaurant's prestigious reputation. Their hospitality made us feel like we were guests in a luxurious home. As we left, waving goodbye to the couple until they were out of sight, we whispered to each other, "We'll be back. Wait for us."

It was more than twenty years ago when there was a restaurant in Kyoto that specialized in cuisine that caused a stir in the media. The name of the restaurant was "Fukiage", but it had moved and information about it had disappeared from memory. However, I heard that it was featured in a gourmet book by a certain tire company, so I decided to visit it someday. After several years of missing the opportunity, I finally had the chance to go in mid-April. I met with a gourmet lady at the south exit of the Kitaoji Station and we took a taxi to the restaurant. The driver was not familiar with the name of the restaurant, so I showed him a map with a "?" mark indicating the location. After driving for a while, the lady spotted the restaurant - a traditional building designed by Nakamura Genji. As we entered the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by the hostess and were led upstairs to a room with a beautiful view of Mt. Hiei through large windows. The interior was decorated with scrolls and flower vases, creating a serene atmosphere. The meal consisted of a set course, with me starting with beer and the lady with plum wine. We were served various appetizers, each highlighting the flavors of spring. The soup course featured sea bream, and the main course included dishes like grilled lobster and vinegared seafood. After enjoying the meal, we moved to the sushi counter where the chef prepared a variety of sushi for us. The sushi was expertly crafted, with a perfect balance of flavors. The meal ended with a dessert of mango and coffee. Overall, the experience at the restaurant was exceptional, with a cozy atmosphere and beautifully crafted dishes. The attention to detail, from the chopstick rests to the beer glasses, was impressive. It was a memorable dining experience that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a unique and exquisite meal in Kyoto.

The fukiage-san, who often appeared in my sushi restaurant reviews, was finally reviewed by my dear reviewer friend, Latchan. I also want to share my experience when I used the restaurant privately. The chef, who says he was born as the son of the cheapest sushi restaurant in Kyoto, now runs what I believe to be the most expensive sushi restaurant in Kyoto. However, the satisfaction you get is worth more than the price. It's one of the few restaurants where everyone you bring will be delighted. The restaurant is located in a beautiful sukiya-style building in the Yamate residential area. The building, made of hinoki and cedar, exudes the essence of Japanese architecture. Inside, you can see the city of Kyoto and the Hiei mountains in the distance through large windows. On the night of Otsukimi, the view is truly magnificent. The meal starts with typical sushi appetizers like three small dishes, a clear broth soup with beautifully sliced abalone and other sashimi, and a vegetable dish with a delicate yet flavorful taste. Then comes the sushi, served at a small hinoki counter where the chef greets you. From white fish to horse mackerel to sea urchin and the incredibly delicious conger eel, every piece is a masterpiece. The winter spiny lobster is also exceptionally delicious, making you wonder why it's so different here. After some casual conversation, they even serve coffee. The taste, atmosphere, and hospitality of this restaurant are unmatched, and I know only a few places like it in Japan. By the way, I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who appreciates tableware.

★★Michelin★★