On Friday night, I didn't have dinner plans in Kyoto, where I was traveling. All the famous restaurants were fully booked due to the high season. Fortunately, I was able to make an online reservation at this place. They offer dinner courses priced at 8,800 yen, 12,000 yen, 15,000 yen, and 20,000 yen. The contents are chef's choice, but they ask about any dislikes or dietary restrictions. I chose the 12,000 yen course, which includes a complimentary drink for a toast and a private room. The private room was a Japanese-style tatami room with a table and chairs. It was beautifully arranged with seasonal flowers and an obi (Nishijin textile?) as a table centerpiece. The meal consisted of a series of dishes starting from appetizers, sashimi, soup, grilled dish, simmered dish, side dishes, rice, and dessert, totaling ten courses. Each dish was carefully prepared and delicious, but the soup dish "Oyster and Yam Starch" and simmered dish "Simmered Assortment" stood out for their amazing dashi flavor. It was a luxurious experience that I can't afford often, but I hope to visit again someday. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I had a 3000 yen lunch course with a private room reservation. There was an additional fee for the private room, but it was not completely closed off so we could hear the conversations from the neighboring tables. The menu mentioned that coffee was available upon request, but the prices were not clearly stated. I assumed it was included as part of the service, which was a bit cheeky of me as a woman from Osaka. The payment was cash only for the special course, but they did accept cards as well. The food was both visually appealing and delicious, and the portion size was just right for me. When I showed the menu to my elderly parents at home, they were surprised at how affordable it was. With prices rising and the impact of COVID-19, I wonder how long this reasonable world will last.

Here is a kaiseki restaurant. The location is easy to find and the atmosphere is nice. The flavors are gentle and easy to eat. The pace of serving dishes was a bit uneven, but drinks came out quickly, which was good. It's a restaurant with mainly private rooms, easy to use for entertaining clients.

I visited for lunch. It was neither good nor bad, but maybe a little on the not-so-good side. The dishes had a fancy presentation, but the taste was lacking. Overall, it didn't leave much of an impression. The owner's hospitality was also lacking.

Private room with a stylish appearance and an atmosphere reminiscent of a renovated old townhouse for a Japanese lunchtime. The entrance is a bit awkward with a large number of customers' shoes lined up, making it unclear where to take off your own shoes. The private rooms allow for conversation with the neighboring room. The lunch started off with three dishes brought together. There was no explanation of the menu, just a list of items. The portions were on the smaller side for a course meal, but the fried food had a thick batter and lacked delicacy. However, I was grateful for the leisurely time spent there. It was enjoyable chatting and I appreciated the experience. Thank you for the meal! (^^)

The restaurant in Kyoto is clean and beautiful, but there was no designated area for customers to remove their shoes at the entrance. The food is served in courses, but there is no explanation of what each dish is, making it seem sloppy. The taste was messy and not carefully prepared. I was looking forward to the matsutake mushroom rice in a clay pot, but it lacked flavor and the fried tofu had no taste either. The dishes seem like they are trying to imitate Kyoto cuisine, but the quality is lacking. The restaurant is supposed to be non-smoking, but the staff kept smoking during the meal, which was very unpleasant. The service was unfriendly and lacked consideration for the customers. It was a very disappointing dining experience.

I went to a dinner party. Since there are no photos of the food itself, it's hard to comment. I think the taste was good! There was nothing in particular, but it's a delicious restaurant!

It was delicious!

I had a great time with friends in a private room.

Night Dining Record =========== Night Dining Record

There are many restaurants in the area around Shijo-Karasuma that have been renovated from machiya (traditional wooden townhouses), and this place is one of them. I had a lunch advertised as a 12,000 yen course on Ikkyu for 7,000 yen here. The restaurant had moved from Shiga. There are many creative Japanese cuisine restaurants in Kyoto, so competition must be fierce. They use meat and vegetables from Shiga and Kyoto, and there were ingredients I had never tasted before. Even though it has nothing to do with Shiga, the sashimi was really delicious. The dish that looks like a lamp is actually just a dish with oysters. The "surinagashi" dish, which is warm and comforting in winter, was also good. Everything was beautifully presented and elaborate, and the portions were generous, but the last dish being okayu (rice porridge) divided opinions among my family. Some family members praised the unique pottery used, but personally, I felt that for a 7,000 yen lunch, using Shigaraki ware was disappointing. I think porcelain or ceramics would have added a more luxurious touch, and if going for a casual, ethnic style, the dishes and atmosphere should match that. However, the second floor was quiet and nice with private rooms, even though you couldn't see the garden.

Today, I went to a Japanese restaurant in Shijo for a lunch meeting. We took off our shoes and went up to a private room on the second floor. The restaurant is renovated from a traditional townhouse, with partitions between the rooms but the walls are open and the conversations from the neighboring room can be heard clearly. I tried the lunch set, which was a bit disappointing. I had high expectations, but the presentation was sloppy, like something you would find in a bento box. I would have been okay with it if it was priced around 2000 yen, but the overall quality and attention to detail were lacking. The variety, content, and portion size left me feeling like, "Is this all?" I have a fish allergy, so they made some changes for me, but the sea bream was overcooked and overly salty. I ate it out of consideration for my friend who made the reservation. The rice with small fish was also underwhelming. There were no soup or pickles, and the dessert was just a cheap sherbet. They didn't even offer hot tea at the end. It felt more like a casual dining place rather than a proper restaurant. The lunch lasted about an hour and a half, and when we asked for the bill, it felt like they wanted us to leave quickly. Despite that, the staff politely greeted us as we left, which was a nice touch. Overall, it was a disappointing lunch experience.

I heard that Taichi from Shijo is excellent, so I went to visit. I was guided to a small room in the back. Light music was playing softly. I ordered the lunch course and started with a toast with a Premium Malt's Master's Dream because it was hot. The appetizer was followed by fish, and when I asked for a recommended sake, the owner personally came over and poured me a bottle of "Kentoshuzo" from Joyo Sake Brewery. It was poured into a wonderful cup and went down smoothly. My girlfriend, who loves sake, was very happy. I was satisfied with the dishes that made me feel the season, such as steamed in a clay pot. For dessert, I had rice topped with shredded mountain pepper, miso soup, and a monaka with pumpkin paste. I was very satisfied with the excellent hospitality and explanations from the beginning to the end. I would like to go at night next time. I used to think that Kyoto's traditional Japanese cuisine was intimidating, but I was able to find a place where I can go relatively casually.

I took a day off work and decided to explore Kyoto leisurely. I stumbled upon this restaurant called Taichi, as I often visit Kyoto but never know what to eat. The stylish and traditional Japanese interior of the restaurant allows for a relaxing dining experience. I ordered the Seafood Set Meal (2500 yen) and my friend ordered the Tofu Skin Tempura Rice Bowl (980 yen). The Seafood Set Meal included a luxurious sashimi assortment, side dishes, pickles, rice, and miso soup. The side dish was a fluffy fish paste dumpling in a gentle dashi broth, which was delicious. The sashimi was all tasty, but I especially enjoyed the tender sea bream. I was surprised by how delicious the uncommon fish like flatfish and sea urchin were. The portion was quite generous, and I left feeling satisfied. I also tried a bit of the Tofu Skin Tempura Rice Bowl, and I was mesmerized by the soft and creamy tofu skin. This dish also had a substantial portion despite its appearance. I had a great dining experience and would love to visit this restaurant again. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I searched for a private room for a lunch meeting and found a suitable option on ikkyu.com. I booked a 3,300 yen course with a private room in a separate building. The next day, I had a lunch reservation in Kyoto and was worried because all the hotel options were fully booked. The restaurant had recently moved from Minamikusatsu, and I had seen their previous location before. They take pride in their ingredients and drinks, which made me excited. The entrance was welcoming, and I had to be careful not to hit my head when entering. I took off my shoes before entering the traditional townhouse-style interior, which was newly renovated. The private room was at the back overlooking a garden on the second floor. The pace of the meal was perfect for a business meeting, with various courses served at a leisurely pace. The food was decent, with unique ingredient choices like egg tofu in sake lees soup and steamed mochi with anko and cherry leaf. The dessert was sake lees ice cream with a stylish presentation of white and red plum. The lunch course was quite filling with a high carb content, including three types of sushi and fuki-jako rice at the end. Overall, it was a satisfying and enjoyable meal without being too extravagant. The a la carte menu was pricey, so I think the lunch course offers good value for money. Thank you for the meal, and I made sure not to hit my head on the door frame on my way out (laughs).

I happened to walk in by chance. Since it was the end of the year and I couldn't make reservations at other restaurants, I thought I'd give this place a try. Surprisingly, I was able to enter easily. The location is on the first floor on the north side after entering east from Ayanokoji Yanaginobanba. I felt a bit uneasy as I was led to a private room on the second floor, and it was cold! I mentioned it to the staff about five times, but there was no improvement. As for the food, I thought it was a tempura restaurant, but it turned out to be just a regular izakaya. And it took almost 1.5 hours for just 2-3 dishes to come out. The food itself was neither good nor bad. I later realized that there was only one person cooking. And out of the 5 private rooms, only 3 were occupied. There were only 3 groups at the tables on the first floor and the counter was empty. It's hard to understand why the food was so slow. With only one staff member, there are many improvements needed. By the way, paying 19,000 yen for two people seems way too expensive. I now understand why they have so much free time. It's disappointing.

My wife and I went to Daimaru to buy summer gifts, and then we decided to have lunch. My wife found a place called "Shunmi Shunsei Taichi" where we were warmly greeted by the staff and seated at a table with a view of the inner garden. The restaurant had just opened and was very clean, with a faint scent of incense and Kyoto-like background music. There were only two lunch options available: Tempura set for 1300 yen (tax included) and Tempura kaiseki lunch for 2500 yen (tax included). We decided to splurge and ordered the Tempura kaiseki lunch. The meal included appetizers such as somen noodles, pumpkin, edamame, and duck breast, followed by two rounds of tempura with items like shrimp, flounder wrapped in shiso, lotus root, and eggplant. There was also a palate cleanser of winter melon tofu, followed by a second round of tempura with items like conger eel rolls, octopus, shishito pepper, shiitake mushroom, and enoki mushroom. The meal ended with rice tea, matcha ice cream with cherries, and espresso. The tempura was perfectly fried and delicious. It was a great find and I look forward to visiting again, perhaps for dinner next time.

We had a small farewell party for a cute junior who will be leaving at the end of March, and we used this restaurant with 4 people. We used a private room, and the atmosphere was quite nice. The restaurant has a high-class feel, similar to a luxury Japanese restaurant. The price for the course menu was around 7000 yen, which is reasonable for the quality. Overall, the dishes were more stylish than luxurious, and they were beautifully presented. The seasoning had a Kyoto-like flavor. However, in terms of portion size, it may be a bit lacking for men. This restaurant would be very popular among women.

My partner's parents treated us to a course menu called "Today's Menu". It was a special deal they had reserved. - Drinks - We chose Plum Soda from the menu. It was a refreshing and slightly sweet juice. - Appetizer - Autumn flavors with Kyoto tofu, sake-steamed cod roe, mackerel with Japanese pepper, and lemon-marinated saury. The saury was light and delicious. - Soup - Steamed Hagi with Komatsuna and pureed Kyoto carrots. The soup was a bit cold, but the steamed vegetables were chewy. - Sashimi - Assorted fresh fish of bonito, yellowtail, and flathead mullet. We had a small serving of sashimi. - Pre-bowl - A variety of Kyoto Kujo vegetables with simmered angel prawns. The dish was served in a large bowl for sharing. The vegetables were cooked firm. - Fried dish - Fried horse mackerel with colorful rice cracker coating, crispy lotus root, green pepper, and rock salt. The mackerel was a bit oily, but the lotus root was crispy. - Seasonal dish - Grilled sea bream with squid ink, sweet pickled myoga ginger, fried ginkgo nuts, sesame-soaked pumpkin, chestnut skin simmered, white miso with shiitake mushrooms and persimmon, and white-miso-dressed shimeji mushrooms. The sea bream was a bit dry from being cold. - Rice - Matsutake mushroom rice cooked in an earthen pot. The rice was lightly seasoned. - Clear soup - Miso soup with wheat gluten. It was quite cold. - Pickles - Cucumber and lightly pickled vegetables. - Side dish - Kyoto beef simmered in a light sauce. It was served in a small bowl, and the beef was lightly flavored. - Dessert - Chestnut yokan. It was light and not too sweet. Overall, the dishes were served at a leisurely pace, which may be intended for enjoying with alcohol. The food was beautifully presented and meticulously prepared. However, the service seemed a bit slow, and some dishes arrived cold. We had to remind the staff to bring out the last dish. Perhaps they have few reservations or staff. Thank you for the meal.