Gion Karyo

We decided to step up our game and try what they call as ‘haute cuisine,’ and I found this place as it was highly rated in several blog posts. This is a ten course meal and it averages about $ 85 USD per person. It’s conveniently located from the subway with about a 2 – 3 block walk, however, it will definitely help if you had access to Google maps because there’s no English sign of the restaurant. When you see a row of lights inside the hallway, then jackpot!
Once inside, we were asked to remove our shoes. Also, if you don’t have reservations, then I recommend coming at an earlier time. We arrived at the restaurant at 5:30pm and were seated immediately.
I won’t go into details of each dish, but I can tell you that each dish gradually increases in portion and majority of the dish includes fish. The appetizer opens up with a small soup spoon of crab inside a one inch cutout inside a persimmon. The persimmon acted as a bowl and was meant only for display, however, I felt it was a waste and decided to eat my persimmon. Why not? Then the following dishes came out that included fish miso soup, sashimi, steamed fish, grilled beef, and then grilled fish, etc… We were pretty much fished out by the end of the night. It was interesting to see all the variety of fish dishes, but I would’ve liked to see a blended menu more with seafood. Overall, each dish was prepared and displayed elegantly, the way they showcased the food was like looking at art, they really don’t disappoint in the visual department. I can’t say that I enjoyed each dish, some tasted bland, some tasted like I could’ve steamed the fish myself, but some were extremely flavorful. It was definitely worth the experience. I also suggest asking for ginger ale when dessert comes (only if you like ginger), and a scoop of ice cream was also served.

We dined here on recommendations of our friends who had eaten here on one of their previous trips. We went with the first prix fixe /​Kaseiki option of 10,000 yen per person ($ 85 U.S.) for a 10 course meal; drinks are am additional charge, though reasonably priced.
The meal did not disappoint, with the first five or six courses being delicious, and the latter half of the courses being good but not on par with the first half half (at least as far as our taste buds are concerned).
The playing/​presentation of every single course was very pleasing to the eye, and very varied. The service was excellent, with a lady in a kimono always a few feet away and watching every table to see if a customer wanted a drink or s plate cleared… I’ve honestly never had such good service, and this with a language barrier to boot.
We were seated at the kitchen bar, and it was impressive to watch the for chefs work in front of this. They were basically silent throughout hours of work, something so atypical for a kitchen that it really blew out minds to see it.

The décor was gorgeous and staff were super attentive but the food was almost inedible for me. The presentation of their kaiseki dishes was beautiful but the food had ambiguous flavouring that I just couldn’t get used to… The flavours were not distinctly umami or savoury or salty, just some strange mix of flavours that tasted like the chefs weren’t sure which direction to go with their food. Not sure if this is the nature of Kyoto kaiseki cuisine or if it’s just a problem with this restaurant.

Kaiseki is the Japanese equivalent to haute cuisine, a multi-​course meal with a theme using seasonal and local ingredients. Served at ryokans or upscale restaurants this is the most traditional Japanese cuisine one can undertake. Unless you’re staying in a ryokan getting kaiseki reservations as tourists is somewhat difficult unless a local Japanese person makes the reservation. The No1DP and I were introduced via our tour guide who suggested this place based on tastes and budget — luckily this introduction (and that we were dining 2 hours to close) precluded a reservation.
The big perk is that it’s widely considered by guidebooks and blogs as a good and reasonably priced introduction to kaiseki, about 1万円/​person for a 10 course meal (~$ 100). Once shoes are taken off you are led into the bar or in more intimate sunk-​in tables with attached door. Staff will go over the menu and ask for drinks as needed.
OPENING
— Sakizuke: Appetizer (Pike conger, scallop pressed with kelp, cherry tomato, green soybeans, okra, shisho sprouts, white taro stem topped with corn and tofu skin sauce). Equivalent to the amuse bouche, it was a combination of fish and veggies meant to stimulate appetite. Sauce is similar to corn potage.
— Wanmono: Japanese soup (Toasted Japanese sea bass, eggplant, green beans, burdock, yuzu). An integral course to whet the appetite consisting of a clear-​broth soup and a minimalistic approach to ingredients. I wished there was less starchy ingredients.
MAINS: Each course highlighted a particular cooking style.
— Mukozuke: sashimi (Fresh catch of the day). The presentation was simplistic yet showcased the fresh fish.
— Oshinogi: small dish (sweet fish sushi, ginger root, water pepper, lotus root). The boiled/​simmered vegetable dish is omitted in lieu of a more simple presentation of fish and vegetables. Served cold and refreshing and served as first palate cleanser to the heavier dishes ahead.
— Yakihassun: grilled dishes (Grilled grunt with Japanese pepper, noodles from yam with sillago, deep-​fried freshwater shrimp, octopus, tofu from walnut, mountain jelly vegetable, green plum). The «hassun» (combination of finger foods on a plate) that serves as the backdrop to the rest of the meal. This was the most «foreign» part of the meal to me as I had to get used to tastes and textures not normally encountered in US dishes; namely the small shrimp bones that irritate teeth, a more sour than sweet plum and more pickled seafood and vegetables.
— Takiawase: simmered dish (Kamo eggplant, winter melon, snow pea, manganji green pepper, conger eel, sesame sauce, sprinkled yuzu). The mushimono (steamed dish) is in the form of a cold chawanmushi. Having the egg component cold allowed me to taste the individual components — delicate, citrusy and somewhat mushy. It comes in the lid to preserve the veggies from the air.
— Kawarizara: plate dish (Tomato with high sugar content, water shield, abalone, yam, cucumber, shisho flower, mixture of vinegar). Their sunomono, equivalent of vegetables and seafood soaked in vinegar, meant to serve as a palate cleanser. Tomato was quite sweet and that sweetness countered the vinegar mixture. Abalone became soft from the vinegar (it usually tastes like a more firm mussel).
— Aburamono: fried fish (Deep-​fried tilefish and small taro, asparagus dressed with starchy sauce, ginger, Japanese ginger, negi). The agemono (deep fried dish) is fried tempura-​style and usually served towards the end before the shokuji. The fish is light and fluffy and the taro is somewhat sticky. The sauce is thicker than soy and takes away the starchy aftertaste.
CLOSERS
— Shokuji: A set consisting of mixed rice from a communal pot (scallops and ginger), miso soup, assorted pickles and tea. Considered the «closing dish», this is carb-​heavy though the No1DP and I enjoyed the little scallops sprinkled with our rice.
— Mizumono: dessert. Generally light it included a sorbet and pastry that would be ideal with tea. Mine was glutinous and topped with azuki. Sorbet helped reduced the glutinous aftertaste.
This ranks easily in my top 10 list of foodie experiences; this is the closest I have experienced a meal as an art form. Every ingredient was thoughtfully placed in the dish and it felt like each course had a purpose within the entire meal. With their foreigner-​friendly approach I can recommend this as a way for foodies to be introduced to kaiseki. If diners are open to new flavors and textures kaiseki can certainly be an eye-​opening experience. Many thanks to the No1DP for taking me here.

I wanted to try the Kaiseki style of Japanese cuisine while I was Kyoto. The area is known for this. This manner of cooking and preparation of food dates from long ago and is considered a very artful way of presentation done very intricately and delicately with only seasonal ingredients.
All of the dishes were very delicate looking and appeared like a pieces of art. It was a price fix menu consisting of several distinct dishes all having their different characters of flavors. Each component balanced or complimented perfectly the other components on a dish. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here.
The service here was excellent. When I was trying to find the restaurant, my smartphone gps failed me and was not directing me to the location. I called the restaurant and they were kind enough to send someone out to meet me at a nearby location who brought me to the restaurant. That was very gracious. Such graciousness is typical of the Japanese people. I was very impressed by Japanese people and Japanese culture.

An accessible kaiseki restaurant (Japanese haute cuisine). Excellent food and friendly service.