Nishiki market is a popular shopping street in Kyoto with numerous street food vendors. Like Kuromon in Osaka or the markets in Sapporo, it is a super-touristy destination.
The visit
I entered the market from the Teramachi entrance on one side.
Deep-fried “stuff” was very popular.
There was a lot of fresh seafood.
There were the baby octopus with a quail egg inside also found in Kuromon in Osaka.
A very popular vendor was selling fresh sashimi at reasonable prices and I could not resist.
I had my tuna fix (both normal tuna and medium-fatty tuna).
Something easy to eat were these skewers with large shrimps grilled on the spot.
I tried a couple of scallops that were quite meaty.
I would NOT fancy this burger.
Above the famous sparrow skewers. I did not try them. The quail looked good though.
The famous ayu (sweet fish) on skewer was available.
These Japanese croquettes are quite good and inexpensive.
There was a shop selling kakigori (with seats), but it stopped at around 5pm to become a regular restaurant.
Not only seafood, also vegetables and even non-food was available and some locals actually shopped there.
The check
The snacks I had were pretty inexpensive, just a few hundred yen each. The sashimi was around 1,000 yen. I found it more affordable than Kuromon in Osaka (and it is true in general for Kyoto as compared to Osaka). The only problem was the big crowd and it was an afternoon during the week, away from lunch hours. Do not expect a comfortbale place where to eat if you go.
Where in Kyoto: 609 Nishidaimonjicho, Nakagyo Ward. (It is located on a road one block north and parallel to Shijō Street and west of Teramachi Street.)
Kuromon market is a popular market in central Osaka. It is a super-touristy destination and can is unbelievably crowded most of the times. I do not recommend it, but here’s some of the street food you can find. The pictures were taken in August 2017.
The visit
I got to the market from Nipponbashi station, from there it is a very short walk.
Lots of people. And it was not even too crowded in the picture above.
Many sellers display food and can cook it on the spot. Seafood is the main attraction.
A popular snack is the baby octopus with a quail egg inside on a stick. I had one and was ok. Just do not try to eat it all at once if you do not want to choke.
Sea urchin and oysters, also big oysters, are everywhere (but expensive). I had an oyster.
Grilled squid was another common snack.
In a stall I had a grilled squid and some scallops.
You will also find several stalls serving oden.
Oden is an inexpensive snack. I guess this was better than the one you can have in a convenience shop.
They also sell and cook wagyu beef. Not sure who would spend an arm and leg in wagyu and eat it walking in a crowded market. Go to a decent restaurant!
A crab stick was another easy snack.
Another stall selling grilled seafood above.
And here’s a stall specializing in horumon cuisine (using organ meat, giblets, and other types of offal meat especially from the cow).
One popular store in the market is Maguroya Noragin specializing in fresh tuna. I tried it and I was left unimpressed. You can see the pictures of what I had in the gallery below.
The check
I did not get any check, but I can tell you that it was not cheap. Many simple dishes would cost around 10 USD (1,000 yen). Soon I found myself spending more than 50 USD for just a few snacks. I had the impression that all the food was fresh and I trusted the hygiene. But I would not recommend it. With a similar budget you can have a meal in a decent restaurant.
Where in Osaka: 2 Chome-4-1 Nipponbashi, Chuo Ward.
I had this meal in August 2017, before starting this blog, but it was so magnificent that I took detailed pictures and I even kept the menu (not the best pictures, but they should give an idea).
Kashiwaya (柏屋) is a traditional Japanese restaurant in Osaka specializing in kaiseki menus. Hideaki Matsuo is the the second-generation owner-chef and he fully mastered the art of kaiseki to the point to get three Michelin stars confirmed year after year.
The visit
I had a reservation for lunch. I had obtained the reservation just emailing the restaurant and choosing the menu type. Now it is more complicated. You need to pre-pay the meal. For lunch they had a particularly affordable menu and I went for it.
The restaurant was in a nondescript building in a residential area. I almost missed it. The service was outstanding at every given time. I was escorted in a private room with a sunken tatami that had been arranged for my visit with one leather padded backseat. A lady in a kimono began bringing in the food. I was immediately offered some complimentary tea that was refilled throughout the meal.
The set menu that I had was inspired by the season: the end of summer. A card, in English, explained that the 15 days from 23 July are the hottest of the year and in Japanese this time is called taisho. It was further explained that in 2017 23 July coincided with 1 June in the old calendar and at that time people would climb the Mount Fuji to visit Asama shrine to purify the six roots of perception. The note concluded explaining that “Kashiwaya is preparing dishes expressing the middle of summer to purify six roots of perception, five senses and consciousness”. (The roots of perception in Japanese culture are he eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind.)
All kaiseki offered in this restaurant are exquisitely linked to the season and its cultural significance.
The fist dish was a sakizuke (amuse bouche) with octopus, zucchini, and loofah. To make it more refreshing the ingredients were placed on frozen dried dashi soup and the soy sauce was mixed with red plum meat.
The second appetizer was a composition of several elements: sweetcorn kudzu cake, fried scallop coated with rice cracker, fried winged bean with soy sauce and water pepper (on the right); then a blue taro stem, grilled shiitake mushroom mixed in sesame sauce and pine nut; cooked sweet potato; new ginkgo nut and ginger cooked in sweet and brown sauce on a pine needle (on the left).
The third dish was an example of nimonowan: a simmered dish in Japanese cuisine. It was a lightly grilled eel, with winter melon, grated ginger, and light kudzu sauce.
The next dish was called otsokuri as sashimi is called in the Kansai region. However it was not just raw seafood. The dish was pretty phenomenal as it sported five different preparations of hamo (conger pike), the traditional summer fish in Kansai. To be exact, the dish had tataki-yose (seared), yudooshi (parboiled), otoshi (live hamo boiled instantly and taken out), yubiki (blanched), yakishimo (the skin side of the fish is quickly charred or seared on an open flame or on charcoal and then is quickly transferred into a bowl of iced water).
The next dish was an example of yakimono, specifically a grilled sweet fish (ayu, also a summer favorite) served with water pepper vinegar.
Then there was an atumono dish. It was a mix of local vegetable showcasing Osaka’s terroir. There was a piece of tamatsukuri kuromon shirouri ( a type of oriental pickling melon, originated near Tamatsukuri-mon (Kuro-mon), a gate of the Osaka Castle, with a tubular shape and longitudinal white stripes), dried shiitake mushrooms, Mitsuba parsley, grated ginger in Yoshino kadu sauce.
Then there was a dish served in a bowl (hachimono). The dense soup had herring, aubergine, pumpkin gluten cake, taro bud, green pepper, and grated yuzu.
The gohan (rice dish with seasonal condiments) came with five different sides.
Finally there were two desserts. One called mizumono (seasonal dessert) was a glass with wine flavored peach, Pione, Muscat, milk sauce, and honey jelly. Very appropriate for such a hot day.
The second and final dessert (kashi) was a baked wheat cake with jelly served with green tea.
I do not remember the exact length, but as you can imagine it took some time… luckily I had a book with me.
As you can say this was a magnificent meal, like one served to a powerful feudal master… certainly the setting and the service could make you think so. Now that I analyse the menu to write this review, I can appreciate even more all the details embedded into each dish. And please consider that this was their entry-level lunch menu.
The check
After adding service charge and tax, I spent 12,687 yen (now 117 USD). I checked on their website and this special lunch kaiseki is still available (it is called Ume), as three more kaiseki menus. Honestly, if I was to go back (and one day I might!), I would go for one of the the highest-priced menus (from 16,000 to 30,000 yen before tax and service charge). It is such a perfect experience that makes sense to see what the chef can do with a higher budget.
Kakigōri is a Japanese shaved ice dessert flavored with syrup and a sweetener, often condensed milk.
Umezono is a dessert shop in Kyoto with multiple branches. I visited one (not their largest) to try my first kakigori.
The visit
I visited the Kawaramachi branch located on a busy commercial street.
They also had other Japanese sweets, in particular sweet skewers.
I focused on the task on hand and chose a kakigori. Unfortunately this shop did not have many options in terms of flavor.
I had the green tea kakigori that came with a green tea scoop of ice cream on top, some red beans and mochi. There was also a small glad of additional green tea syrup.
The portion was big, but manageable for one person. Overall it was quite good, even if I do not crazy about matcha (green tea).
The check
I spent 930 yen (8.70 USD) for this huge dessert. Good value.
Where in Kyoto: 234-4 Yamazakichō, Nakagyō-ku. In Japanese: 〒604-8032 京都府京都市中京区山崎町234−4. Website: umezono-kyoto.com. Tip: most of these kakigori places are closed on Wednesdays (do not ask me why). If you like to try Umezono, go to their main branch “Umezono Gallery and Cafe”.
Sanji is an izakaya in Kyoto that is serious about its fresh seafood. Here’s what I had.
The visit
I arrived at the beginning of the evening at 6pm and there was no problem to be accommodated. I was the first customer in fact!
The entrance was at the end of a private parking lot. Not unusual for izakayas and sushi bars.
I was seated at the counter.
They had a very interesting set menu reasonably priced, but I ordered from the menu instead. The menu was provided in electronic format on an Ipad and I could order directly from the device. There was enough English and pictures to make the process easy.
I started with a very attractive sashimi platter that had seven kinds of sashimi: delicious kinmedai, hirame, hamo, tai, tako, amaebi, hotate.
The grilled fish of the day was a fish head, from tai if I recall correctly.
Finally I doubled down with the sashimi with some more local fish.
I was offered some side-dishes, I think included in the cover charge.
The check
I ended up spending 6,620 yen (61.50 USD). The sushi platter was around 2,600 yen. I did not mind paying this check, the sashimi was really good.
Where in Kyoto: Nijo Coop 1F, 40 Matsuya-cho, Nijodori, Takakura Nishi-iru , Nakagyo-ku. In Japanese: 京都府京都市中京区二条通高倉西入松屋町40二条コーポ1F.
Tomisen is the epitome of the neighborhood sushi bar: a place where salarymen can crash after work for drinks and food and where locals can have their sushi fix. It was run by an old couple that I am sure has been keeping the place running for a long time.
The visit
I came across the place by accident as it was close to my hotel and Kyoto Station.
The classic storefront opened in a small restaurant with a counter and a few tables. It was pretty crowded, but it was the end of the evening and people were starting to leave.
They had a place for me at the counter.
Luckily they had a bilingual menu.
I started to order sushi like there was no tomorrow: prawns, tuna, scallops, crab, kanpachi (amberjack).
I spent 3,670 yen for 20 nigiri sushi, around 200 yent per nigiri. You can get cheaper sushi in a converyor-belt sushi restaurant for sure, but the price was good enough, except the tuna that was really expensive as compared to the rest. It was good “normal” sushi in an authentic joint. Open only at night after 5pm.
Where in Kyoto: 576-4-2 Kizuyabashi Dori Aburakoji Higashiiru Minamimachi, Shimogyo. In Japanese: 木津屋橋通油小路東入南町576−4−2.
During my summer 2019 trip to Kyoto I was intrigued by the cuisine of Shuhaku, a kaiseki restaurant that boasts one Michelin star and was supposed to combine French and Japanese elements. Actually I found it a pretty regular Japanese kaiseki (which is good), apart from the dessert final moment that was pretty epic.
The visit
I booked and prepaid the meal through an online concierge service. There were three menus for lunch and I chose the most expensive.
The restaurant is located in a historic district near some major shrines. It has 8 seats at the counter, plus a table for 4 in a corner. During my visit the table was taken, only a couple of other diners sat at the counter.
The lunch started with a composition featuring 20 different local vegetables. It is a pretty common dish for this kind of course meals.
The second dish was a nice soup with a sizable piece of hamo and omelette with asparagus in tofu skin. Hamo (pike conger) was one of the main features of the kaiseki, as it may be expected as it is a seasonal fish popular during the summer in Kyoto.
The third dish was three kinds of sashimi: hirame (a flat fish), hamo, and tuna. It came with plum sauce with sake for the hirame, soy plum sauce for the hamo, and soy sauce for the tuna. The presentation with a plate resembling a drainpipe was pretty original.
The fourth dish combined ayu and hamo sushi. Ayu (sweet fish) is also a summer favorite and was grilled in a way that made everything edible, including the bones. Quite delicious.
The fifth dish was a marinated asparagus in vinegar.
The sixth dish was tairagai seared and presented on a hot stone.
The seventh dish was strips of Kyoto beef in broth with eggplant, plus steamed rice and pickles. This dish was a let down. I was hoping something more substantial that could help me appreciate Kyoto beef.
The dessert moment added some surprise as I was presented all the desserts available and I could choose all I wanted. The desserts mixed Western and Japanese techniques.
I picked up three.
The first was a banana mousse topped with red beans.
The second was a pastry with walnut and cream.
Finally, I had their sweet soup with matcha sorbet that was the chef’s favorite.
All the desserts were excellent.
The check
Using the online concierge service, for this menu I paid 11,180 yen. The cheaper menu was around 50,000 and there was a mid-range option for around 70,000.
This was a well executed kaiseki. I appreciated the seasonal ingredients (even if they overshoot with the hamo) and the dessert moment was great. A couple of dishes were a bif of a softball (like the Kyoto beef strips). I was just disappointed that I did not see the French influences apart from the cakes. I asked if the dinner kaisekis were different and the chef answered that they were not that different.
In the cheapest menu the most expensive seafood like hamo was replaced with mackerel and I would not recommend it. If you make the trip to Kyoto, treat yourself for something better. There was a party that I believe had the mid-range menu and I think the only major difference was that they did not get the Kyoto beef dish. If so, the mid-range menu was the best choice as the Kyoto beef dish was nothing special.
Gion Sushi Tadayasu got one star in the 2019 Osaka Michelin Guide. I elected it to try a quality omakase in Kyoto.
The visit
I made the booking through an online service for lunch.
The restaurant is located in a quiet backstreet of the historic Gion district.
Above the storefront before the opening and after with the classic curtains (noren).
The room only seated twelve people. Two chefs were working serving the guests. It was full. I was the only non-Japanese.
The appetizer was a bowl of cold noodles in a yuzu flavored broth. On a summer day, it was very refreshing.
The first nigiri was with karei (Japanese flat fish). I immediately noticed the tendency of the chef to put too much wasabi.
The second nigiri was shiro ebi (white shrimp) with caviar. I guess this is the way to go to win a Michelin star for an omakase.
The third nigiri was shima aji (striped jack, a seasonal fish).
The fourth nigiri came with tairagai (a type of scallop, but with firmer meat, Japanese pen shell).
The fifth nigiri had ika (squid). The chef put some grains of fine salt (so little to be invisible).
Sixth was katsuo nigiri (skipjack tuna).
Seventh was a toro (fatty tuna) nigiri.
Eight was a kohada nigiri.
Ninth was a uni nigiri. With a lot of uni, which was good.
The tenth nigiri was anago (sea-water eel) grilled. With its sweetness, it was a classic conclusion for the main part of the omakase.
The last course was a piece of tamago (Japanese omelet) and a bowl of miso soup.
The chef finally included a handroll with pickles.
The chefs were serving three different menus at the same time. Mine was the cheapest and shortest. I was finished after 90 minutes. For the more expensive menus there were additional dishes and more elaborated appetizers. I was satisfied with my menu.
The check
No check to display because I paid in advance through a booking service. Since I only had green tea (complimentary and rapidly refilled throughout the meal) there was no extra charge. The total cost was 7,128 yen (which includes the reservation system fees) or 66 USD. If you book directly it may be even a bit cheaper. I found the charge reasonable considering the quality of the seafood used. Overall, I did not feel a big step up from Chiharu in Osaka that was “only” a Bib Gourmand.
Where in Osaka: 572-9 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Higashiyama Ward.
Ganko is a popular sushi restaurant in Osaka with multiple outlets throughout the city. Ganko Sushi started as a small 15-square-meter shop in Juso, Osaka, in 1963. This review is based on a visit to their Umeda outlet. The restaurant is part of a large group employing over 3,000 people with tens of restaurants around Kansai (49 just in Osaka, using multiple brands).
The visit
One night, summer 2018, I visited their larger location in Umeda.
The restaurant operates like a classic sushi bar with customers seated at the counter so that they can order directly from one of the chefs. They also have normal tables for larger groups and they had an English menu, so ordering was pretty straightforward.
I had their sushi platter with all the classic fish: squid, eel, prawn, scallop, salmon, etc.
I added a sashimi platter.
Then I tried their crab set with crab meat, roe, and more minced crab meat.
Just to keep to the crab’s theme, I also added grilled crab meat with cheese.
Finally I had a tangerine drink.
The check
Check was 6,441 yen (around 60 USD). It was really the cost for a dinner for two (for this reason I classify it as “everyday dining”). The sashimi and sushi platter cost around 20 USD each.
It was a pretty regular sushi restaurant experience. Certainly not the best in Osaka, but they run an efficient operation and, for a run-of-the-mill sushi meal, it is a reasonable choice.
Where in Osaka: 1-chome-5-11 Shibata Kita-ku. In Japanese: 大阪府 大阪市北区 芝田 1-5-11 猪井梅田ビル １F・２F・３F. Website: www.gankofood.co.jp/en/.
Gokan is one of the most famous pastry shops in Osaka (see review). Recentlt, they spun-off a new business, Cacaotier Gokan, specializing in chocolate desserts and cakes. I tried it in my summer 2019 trip to Osaka.
The visit
I noticed the new shop by accident, just passing by.
Downstairs they have a boutique selling various types of chocolate.
Upstairs they have a tea room where you can sit down and enjoy cakes and drinks. As in their main shop, the waitress presented me with a tray with samples of the desserts available.
I had one of their mousse and a hot chocolate (served at the right temperature). Very nice.
Before leaving I noticed one of their original creations: tea with cacao flavor. Sadly I did not have space in my baggage for the purchase.
The check
The hot chocolate and the cake cost me 1,350 yen (12.50 USD). Not cheap, but clearly they want to position themselves as luxury chocolate.
Where in Osaka: 2 Chome-6-9 Koraibashi, Chuo Ward. In Japanese: 大阪府大阪市中央区高麗橋2丁目6-9. Website: cacaotier-gokan.co.jp (in Japanese).
