Kaiseki-ryori in Kyoto

Tagged: kaiseki-ryori, Kikunoi, kyoto kaiseki, Kyoto Kaiseki Kichisen, Yoshimi Tanigawa

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October 14, 2008 at 12:06 pm #4423

Michael
Participant

Where to go for Kyoto Kaiseki-ryori?

One of the most common questions that we get on KyotoFoodie is what are our recommendations for good kaiseki in Kyoto?

Of course, there are many. Here are some of our recommendations.

1. Kichisen (吉泉) also known as Kissen

— very traditional Kyoto kaiseki —

The owner and chef of Kichisen is Yoshimi Tanigawa. He is one of the few chefs on Earth to have defeated an Iron Chef! (Iron Chef is the popular Japanese television program) Mr Tanigawa also runs a dojo (道場) for apprentice chefs. Mr Tanigawa is well known for his strictness and severity with his students, only about 1 in 10 finish the 7 year course. His kaiseki is very classical, very ‘Kyoto’ and very, very delicious and beautiful.

Kichisen is open for both lunch and dinner and is located near the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Shimogamo Shrine.

Kichisen website: http://www.kichisen-kyoto.com

Kichisen Reservations: http://www.kichisen-kyoto.com/en/reservation.php

NEW INFO: We did a 7 part series with Kichisen on the theme of Kyoto Kaiseki, Japanese New Year’s Kaiseki and Osechi Cuisine:

Kichisen’s New Year’s Kaiseki Series

2. Kikunoi (菊乃井)

— newish, popular and owner recently published kaiseki book —

Kikunoi has two locations in Kyoto; Kiyamachi or Honten. Though not authentic Kyoto-style kaiseki cuisine (why come all the way to Kyoto and not have the real thing?), Kikunoi is an excellent place to get acquainted with kaiseki.

Kikunoi Kiyamachi is located just south of the busy Shijo-Kiyamachi intersection. The restaurant is beautiful and a world apart from the bustle of the neighborhood. The Kiyamachi location offers a reasonably priced and excellent lunch. If you are on a budget but still want to try kaiseki, consider Kikunoi’s lunch.

The Honten is villa-like and in central Kyoto’s most picturesque and exclusive neighborhood, Higashiyama, where you can go for a stroll before or after dinner.

Honten

075-561-0015

http://www.kikunoi.jp/honten.htm

Kiyamachi

075-361-5580

http://www.kikunoi.jp/kiyamachi.htm

They have a really horrible English website (circa 1996).

http://www.kikunoi.jp/english/

The Japanese pages (with photos) give a much better idea of what the restaurant is like.

When you make a reservation, be sure to try book an individual room.

Book by owner Yoshihiro Murata: Kaiseki: The Exquisite Cuisine of Kyoto’s Kikunoi Restaurant

November 25, 2008 at 2:12 pm #4549

Michael
Participant

— THIS POST WAS A COMMENT ON THE KYOTOFOODIE ABOUT PAGE AND WAS MOVED HERE ON 25 NOV 08 —

Hello Vincent,

Traditional and spectacular and in Gion — Kikunoi is the place. (www.kikunoi.jp)

In Kyoto there are two choices, Kiyamachi or Honten. The Honten is a little nicer and in a much nicer neighborhood where can walk around before or after dinner.

Honten:

075-561-0015

http://www.kikunoi.jp/honten.htm

Kiyamachi:

075-361-5580

http://www.kikunoi.jp/kiyamachi.htm

They have a really horrible English website (circa 1996).

http://www.kikunoi.jp/english/

The Japanese pages (with photos) give a much better idea of what the restaurant is like.

When you make a reservation, be sure to try book an individual room.

December 8, 2008 at 4:37 am #4554

ChrisLehrer
Member

Just a passing remark. If you’re going alone or as a couple or something, and at least one person speaks very good Japanese, I don’t agree with Peko about getting an individual room. At least at Roan Kikunoi, the one on Kiyamachi, you should sit at the bar. That way the chefs will chat with you, make jokes, tell you what you’re eating, and generally entertain you — and they are very, very good at it. Otherwise I think there is the danger that you get some dish and think, “hmm, what the heck is this?”

December 8, 2008 at 4:53 am #4555

Michael
Participant

Hello Chris,

Thanks for stopping in. Everyone, Chris has a great blog, check it out!

http://chriseatskyoto.blogspot.com/

Last time I was at Kikunoi Kiyamachi, about 6 months ago, the counter was smoking. I can’t imagine anything worse than a lovely kaiseki meal accompanied by lots of cigarette smoke. For me that is one important consideration.

Banter with the chef is always great. Last time I sat at the counter at Kikunoi Kiyamachi, probably 10 years ago, the chef was cussing out one of the underlings all through my meal. While I realize that severity with underlings improves the food, it should be kept out of public view.

It is fairly common to see Japanese chefs, especially at famous and expensive restaurant ripping on their staff. It really spoils a meal though. If you see it happening, don’t be afraid to tell them to take it outside.

I do agree with Chris that the social aspect of the counter at nice Japanese restaurants is great, but it is often accompanied by smoke.

By the way, in Japan, if someone is smoking next to you in a restaurant and you politely tell them that it ruins your meal, they will invariably apologize and extinguish their cigarette immediately. Don’t be shy.

December 24, 2008 at 5:20 pm #4560

ChrisLehrer
Member

A small cautionary note about Kichisen. I have eaten dinner there, and lunch at Roan Kikunoi (the Kiyamachi location). Kichisen adds a 15% gratuity and a small table charge to your check, which Roan Kikunoi did not do. The meal tax is not included, either. If you’re paying 17,000 yen for dinner, per person, bear in mind that that will actually be about 22-23,000 yen per person, including a little inexpensive sake.

That said, the money is very well spent: the dinner was absolutely exquisite.

I do not know whether smoking is permitted at the bar, as nobody but us was at the small bar when we ate. Chef Tanigawa was charming, gracious, and welcoming. From comparing to pictures I have seen, it appears that he made a point of hanging some New York images instead of purist calligraphy simply because he knew that his guests would be foreigners. Everything was done to make us excited and delighted by the entire experience.

And, of course, he’s a big fan of Peko’s!

December 24, 2008 at 5:27 pm #4561

ChrisLehrer
Member

I should note, as an addendum to the preceding remarks, that we ate at Kichisen because of the smoking thing. When we ate at Roan Kikunoi, nobody was smoking, and thus I have no idea whether it’s allowed. It never occurred to me. And I entirely agree with Peko and Paku: the last thing you want as you try to get at the subtle flavors of Kyo-ryori is cigarette smoke in your nose. The thing is, I smoke, so it doesn’t bother me at a blunt level. But if your meal is this intricate and delicate, cigarettes would ruin it. And I mean RUIN.

Afterward, once all the flavors have receded to nothing and you’ve gotten home, then smoking is de rigeur, I’d say, though I realize lots of people would disagree. But at a restaurant like this? Ick.

January 15, 2009 at 11:30 pm #4567

rupert
Member

hello.

thanks for the wonderful blog!

question: does chef tanigawa take on americans in his dojo as apprentice chefs?

January 16, 2009 at 1:37 am #4568

Michael
Participant

Hello Rupert,

Good question.

Several years ago an American came to Kyoto to apprentice at Kichisen for 6 months.

I just called Tanigawa-san and asked him how to reply to your question. He said that anyone that is serious about learning the proper and traditional way to make Kyoto Cuisine (Kyo-ryori) and is diligent hard working would be welcome to discuss apprenticing at Kichisen. Nationality, ability to speak Japanese, etc is not important.

If anyone is interested in contacting Kichisen, just use the email address on the page at the link below.

http://www.kichisen-kyoto.com/index.html

January 25, 2009 at 10:29 am #4574

Michael
Participant

Additional Kichisen Links:

Kyoto Foodie Series:

Osechi: What is Kyo-ryori (Kyoto Cuisine)?

http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-kichisen-what-is-kyoryori/

Osechi: Kyoto Kichisen Master Chef Yoshimi Tanigawa

http://kyotofoodie.com/kyoto-kichisen-master-chef-yoshimi-tanigawa/

Osechi: What is Osechi Ryori?

http://kyotofoodie.com/osechi-what-is-osechi-ryori/

Osechi: Shopping for Osechi Fish at Kyoto Wholesale Food Market

http://kyotofoodie.com/osechi-kyoto-wholesale-food-market-fish/

Osechi: Shopping for Osechi Vegetables at Kyoto Wholesale Food Market

http://kyotofoodie.com/osechi-kyoto-wholesale-food-market-vegetable/

Kichisen Osechi: Midnight Final Preparation and Meaning

http://kyotofoodie.com/kichisen-osechi-final-preparation/

Kichisen Kaiseki: Japanese New Year Shogatsu Ryori

http://kyotofoodie.com/kichisen-kaiseki-shogatsu-ryori/

Yoshimi Tanigawa on YouTube:

Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (1 of 5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUsAkkCvJZU

Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (2 of 5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToFhpBJfm0o

Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (3 of 5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX082fHEKYE

Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (4 of 5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvEu4O80GkE

Iron Chef – Battle Pike Eel (5 of 5)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XFVbFG2S0Y

January 28, 2009 at 2:58 pm #4577

ChrisLehrer
Member

Rupert should be OK, though I’d bet speaking Japanese will be a great deal more important than Chef Tanigawa may think. But Ms. Rupertina? Good luck with that. The only woman I have ever heard of working in a professional kaiseki kitchen — in Kyoto, I mean, not some knockoff weirdness elsewhere — is or was at Kikunoi, and that’s because Chef Murata has made it a personal mission to break a series of longstanding taboos and rules about kaiseki.

Or do you have contrary information?

March 1, 2009 at 9:27 am #4593

Michael
Participant

I heard from a mutual friend last night that Tanigawa had a female apprentice at Kichisen a few years ago.

He gives out this DVD to people with several TV programs about him. One is about his dojo. The TV program shows him hitting students quite a number of times. There aren’t a lot of restaurants that ‘teach’ like that anymore, but he still does. He will tell you that is the way that he learned and it is indeed the traditional way of learning a craft in Japan.

I will try to get the TV program up on YouTube in the near future. If anyone is considering requesting to apprentice at Kichisen, you would probably want to watch the video first.

April 28, 2009 at 7:47 am #4624

rupert
Member

any luck with that video yet? i am very interested in seeing it

May 6, 2009 at 4:01 pm #4627

Michael
Participant

Hello Rupert, Sorry, I haven’t had time to rip that DVD yet.

About female apprentices, I hear that Kichisen has a new female apprentice — and a foreigner, no less! I understand that she heard about Kichisen via this very website and KyotoFoodie.

August 27, 2009 at 11:12 am #4664

rupert
Member

hallo again! i just emailed letter and my resume to kichisen attn: chef tanigawa. do you know how long it would take for a reply or how i should go about following up on this? anything is helpful. thanks!

August 27, 2009 at 11:34 am #4665

Michael
Participant

Hello Rupert,

Good choice!!

I am sure that you will get a reply soon. You ‘just’ sent it, like today?
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