OK, here we go. Peko says if you want to eat wild boar in Kyoto, try the following:
The Cuisine: Botan Nabe (Wild Boar Hot Pot Stew)
Botan nabe is a rather rare dish in Japan but is fairly common in mountainous areas. The mountains surrounding Kyoto are quite over-run with wild boar. They are on of those animals that thrives around human activity, especially farming and suburban development.
In Kyoto, wild boar meat is generally available from November to March. The meat is quite dark and the fat is pure white. The meat is sliced thin like ham and arranged on a plate like the petals of a flower. Botan is the Japanese name for the peony flower, therefore wild boar hot pot stew is called botan nabe ぼたん鍋.
DIY: Botan Nabe on the Cheap
If you are living in Japan, you can do botan nabe at home just like any other nabe. You just have to get wild boar meat. If you are living in a mountainous region, you ought to be able to find it. Ask around, you might even be able to get some free from someone. Shishiniku can easily be had online as well from Japanese language sites.
If you are in Kyoto, you can buy it at Kaishintei in Demachiyanagi.
Kaishintei (京都改進亭総本店 猪肉専門店)
Kaishintei is a shinise butcher shop that sells wild boar meat (shishiniku) during the winter months, roughly from November to March. Shishiniku is unavailable sometimes.
See our KyotoFoodie article for details: http://kyotofoodie.com/where-to-buy-wild-boar-meat-in-kyoto/
tel: 075-231-1480
Kyoto, Kamigyo-ku, Teramachi-dori Imadegawa-agaru Omote-cho 35 (京都市上京区寺町通今出川上ル表町35)
Kyoto Restaurants that Specialize in Botan Nabe
Yamabana Heihachi (平八茶屋)
Heihachi Tea House and Inn has a very long history. It was established in 1576 and is a beautiful, beautiful restaurant at the foot of the north mountains. Heihachi’s English website is an excellent resource.
tel: 075-781-5008
Kyoto-shi Sakyou-ku Yamabana-Kawagishi-cho 8-1 (京都市左京区山端川岸町8-1)
English language website: http://www.heihachi.co.jp/english/index.php
Hatakaku (畑かく)
Started in 1918, Hatakaku is the restaurant that invented the cuisine name, botan nabe. Of course the dish has a very, very long history in Japan, but the name that is used for the dish through out the country now started at this restaurant.
Hatakaku serves botan nabe from Nov 15 to March 20. Reservations required.
Lunch from 4,830 and dinner from 9,660
tel: 075-441-0610
Kyoto-shi Kamigyo-ku, Kamigoryomae-dori, Karasuma-nishiiru (京都市上京区上御霊前通烏丸西入ル)
Japanese language website: http://www.kyo-ryori.com/shop.php?s=69
