I spent yesterday and today on a two-day trip to Kyoto, and Vista went and wiped out all the photos I’d worked so hard to take. I’m still in shock. I managed to recover a few, but not a single restaurant photo survived.
So this time I’ll just give you a quick text-only rundown of the good places I ate at in Kyoto.
First up is Ikkyu, a shojin ryori (Buddhist vegetarian) restaurant at Daitokuji with 500 years of history.
http://www.daitokuji-ikkyu.jp/
Apparently it’s been handed down to a single heir in each generation for 500 years. I had the 4,045-yen bento, and it tasted pretty good. You could tell a lot of effort went into every single side dish, enough to get a sense of what shojin ryori is all about. Still, 4,000 yen for a bento that wasn’t even freshly made struck me as a bit steep. For that kind of money you could get a course meal at a decent Italian restaurant. I’m curious about a proper shojin kaiseki too, but I doubt I’ll ever pay for one out of my own pocket.
P.S. Oops… I asked the person who recommended this place, and it turns out it wasn’t this one. The place they actually meant was a restaurant called Izusen, inside the temple grounds. No wonder it was so pricey…
http://www.kyoto-izusen.com/
Imobo Hiranoya Honke, a restaurant serving Kyoto’s local cuisine.
http://www.imobou.net/
Imobo is a Kyoto local dish that’s a bit like potatoes braised in soy sauce. It was the best Kyoto food I’ve had so far. Traditional Kyoto cuisine usually has a somehow philosophical, even religious flavor to it, but this dish is very down-to-earth. It’s basically just rice and a few sides, and they charge 2,520 yen, so if you say that’s expensive I can’t really argue, but I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to eat traditional food in Kyoto.
Kazariya, an aburi mochi shop
http://tabelog.com/kyoto/A2605/A260503/26001670/
It’s right next to Imamiya Shrine, not far from Daitokuji. They sell grilled rice cakes: one serving is 500 yen for 15 pieces. Fifteen sounds like a lot, but it isn’t much, just about right for a snack. The only other place in Kyoto where I’ve seen a line this long is Sawaya, the mochi shop in front of Kitano Tenmangu. It was cold out, and I think we queued for a good 20 minutes. It was tasty, but not worth going that far for. Then again, it’s a traditional Kyoto taste, so it’s fine to try as part of your sightseeing.
It’s a real shame I have no photos. I’d have to go back to Kyoto to take them again, and who knows when I’ll get the chance… When I have time, I’ll sort through my autumn-leaves photos and post them.