Fans of mingei, traditional folk art, will want to visit the former house of Kanjiro Kawai in Kyoto. In the back of the home is his kiln for firing his ceramics. The house also includes many lovely mingei pieces on display as well as the rooms of his home. It was lovely to visit on…
Tag: Kyoto
Kyoto Lopia Supermarket
Part of our travel routines is visiting local supermarkets. It’s so much fun. We try and avoid chain supermarkets because they tend to not carry much local products. But, I do make an exception for Lopia, which is a discount supermarket from the Tokyo area. It has a huge shop in the basement level 2…
Kyoto Ki
Ki 汽 in Kyoto serves Lebanese cuisine in a charming space on Kiyamichi Dōri street near the Kamogawa River. Natural sunlight fills part of the space. The communal table is topped with dried nuts, squash, and a delicate green that divides the table. Outside of the restaurant smoke from the grilled meats fill the air….
Kyoto Kintame
Long ago I lived in Monzennakacho in Tokyo. A short walk from my home was the most charming tsukemono pickle shop from Kyoto called Kintame 近為. Kintame sits just in front of Fukagawa Fudodo temple. I often went to Kintame for the bubucha-zuke lunch. More than a dozen pickles is served with a grilled fish,…
Tokyo Shortlist
Where to eat in Tokyo? So many amazing meals. Hard to get a bad one. Here are some of my favorites: For Eater: https://www.eater.com/maps/best-restaurants-tokyo-japan For Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/yukari-sakamoto-8603981 For AFAR: https://www.afar.com/authors/yukari-sakamoto My Tokyo Guide for the Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/japan/tokyo-local-guide/ For Tokyo Weekender: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/author/yukari-sakamoto/ Kanazawa for Food & Wine: https://www.foodandwine.com/worlds-next-great-food-cities-7484717 Cathay Pacific on Kyoto: https://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/en_KR/inspiration/dining/best-restaurants-in-kyoto.html…
Northeastern University
Northeastern University has a fabulous summer program on the Food of Japan. Professors Susan Ito and Jared Young have put together a syllabus packed with lectures with speakers including my mentor, Elizabeth Andoh. I had the great pleasure of speaking to the students. Ideally we would have done a market tour together, but my tours…
Tsuruya Yoshinobu
A truly unique experience is to watch a shokunin artist create a wagashi traditional confectionary right in front of you at Tsuruya Yoshinobu in Nihonbashi. This style of wagashi, called nerikiri, is made with a malleable white bean paste. The master works very quickly in creating these edible works of art. Guests are seated at…
Kyoto Obanzai
Nomura is a charming obanzai breakfast spot in Kyoto. Diners select six small dishes from a refrigerated display case. The basic set with rice and miso soup is a bargain 850 yen ($5.75). I upgraded and included yuba with a thick sauce over the rice. 🙂 The obanzai side dishes included mackerel, shiraae tofu sauce…
Kyoto Shaved Ice
Kakigōri shaved ice at Matakichi in the charming #Gion district of #Kyoto. Strawberry with sweetened condensed milk and the intriguing fig with kinomé. Kinomé is the leaf from the sanshō Japanese peppercorn bush. Kinomé has a citrusy and peppery aromas. It was a unique topping to shaved ice and was a nice pairing with figs…
Kyoto Potstickers
Gyōza potstickers in #Kyōto. @sukemasa.takatsuji #gyōza are made with Kyōto ingredients: Yamari #miso, Kujō negi leeks, Fushimi #cabbage, and Kyōto mochi buta #pork. The Japanese-style gyōza are seasoned with #katsuo dashi stock and miso. Who doesn’t love potstickers? The meal comes with rice, miso soup, and #tsukemono pickles. I added a side dish of fuki…
Kyoto Brunch
Kyoto Kacto is my go-to restaurant when I want comfort food. Located on the Kamogawa River there are seats on the veranda and cozy seating indoors. Brunch was packed on a recent visit with many diners ordering the signature pancakes. The fried chicken sandwich is juicy and delicious. Best of all the coffee from @the_roastery_by_nozycoffee…
Ippodo Tea
Kyoto Ippodo tea shop @ippodotea started in 1717. It has a lovely shop and Kaboku tea room café in the heart of the city, a short walk north of Nishiki Market and @bentoandco bentō shop. Knowledgeable staff help to educate customers on the variety of matcha and loose tea for sale. There is also tea…
Kyoto Potel
Umekoji Potel is a fun hotel in Kyoto. I loved the hotel room with the used artist brushes on the wall. There’s a small library with some books on Kyoto which were fun to peruse. There is also a simple snack bar with dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, juice, beer, and wine. There is a public…
Yellin Pottery Gallery
Near the Philosopher’s Path in Kyoto is a pottery gallery with a vast selection of ceramics from Japanese artists. Many of my clients love picking up pieces, notably guinomi saké cups, for their home collection each time they are in Kyoto. I was so happy to pick up a yunomi tea cup from Katsuya Kato….
Kyoto Tonkatsu
I love Katsukura tonkatsu because the shop gives diners a mortar filled with toasted sesame seeds. Using the pestle crush the seeds. The aroma fills the air. Add some of the tonkatsu sauce to the ground sesame seeds to season the tonkatsu. In springtime Katsukura also has bamboo shoots and ferns that are breaded and…
Kyoto Hotel Higashiyama
The Tokyu Higashiyama Hotel is a comfortable stay near the Heian Jingu Shrine. The rooms are large and spacious. The bar has some Japanese whisky and the Japanese breakfast includes a colorful selection of Kyoto-style obanzai small dishes. The hotel is encouraging sustainable practices. The hotel is about a five-minute walk from Higashiyama Station. Near…
Kyoto Yakitori
Tsujiya yakitori near Kyoto Station. I enjoyed sitting at the counter watching the skewers and yaki onigiri being grilled over charcoal. The tsukune ground chicken with cartilage was served with an egg yolk. A few other interesting dishes including potesara, potato salad, tōfu with shaved kombu, and a simmered tomato with a cheese sauce. Staff…
Kyoto Pickles
In Kyōto station is Doi, a tsukemono Japanese pickles buffet restaurant. There is a selection of pickles and vegetable dishes. Kyoto is famous for pickles and there are a few pickle companies that have restaurants associated with them including Kintame and Nishiri. If you love tsukemono do plan on having one meal in Kyoto at…
Kyoto Nijiyura
Nijiyura is a delightful tenugui shop in Kyoto near the cool @bentoandco shop and Nishiki Market. Tenugui are colorful cotton cloths that have many purposes. Hang a tenugui on the wall for art, a scarf, hand towel, luncheon mat, napkin, for wrapping gifts, and so much more. I love wearing them as a scarf. In…
Kyoto Incense
Kyoto Shoyeido has been making incense since 1705. The shop has a wide variety of products including non-burning sachets, that are not lit with a fire but that can be carried in a bag or used as a bookmark. I put a small sachet in my business card holder which infuses the cards. Incense culture…
Kyoto Hotel
The Mitsui Garden Hotel Shijō is a lovely hotel with an onsen hot springs near Shijō Street in Kyōto. I booked at the last minute and got a good rate of 8,500 yen ($60). The only twist was that it was a room with three beds in it. 😂😭 Shijō Street is wonderful as it’s…
Kyoto Ogawa
The morning toast set at Ogawa kissaten in Kyoto. This branch is located just across the street from Kyoto Station on the north side. @ogawacoffee Shimogyō-ku, Higashi Kōji-chō 902 https://www.oc-ogawa.co.jp/shop/ #foodsakeTokyo #foodsakeKyoto #coffee #kissaten #toast #Kyoto #Kyotomorning #Kyotokissaten #京都グルメ #京都モーニング #トースト #コーヒー #京都駅 #京都駅グルメ #Japan #Japantraveltip
Kyoto Suba Soba
A simple and satisfying bowl of buckwheat noodles at Kyoto Suba Soba. The simple shop only serves hot bowls of soba with a variety of toppings ranging from meat with a soft-boiled egg, steamed mussels with watercress or these enoki mushroom tempura. The bare bones shop is popular. Lots of young Japanese quickly came and…
Bento&co
Frenchman Thomas Bertrand and his wife Erico are the founders and owners of Bento&Co. Their shop is in the heart of Kyoto, just north of the famous Nishiki Market specializes in all things for bento lunch boxes. There is a website if you don’t make it to Kyoto. But, if you are in Kyoto do…
Kyoto Tune Stay
I picked Kyōto Tune Stay hotel because I love books. Check out this wall of books! Most are in Japanese, but there are some English books in the library. The books cover a variety of topics. I kept carefully perusing the food books and could have stayed up all night. The rooms are a bare…
Kyoto Kacto
Kacto in Kyoto is a newer restaurant in Kyoto that is located on the Kamogawa River. Kacto is part of the Tysons and Company group which has fabulous restaurants in Tokyo like Cicada, Ivy Place, and T.Y. Harbor. Chef David Chiddo oversees all of these kitchens. I had a short break from work so only…
Kyoto Poco Kissaten
Near Kyōto station is Poco kissaten. I picked it for breakfast as it was open from 6:00 a.m. The morning sando set is a bargain 650 yen ($5) and includes a cup of coffee. The sliver of a shop is in a retro building in a part of the city that is being completely rebuilt…
A Rainbow of Pickles
A colorful meal based on Japanese pickles is refreshing and light. Nishiri is a famous pickle shop based in Kyoto. My favorite meal here is the pickle sushi, made with pickles on top of the rice instead of raw fish. Here are two other set meals composed of pickles including eggplant, daikon stuffed with lemon,…
Gotta Get – Sesame Seed Paste and Oil
Who doesn’t love sesame? Everyone I’ve spoken to on our tours all go crazy for this (and for yuzu). I first came across Here are three of my favorite sesame products for the Japanese pantry. The nerigoma sesame paste on the left is what I use the most. Mix simply with some sugar and soy…
Kyoto Honke Owariya Soba 京都本家尾張屋
Owariya is a Kyoto soba shop with a rich history, that can be traced back hundreds of years. I love the branch in Takashimaya as it is near many popular sites such as Nishiki Market and Gion. As the shop is in a department store, it is also kid-friendly. The vegetable tempura soba (1620 JPY)…
Michelin Guide Kansai 2014
The Michelin Guide Kansai 2014 has given two more restaurants the prestigious three stars ranking in its most recent edition. From the press release, Michael ELLIS, International Director of the MICHELIN guides comments, “We are very pleased to award two new three stars restaurants, Mizai and Kichisen, both located in Kyoto. They serve Japanese cuisine…
Cooking, Eating, Drinking in Kansai: Tasting Kyoto – Nishiki Market and Kyoto Uzuki
Daikokuya Unagi This post is courtesy of Janice Espa from Australia. Janice did a supermarket tour with me a year ago. We have stayed in touch and she had such a delicious time in Kyoto that she is sharing with Food Sake Tokyo readers some of her favorite spots and experiences in Kyoto. Janice’s…
Antenna Shops in Nihonbashi
Antenna Shops in Nihonbashi In a recent survey of Tokyoites the main reason why they go to antenna shops is to pick up regional food products. The next popular answer was that it was interesting to explore antenna shops followed by picking up brochures for future trips to that prefecture. The other big answer was…
Yubakichi in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market 京都錦市場の湯波吉
Yubakichi’s rich history dates back to 1790. The delicate yuba is made using domestic soybeans. The yuba has a light sweetness to it. You will find both dried and fresh yuba. The fresh yuba is creamy and has a nice texture. This can be served with just wasabi and soy sauce. Yubakichi 湯波吉 10:00 – 18:00,…
Aritsugu in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market 京都錦市場の有次
Aritsugu 有次 9:00 – 17:30, no holidays 075-221-1091 http://www.aritsugu.com (Japanese) Aritsugu has been in business since 1560. Famous for their knives, you will also find an enticing selection of other essential tools for the kitchen including nabe, handcrafted oroshigane (graters), and peelers. Aritsugu also has a shop in Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, but this shop in…
Dintora in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market 錦市場のぢんとら
Dintora is filled with spices, perfect for any home cook, including dried yuzu, chinpi, ichimi, shichimi, sansho, and karashi. Many of these spices are light and portable so stock up here if you are visiting from abroad. The chinpi (dried citrus peel) can be mixed with honey and hot water when you have a cold,…
Daiyasu in Kyoto’s Nishiki Market 錦市場大安
At one end of Kyoto’s Nishiki Market is Daiyasu. Behind the blue noren with white writing is a popular bar for fresh oysters served with sake, white wine, or beer. A casual place to rest your feet and refresh over a beverage and some small bites. Oysters are very popular but there is also a variety…
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