Enboca had been on my list of places to try for a while, so I was so happy to be able to get a booking on a recent trip to Kyoto. The restaurant has a warm, cozy atmosphere, and the staff are very welcoming. We got counter seats, which we really enjoyed. If you’re reading this, you probably want to hear about the pizza, but there is so much more. We went for the larger course menu and then added on a Margherita pizza. As one does… The focus of the restaurant is on creative use of local produce and it definitely did not disappoint. Everything was delicious. Don’t come for the pizza. Come for everything because it’s all good. Have a beer to start. They have a nice selection of Belgians. Then the starters will get you going with a range of hams, cheese, and veg. Then try the local grilled vegetables: simple and delicious. Then have another beer or maybe a glass of wine, followed by some fresh fish, a little meat, some soup, and a pizza or two. The style is classic Neapolitan. I’d guess it’s around 60 to 62% hydration with an overnight fermentation. They offer some creative toppings and you can go half and half. In addition to the aforementioned Margherita, we tried half mushrooms and half lotus root. Both were excellent. The medley of fresh local mushrooms and cheese on a cream base was delicious. We also really enjoyed the lotus root with grated Parmesan on a pesto base. It was creative and the combination of tastes and textures worked really well. I liked the slight crunch of the lotus root. Desserts were wonderful, and the green tea chocolate can’t be missed. It’s really good. The texture and flavor are amazing. Service is of course great. It’s worth going out of your way for a meal here.
