Ganko Sushi (Rakurakuso) Review Summary

Perfect Japanese environment to have a peaceful great lunch. Fresh n sweet n oiishi fish at yen680 (s$6.50, I paid S$25 for this back at home). Kyoto is too crowded, take 25 mins train out and have a peaceful n valued meal.

This restaurant is located in an old villa, which was originally built in 1899, becoming larger over the years as the owner became a wealthy farmer and business man. It features different type of dining styles, from open restaurant to private rooms. We had the benefit of dining in an old storage room where valuables apparently were kept. Hence, the room had steel doors and steel shutters that could be closed outside the windows. The entire building has a wonderful feeling of history, and hearing some of it being told made the dinner even more memorable. The restaurant is a no-shoe restaurant throughout and features convenient lock-boxes for your shoes.

As the name implies, this restaurant has its core in sashimi and sushi. We started the meal with a generous serving of sashimi, which was already prepared in a bento box when we arrived. The quality and presentation was spectacular, even with Japanese standards. We also particularly enjoyed grilling our own Matsusaka Wagyu on the little mini-grills by each seat. We have had similar personal grilling in the past, but usually larger grills in the middle of the table. These were individual. We had a seven-course set menu, and every dish was spectacular. The amount of food is generous, but as always in Japan, just right.

The staff is very professional, but speaks very little English. As we speak some Japanese we found no issues communicating.

The beer, sake and wine selection is good, but we thought the sake selection could have been even bigger.

Location: 3/5 (it‘s a bit off the beaten track in Kyoto
Ambience: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Staff: 5/5
Price/quality: 4/5 (it is expensive)

Great food and nice place! Reasonably priced. The service is very attentive! They have a beautiful garden at the back too!

Part of our RWC tour we visited many places for a coffee, this was the best.

Everyone at the store was kind and always had a smile on their faces and provided pleasant customer service. I had a friend who went with me who had many dietary restrictions due to illness, but he didn't show any offence, and carefully adjusted the menu for me. m(* *)m
Also, even though I stayed for a very long time, I was very humbled by the fact that he did not show me a single unpleasant look and even told me to take my time (^*^;). thank you very much.

For those who are about to go,
We recommend making reservations when visiting. It was our first visit, and we didn't know much about the restaurant, so we asked lightly if we'd like a seat with a nice view, and we were given a nice private room.
When making a reservation, you will need to tell them the menu, so make sure you decide before making a reservation.

I think this restaurant is perfect when you go with a large group or want to relax.

Ah, I forgot something important.
The building is Rakurakuso, which was renovated from the birthplace of Gentaro Tanaka, a businessman and politician who was born in the late Edo period and lived during the Meiji and Taisho eras. The building is designed with great attention to detail, and the garden is not large, but you can enjoy the scenery of each season. This alone is worth visiting.
The inside of the building is winding, so please be careful not to get lost. Unfortunately, I can't go out to the garden.