Gion Matayoshi

Yesterday, I had the privilege of experiencing this kaiseki restaurant, and the experience was truly memorable. Not only was the food delicious, but there was also a thoughtful integration of ingredients and flavors. The chefs selected many seasonal ingredients, and it was evident that they put a lot of thought and effort into their creations. Notably, even though I don’t speak Japanese, the head chef and sous-chef were extremely hospitable. They patiently explained the origins of the dishes through pictures, showing great respect for their customers. Despite kaiseki being a high-end cuisine, I felt this restaurant offered great value for money. I am keen to revisit and highly recommend it to everyone.

2* michelin restaurant in Kyoto is worth a try. Seasonal and regional dishes are very special. It can be mentioned as uni in kobe, shirouo fish in streams, bamboo shoots extracted since they have not sprouted off the ground. Sake here is also very delicious, very suitable for the menu. The service staff is always happy and enthusiastic. Thank you to the restaurant for bringing us a fun evening.

Deserves its two Michelin stars. It’s hard to describe the incredible food and amazing service we had here today during lunch. The staff were some of the friendliest people we’ve met in Japan, and were very chatty and informal while still maintaining the mystique and respect during a kaiseki meal (we were expecting clinical, formal behaviours and were worried about the etiquette rules).

The food was amazing and they did an excellent job of explaining each course and how it was prepared, with use of photos so we knew the ingredients and why they were relevant to the region.

The sashimi was some of the best we’ve ever had, with the chef taking a really long time to perfect it while we enjoyed our first few courses.

The sesame ice cream was to die for!

Not sure when I’d be here next, but already in my list for future.