A very polite and polished experience in the heart of Kyoto, with a mildly camouflaged front entrance for non-Japanese readers, Noguchi Tsunagu is a great experience definitely deserving of its Michelin Star. The menu is fixed courses, and while you're free to add additional requests, you may find that you won't need to when you pair the tastiness of the dishes and the slow, steady pace that they are given to you. You basically get to see the entire dish prepared from start to finish, with the head chef happily displaying skills while chit-chatting (as much as possible with English speakers, plenty with Japanese speakers) with the guests. You are seated at a long counter, so do not expect to be able to chat with your group if it's larger than 2-3 people. You can expect to be served a selection of cuisines that are strongly related to Kyoto, with a menu of additional options that was only available in Japanese during our visit. Because we were dependent on Google Translate to figure out what the options were, it is possible that we missed out on some good choices, but as stated above, you'll be pretty full from what you are served initially. If you are determined to try the a la carte options as well, then maybe come in fully fasted. Drinks options are good, though not as expansive as some other restaurants. Overall, a great experience, even with the broken English conversation between ourselves and the chef.
