The garden and diners’ view at Yudofuya, Ryoanji temple
Some people view food as fuel or necessity to keep them alive, while others view it as pleasure or art. In Kyoto, culinary is not just an art form, it is a philosophy that is highly influenced by its culture and Zen Buddhism.
Many of my Japanese friends from Tokyo are used to strong flavours and so they find Kyoto cuisine very bland. But for a tofu and vegetable lover like me, I find Kyoto cuisine quite light ( though not after 6 courses), refreshing and interesting. Although most of the time I have no idea what is being served in the beautifully presented dishes, I would eat it anyhow… but of course the experiences do not always fulfill my expectations.
Like the French and Italians, the multicourse kaiseki and chakaiseki feasts can take hours and a meal at the top Kyoto restaurants could break the bank. Luckily, many Kyoto ryokans would include kaiseki meals in the room rates, so I have had the chances to enjoy the seasonal and refined feasts.
Part of my multicourse Kaiseki dinner at the ryokan
Kyoto is well-known for its tofu, and I have previously tried a tofu kaiseki course, which was utterly delicious. This time, I tried out the the vegetarian restaurant, Shigetsu at Tenryu-ji and the yudofu restaurant, Yudofuya at Ryoan-ji, where the surroundings are as important as the food itself. And even with the cheapest set meal ( 3000 yen) at Shigetsu, I almost had to roll out of the restaurant!
Shigetsu and Yudofuya restaurants
Aside from temples, many restaurants in Kyoto also offer stunning views at affordable prices and Arashiyama Yoshimura is one of them. Located minutes away from the Togetsukyo Bridge, there are several restaurants within the compound, but I was keen to try out the handmade soba there and it did not disappoint. A beautifully-arranged bowl of cold soba with vegetables looked even more appetising with the river view in the background.
Main, middle & bottom right: Arashiyama Yoshimura; bottom left: breakfast at the ryokan; bottom middle: soymilk soft ice cream
A trip to Kyoto cannot be complete without having matcha, although I had two cups already at the Shunkoin temple and Okochi Sanso Villa, I wanted to visit a traditional confectionery shop or teahouse while I was there. One of the most famous and popular one is Kagizen Yoshifusa in the Gion district, established in 1726. The teahouse is located at the back of the shop, but the shop itself is worth a visit because it has a wonderful nostalgic feel to it, with many wooden molds above the doors and colourful handmade sweets behind the glass display. At the retro-looking tearoom, customers are offered complimentary tea and a piece of sweet when being seated. I noticed that many customers ordered their famous kuzukiri arrowroot noodles served with sweet sauce, but as someone who does not have a sweet tooth, I just went for the matcha set, which came a sweet of my choice. Luckily, it was not too sweet and complimented the tea well.
Kagizen Yoshifusa