We’ll start at the end of visit to Kyoto. And the best. Mamecha. Set on a beautiful side street in Gion, the family style restaurant was the top recommendation of our hosts at Old Kyoto, and they were right. Here we discovered why Kyoto is famous for its tofu, enjoying a silken tofu dish that melted in our mouths.
There were several courses, each with a handful of dishes, and from the tofu of our first course to the five-sashimi dish to the delightful tempura to the beef and then the ice cream and cup of matcha, every morsel was delicious.
Getting there: Our wonderful host Junko at Old Kyoto made the reservation, which is recommended, but the sign sits just a foot off the ground on a narrow side street. It’s not easy to find and took us two tries. Just keep your eyes open for a sign with these green marks.
Sake Seconds
We were particularly good at getting lost when looking for restaurants. Addresses are not easy to find, and most restaurants don’t have signs in English. Add a little jet lag to that combination, and you’re happy for a glass of sake and a rice ball (that’s a thing). Then one lucky night we stumbled into a little bar and enjoyed a simple meal, carefully prepared cocktails and sake overflowing in glasses that rested in little wooden boxes. The overflow was “seconds” we were told.
Department Store Dining
We heard about the basement of Takashimaya Department Store, and while the concept sounded odd, we gave it a try. The food turned out to be head and shoulders above any American supermarket with takeout food. Along with sushi and sashimi (that made us wonder what we had been eating all those years in the states), there are endless salads, meats, fresh produce, bakeries, a premium liquor store for sake, wine or whiskey, and more. We found it habit forming – relying on it for three of our eight nights in Kyoto.
Getting There: It’s a big building at the corner of Shijo and Kawaramachi streets in Downtown Kyoto, so it’s easy to find, walkable from Gion and across the street from a train station.
Nishiki Market
And then there is the famous Nishiki Market, where locals, restauranteurs and tourists mingle among more than 125 vendors stretched along pedestrian-only blocks in the middle of Downtown Kyoto. It’s worth a stroll just to marvel at the food. On our first trip, we bought the smoked eel bento and had it for lunch at our guest house. We weren’t disappointed.
Getting There: It’s in the middle of downtown, a block north of Shijo-dori, running from Teramachi to Takakura-dori, and accessible by train from the Karasuma line to Shijo or the Hanku line to Karasuma or Kawaramachi.