SAN GEN CHA

I would say this is s hidden gem in a small alley at Gion of Kyoto. This was recommended by a gourmet friend & again proven to be super good value for lunch. Despite the very decent price for lunch set, dishes were well prepared & tasted good. Services were of very high standard. Must try.

Visited July 2019

Tucked away in the small alley, this mail counter Kaiseki restaurant serves high end food in a casual setting. You will set in front of the chef who with his well trained staff will tend to your meal. Everything is first class, and cosy at the same time. Some people find Kyoto to be a bit snobbish, ...not here.

Visited March 2018

An excellent place for Kaiseki. Certainly one of the more creative ones I've been to, e.g. a cheese and ponzu dipping sauce for Sashimi; I know it sounds bad but it was surprisingly good. Every dish we had was perfect. They allow children if you book a private room (as opposed to sitting at the coun...ter). Service can be a little bit cold, perhaps because we don't speak Japanese but still I can't recommend this place enough.

Visited November 2017

We've been to Kyoto many times but tend to avoid Kaiseki because it can either be a) horribly expensive or b) too formal and unfriendly. Thankfully Sangencha is neither! We had a great dinner sitting at the counter where we were able to chat with head chef and his young but experienced staff. All d...ishes were well explained in terms of ingredients and the proper method of eating. Chef uses a lot of traditional kaiseki themes but has interesting adventurous tangents including mascarpone cheese melted into soy sauce. At the end of the main courses you get served several bowls of rice grown in the head chef's hometown - simple but delicious. There are four different courses available; we had the Yen 13,00 course and left pleasantly full but not stuffed. Overall I highly recommend this restaurant. Note: Sangencha is located in a back alley in Gion. You cannot get there directly by car. Need to get dropped off on nearby street and walk down the alley. Not easy to find so you might have to call for help.

Visited December 2016

Had lunch with friend at Sangancha in Apr and surprisingly we enjoyed a lovely private dining room. The master chef is very friendly. Although his English is very limited, he tried his best to communicate. And the food speaks for itself. They may look similar from the pictures but once you put them... into your mouth, your tongue will tell the difference straight away. 20 minutes into the meal and I have already decided to come back. Also lunch costs about 4500 Yen which is really value for money for this level of quality and service. I have booked a dinner with them in four-week's time and am really looking forward to it.

Visited April 2016