Yoshizen

The restaurant is down a maze of alleys, but easily accessible by taxi. We chose it because one person in our family is not a big sushi fan, and this restaurant focuses on cooked fish. The decor is nice, modern, with ten seats at the counter. It is impeccably clean. The chef/owner serves omakase o...ne small plate at a time, with an emphasis on more exotic fin fish. Everything was amazing, although some items may not be to more Western tastes, such as loach fish liver with loach eggs in gelatin. He is super friendly, although his English is limited. He showed us pictures of the fish we were eating from a huge book he had. There was one course of sashimi out of a dozen, a spotted flounder, similar to fluke in the US. It was a little tough for my taste, so that emphasizes my opinion that this restaurant is really about cooked fish. There is a dessert course as well. We had mango jelly and a dessert involving brown sugar. At around 10,000 yen per person, a good deal for omakase. We would definitely go back!

Visited June 2019

This restaurant is a little hidden in the old town of Kyoto. The owners were really friendly and we felt welcome. The menu was long but the food was amazing, better than some 3 stars Michelin :-).

Visited June 2018

Hidden away on a small road (or alley) is Yoshizen, recommended to us by the concierge at the Four Seasons hotel. A reasonably priced Kaiseki can be hard to find in Kyoto, let alone one that is intimate and run by a husband and wife. The meal wasn’t too large but comprised of a perfect set of arou...nd 16 tasting plates of beautifully prepared and, importantly, hot food items featuring local ingredients, predominantly fish. Paired with the house cold sake, this family style meal delighted us!

Visited April 2018

I can take no credit for finding this hidden-away gem of a restaurant - it was a (strong) recommendation by the concierge at our hotel. But what a wonderful recommendation!! The restaurant is very small - just 9 seats at a polished counter - and as far as I could tell, only the owner and his wife w...ork there. The food quality is top notch and served up with the usual Kyoto sense of artistry and refinement, but coupled with a more homestyle sense than your usual kaiseke meals. There is also a strong seasonal element running through the meal - for us (in March) that meant fresh bamboo grilled on a small charcoal brazier in front of us, and also deliciously fresh sea urchin. The real charm here though goes beyond the food - it lies with the absolutely delightful owner and his wife. They have several books littered with post-it notes which they whip out for you as each dish is put in front of you - this helps you know what you're eating. It's impossible not to be swept into the pleasure that they feel in presenting you with their food, and I defy you not to be reaching for your phone and your google translate app to look up words for "delicious" and "wonderful". There are many restaurants in Kyoto which serve up fancier food than here, and you probably won't stumble over a Michelin inspector in the doorway, but no meal in Japan gave us as much pleasure and joy as this one.

Visited March 2016

If I come to Japan I don't want to always have sushi and sashimi, I want to try different foods cooked in different styles. This restaurant delivers. It is small (max 7 people). The menu is set by the chef, (you just state what you don't like or eat - in my case, a lot) An intimate and quiet commun...e with the chef (us not speaking Japanese, he trying to show us on google translate what we are eating) but it is the details: like discreetly switching my soup spoon to the left as soon as he noticed I am left handed. Everything is a culinary exploration and experience. I may not love everything I am offered to eat, but I am fascinated by each dish.

Visited August 2015