Yonemura

A small omakase service with one seating a time. The bar sits right in front of the kitchen; unlike many counter service experiences, there are no staff lurking behind you to address your needs. Everything, and everyone, is in front of you, cooking, playing, pouring drinks, cleaning dishes. It’s a t...eam affair, run by Mr. Yomemura himself, calmly leading his team through each course, subtlety watching the processes and experiences of each guest. There’s a formality to the restaurant, of course, living up to a 2 Michelins star standard, but there also underlays a casualness: pastel cat and dog electric outlet plugs, staff winks and chuckles to each other, Yonemura’s worn blue jeans. The clientele in turn takes up the vibe, in an appreciative, high taste, yet relaxed posture. Drinks are free flowing through a well-curated wine list, and nobody once gets up, not even to use the bathroom, in fear of missing a dish (not that we’d be skewered if we did need to relieve ourselves). As for the dishes themselves, perhaps a bit reserved for a 2 star expectation, but as generous for the price point as any highly rated menu. Wagyu, uni, turtle, fresh Italian black truffle, freely flowing alongside succulent Kyoto produce at an impressively low price point for the ingredients. This is ostensibly French-Japanese fusion, but with Italian and even New World influences. A razor clam gratin has a surprise of fusilli pasta transitioning into a mac-and-cheese. A tartare is created with avocado that somehow becomes a singular flavor with the Uni topping. A squid ink risotto gets topped with a quail egg emulsion. It’s as open to world cuisine as you can get while still sourcing the meat and seafood from an exclusively Japanese tableau. Highlights are the fresh tomato with scallop, dueling wagyu “pies,” turtle soup broth, and passion fruit sorbet. Every dish makes sense, even when simple, nothing sacrificed in terms of freshness or unwanted experimentation. Yonemura brings decades of experience into a Gion charm, providing a taste from the heart to locals and foreigners alike. At the end of the service, it began to rain. I joked to my wife that maybe the restaurant would have some umbrellas to take home since we did not bring any. Nearly second layer, Yonemura walked out with a handful of umbrellas. When we left, it had stopped, but he had to come outside to check for himself that we would not need one of his protectors. The kind of genuine care that you can’t fake, that earns you world renown.

Visited June 2024

We visited Yonemura during our visit to Kyoto and it was one of the best culinary experiences we had in Japan. The chef has an amazing gift of mixing the West with the East and overall we felt that the 16 course journey was a treat to the senses. My favourite was the crab salad with steamed sticky r...ice and the Bouillabaisse of the Hamaguri clam. The Takasaka (raw) chicken went a bit too far for my taste but that is a personal opinion. Finally, I’m not a desert person but I have to say even the dessert menu was out of this world. A few things that for us somewhat missed the mark was the service and the wine list. Service was overall slow as the cooks were also the waiters. On one hand it’s great to have the ppl making the dishes serving and explaining them, however as they were very busy that meant the bar was left unattended for basic service like drinks refills, bread etc. Also surprising that we were waiting for almost 30’ and our amuse arrived before the bread. Finally one comment on the wine list (and that is overall my experience in Japan) was way overpriced for very average wines. We found that in Japan you either have to pay a minimum of 100 pounds for a decent bottle of wine or your choice is very limited. This was also the case in Yonemura where the only 3 bottles of white wine under 70 pounds were very average and overpriced (3,5-3,7 Vivino rating and 3-4 times the retail price).

Visited December 2018

Yonemura is a Kyoto French restaurant with great ambiance and exceptional service. Most importantly, the uniquely created dishes never cease to surprise the palate! The price of JPY 16,000/person for the special Chef’s Dinner Menu is well justified.

Visited January 2018

Chef Yonemura’a fusion cuisine was a real treat for those of us a bit tired of traditional Japanese food one week into our visit here. He does a fantastic job of combining the traditional kaizeki 10-course meal with spices and flavors from the West to create an incredibly unique dining experience. T...he wagyu beef and red snapper dishes were highlights. In addition to the delectable food, the staff were friendly and helped explain all of the course details and how best to enjoy them. It was certainly an experience me and my fiancé will never forget. I highly recommend a stop here if you want innovative Michelin-quality food without any of the attitude. We’ll certainly be back the next trip to Japan!

Visited October 2018

Our 6th visit in as many years and each and every course STILL amazes. Good wine list. Excellent service. Amazing Vibe. Friendly Chefs and beautiful setting. Nothing more to ask for. Go there RIGHT NOW.

Visited September 2018