Hanagoyomi

We had (initially reserved and) wanted to do the Kyoto Imperial Palace Tour in the morning, but we overslept! So we only managed to do the Sento Imperial Palace (Sentō Gosho) Tour in the afternoon. Since the tour started at 1:30pm and we had at least 2 hours to spare, we explored the surrounding a...rea and stumbled across Hanagoyomi, a Japanese restaurant located within the Kyoto Garden Palace Hotel, on the west side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. We were actually mesmerized by the attractive menu that was displayed outside and decided to have lunch there. The moment we entered Hanagoyomi, it was like we were being transported into another world of past Japan. The restaurant was partitioned with Noren (暖簾) - traditional Japanese fabric dividers, hung between rooms, on walls, in doorways, or windows. The feeling was surreal as we were seated at an area that was facing the garden. I ordered the Hanatosen Lunch Box (2,970¥) which was truly a sight to behold! Payment was made at the counter once we were done with the meal. Overall, service was splendid with the waitress warmly welcoming us and the food was memorable (the ambience just enhanced the experience). Can I just say once again that I simply love the fact that warm towels were handed to us before the dishes arrived? ^^

Visited May 2016