Michelin 3-starred Kitcho Arashiyama is known as a temple of Kyoto Kaiseki cuisine that comes with a high price. Reviews thus, are often mixed. Having now been there in winter and summer, I say that it’s worth trying at least once because of the complete experience it offers. However, if you’re just going for the food, you can get as fulfilling a Kaiseki experience elsewhere for a lot less financial pain.
I’m a sucker for Japanese ceramics, so to see the antiques that Kitcho serves its food on is an additional treat. Also, I would say I have an adventurous palate – which helps when faced with fish sperm and crab gunk. If you get queasy at the thought, Kyoto Kaiseki may not be for you no matter the restaurant.
If you do decide to go, you could contain your cost and culture shock by letting Kitcho know in advance – I would recommend advising them on your budget and any dietary preferences. However, boundaries should be realistic. I think you may still need to assume a minimum budget of JPY45,000 to JPY60,000 per person (best to check with Kitcho) and most types of seafood.
There were 10-11 courses, largely seafood based, in both the winter and summer menus. In Kaiseki tradition, the food follows a distinct order, often starting with a cold dish, then sashimi, moving onto the cooked items and ending with beef and rice and then dessert. The summer menu featured the Ayu fish and fresh white asparagus while the winter menu had snow crab. The dishes are seasonal, which is the cornerstone of Kyoto Kaiseki cuisine. Actually, the high cost of a Kaiseki meal in Kitcho is also due to its fine ingredients. This is after all Japan, where a melon from a prized grower could cost more than USD100.
I first came here in winter 2012, strolling in 30 minutes earlier than the time I had reserved because we were cold and wet and very tired from walking around temples and gardens in Arashiyama the whole day (we were staying in central Kyoto and didn’t want to go to and fro). The staff couldn’t be more accommodating, seating us immediately and starting our meal early. We probably looked a whole lot shabbier than their usual clientele (we were in jeans and sneakers) but as guests dine in individual rooms, there was little risk we’d offend anyone else.
We were wowed instantly. The size of our dining room for four of us was at least 200 sq. ft. And while we sat on tatami mats, the cushions we were on had proper back rests – like a legless chair. Just as well, the meal took two hours. I was in a different room in summer 2014, slightly smaller as there were just two of us but just as nice. I would love to round out my experience by trying the Spring and Autumn menus as well – any willing sponsor?
Reservations are a must. Contact Kitcho Arashiyama: http://www.kitcho.com/kyoto/shoplist_en/arashiyama/
Our Winter Meal:
We started with an appetiser of tilefish and vegetables, followed by a snow crab and tofu soup and two rounds of sashimi (all not pictured here). Our servers then brought in snow crab, which had been grilled but they separated out the flesh for us so we wouldn’t have to do it. This was done in the room with the crab kept on traditional individual burners so that the flesh would not go cold.
The crab is presented to us with the innards inside the hollowed out yuzu.
Next came a shared course of assorted “delicacies”. This is seen in the feature picture for this article which my co-foodie Gavin Wong photographed.
Next came the grilled course consisting of butterfish that was accompanied by stuffed lotus root.
We then had a simmered dish – not pictured here – that consisted of daikon (Japanese radish), taro and spinach in a miso sauce. The final round of dishes is essentially rice with grilled beef. The beef is, of course, Japanese and for this evening I think it was Matsusaka-ushi. The white rice may look like any other Japanese white rice but it was really good. According to our server, Kitcho holds an annual competition to select the best rice to be served in its restaurant.
The meal then ends with dessert. For this evening, it was fresh melon and strawberries. There was a cream based basil sauce that accompanied the fruits, which my dinner partners drank – it was that good.
Our Summer Meal
The summer menu is presented on a number of glass ware as opposed to ceramics – to imbue a visual coolness against the summer heat. We started with a cold watershield, lily bud and seafood appetiser in a light vinaigrette.
We then had a Kyoto summer specialty – pike conger eel – which Kitcho served in a clear broth on this particular day. Unfortunately my photo didn’t turn out well so it’s not pictured here. In keeping with the Kaiseki tradition, sashimi then follows the soup course (similar to our winter meal).
Where we had snow crab in winter, for summer we had white asparagus. This was grilled at our table.
After this came our course of delicacies, which included one of my favourites, uni (sea urchin), as well as prawns and abalone. Kitcho lays out the various delicacies on lotus leaves and crushed ice.
Nothing is wasted – the head of our prawn is deep fried to a crispy snack.
Next came another Kyoto summer specialty – the Ayu (sweetish). The Ayu was served both grilled and fried.
After the fish, came the simmered dish which in this case was tofu and vegetables. The bowl it was served in was stunning – a rich minty apple green with a chrysanthemum motif in a light silvery-gold.
As with the winter meal, we then ended with grilled beef and rice However, in this case, we were offered two types of rice – plain white – or one cooked with dashi and served with baby sardines and finely chopped perilla leaves.
Sesame seeds, perilla leaves along with pickles (not pictured) to accompany our rice.
Finally the dessert is warabimochi – one of my favourites. Traditionally made from bracken starch, warabimochi has the texture/consistency of a cross between mochi and jello. It’s a popular summer dessert.
