Kyoto Wakuden

At Kyoto Wakuden, choosing how to finish a course is part of the pleasure. One diner’s account of the Suō menu describes a meal that began with lightly cured horse mackerel, followed by a soup of conger eel and lotus-root dumpling, sweetfish with Manganji pepper, chilled simmered winter melon and fried aubergine in broth. Fish and vegetables anchor the menu, with each dish offering a different pleasure—from winter melon steeped in dashi to the combination of fried aubergine and broth.

Menus change with the seasons. The Suō menu recorded for 7 included a first course of vinegared horse mackerel with cucumber and myoga, a soup of conger eel and lotus-root dumpling, and grilled sweetfish with Manganji pepper. The Benibana menu from the same month featured clam soup, striped jack and water aubergine as sashimi, and sweetfish fried in oil. The seafood selection and number of dishes vary by course. These are seasonal examples, and the menu may change depending on ingredient supplies and other conditions; diners have also remarked on the sweetfish’s bitterness and the dashi in the conger eel and lotus-root soup.

Rice dishes listed as course endings include tai kurosushi, tai miso ochazuke, sweetfish rice and cold udon with conger-eel tempura. One diner singled out the tai kurosushi as especially memorable. Depending on the menu, choosing one dish—or trying several—offers another way to enjoy the meal. The restaurant is directly connected to Kyoto Station, on the 11th floor of JR Kyoto Isetan. Some diners have also mentioned the view from the counter seats by the windows.