Taste of Thai (Thai food)

South of Kawaramachi-Gojo is not normally where you would expect to go for dinner, but Ban Thai was a pleasant surprise. Perfect for lunch, sets go for 850 yen. The pho noodles pictured below was pretty authentic, even with real BBQ pork (yes). The menu is extensive, and I'll definitely be back for the soft shell crab dishes. Soft shell crab in Kyoto! Imagine that. The restaurant is spacious and has a distinctive Bangkok feel. All the staff are Thai as well. While Thai restaurants in Kyoto have tended to be a bit formal with proper cutlery, a boom in casual "food stall" type restaurants is taking place. Asian food as it should be - good and cheap!  

Going Old School (Japanese)

Sometimes you just need good, old-school Japanese food. And understatement is the norm. Kashin (佳辰) just south of Kyoto sta (Hachijo exit) looks like a private home from the outside. Inside, there is a private room, counter seating and  a couple of tables , nothing special. The other customers all look like regulars. But the food is straight up great kyo-ryori (Kyoto cuisine). A 5,000 yen course includes: sashimi, raw tofu, grilled fish, tempura, a boiled dish, and rice. The tastes are subtle and it's not cheap, but sometimes you just need to reset your palate. 

Oldest Restaurant in Kyoto! (Kaiseki)

It's not everyday that you visit a restaurant that dates from the 8th century (yes, that's 1,300 years ago), but apparently the Heihachi Tea House 平八茶屋 in northeastern Kyoto traces its history back to the Heian period. Located between Mt. Hiei and the Takano river, the tea house served as a resting point and lodging for those traveling to Kyoto. This is the reason it is famous for its kama-buro sauna, known for its medicinal benefits.  It now also features a strolling garden, accommodation and dining facilities. 

View of garden

View of pond under sauna

Sauna entrance

The kama-buro is a small ceramic "chamber" where 3-4 people can lie down. The heat (traditionally from burning pine wood) comes from beneath the floor. It isn't extremely hot, so the your body gradually loosens with the gradual warmth. This is only kama-buro left of its kind in Kyoto and can be still experienced before or after your meal. 

With such a long history, there are plenty of stories to tell. Rai Sanyo, the famous poet-scholar left a poem describing the pleasure of the inn in 1820, while the location served as a secret headquarter for Imperial loyalists at the end of the Edo period. Attacks by the Shinsengumi (samurai) have left sword cuts on some pillars that are still visible today. The inn was also frequented by writer Soseki Natsume. 

While the inn was famous for its tea and tororo (ground mountain potato), it now serves traditional Kyoto cuisine and nabe (hot pots). There are both Japanese-style and table seating in private dining rooms. With views of the Takano river, it really is an elegant way to enjoy your lunch. Lunch sets start from 3,000 yen while full course dinners are priced up to 26,000 yen. 

Puff, puff, puffer fish! (Fugu)

Big Macs may get you over time, but there are few dishes that can kill you in one go. Welcome to Japan. Welcome to fugu (puffer fish). Fugu has been a delicacy that requires its poisonous liver to be removed by a professional before consumption. Every year amateur fisherman catch fugu and, in their excitement, try to prepare the fish themselves, often with tragic results.

But enough of the doom and gloom. Fugu is delicious. But it's an acquired taste. The meat is clear, almost transparent and has a subtle taste that may require years of living in Japan to appreciate. It's most often eaten raw, grilled, deep fried or in a hot pot (nabe)

Recently, the annual "fugu fest" at Wakamatsu shuten（若松酒店）was held, a wonderful alcohol shop during the day turned fugu restaurant at night. Course features fugu sashimi (tessa), grill fugu, fugu nabe (tecchiri) and finishes with rice porridge and hira-sake (fugu fin in hot sake). Fugu is best in winter and certainly something to look forward to after the new year festivities. We love fugu.

Good Relations (French)

Add another to the great-French-but-reasonable-and-not-snobby list. French bistro Relation is located near Kyoto city hall and serves no-nonsense French bistro cooking with generous portions. A dinner course starts at 3,100 yen and includes your choice of appetizer, main dish, dessert and tea/coffee. Can't complain there! Pictured below are foie gras with scallops and duck on salad.

A Good Walk Ruined .. Kind of. (Golf food)

If you have golfed in Japan, you'll know it's a different kind of animal than that in the West. Namely, the "posh" element is magnified ten fold here. Most golf courses feature a long roadway to the club house ala Augusta. When you enter, you're required to "sign in", filling out a form with private details such as address and phone number. This isn't a hotel! But it looks like one. And it also tastes like one. After 9 holes (sometimes with a caddie who reads your putts and gives you yardages), you take a nice 40 some odd minute break for lunch. This is eaten not at a hotdog stand, but a full-fledged restaurant. You can choose anything from ramen noodles to steak to sashimi. Everything is immaculate, including the service. There are no beverage vans on the course in Japan. People drink in style at lunch, real draft beer or wine. No wonder my back nine score is always worst. But there is always the hot bath to look forward to (they don't do showers here) (photos: above BBQ pork ramen set / below: anago tempura on rice set)

Kyoto Unagi Okowa (eel)

Every year the Kyoto Design Association holds the Kyoto Design Award, celebrating design excellence in a variety of field from architecture to package design. The 2011 Grand Prize winner was Nanasada co. ltd's Unagi Okowa packaging. (Okowa is rice mixed with a variety of vegetables and ingredients.) Beautifully packaged in bite-sized portions, the paper case looks like traditional wooden boxes that sushi used to come in. This version of okowa is with unagi (eel) and was absolutely delicious. Great for picnics!