Funaokayama Shimizu

It’s not often that a restaurant’s selling point is its rice, but Funaokayama Shimizu is no ordinary restaurant. The holder of a Michelin Star, the restaurant’s donabe rice — simply rice served in an earthenware pot — is fluffy, fragrant and cooked to perfection. The secret, according to head chef Yuuki Shimizu, is the use of Kyoto groundwater. Perhaps this is to be expected, given the fact that Chef Shimizu’s own surname means “pure water”, but his exacting standards for the water in his rice led him to the restaurant’s current location just minutes from Daitokuji Temple, where some of the freshest water in Kyoto can be found. He is just as particular about his rice, personally selecting it from suppliers all over the country as well. Rice is an integral part of Japanese cuisine. Its importance was heavily impressed on Chef Shimizu during his time training at famed Kyoto and Osaka restaurants like Wakuden and Kyoyamato, before he started Funaokayama Shimizu in 2018. As a component of a meal, it is deceptively simple; it should have a rich enough flavor to stand on its own, and yet also complement other dishes without overpowering them. Still, anticipation of the rice is no reason to rush through a course menu at Shimizu just to get there. Each course is immaculately prepared with seasonal ingredients, including fish from all over the country and vegetables sourced from within the prefecture. In Shimizu’s warm, inviting space, guests are encouraged to take their time; to savor not just the purity of flavor and texture, but also the calmness of the space.