Hassun

While other kaiseki restaurants on the streets of Gion — the historic area of Kyoto famous for wandering geisha and glorious gourmet dining — have looked to modernize in order to keep up with the times, Hassun has cut its own path. This 2-star Michelin restaurant maintains an old-fashioned style, and thereby gives itself an air of dignity and wisdom with age. In true old-fashioned style, only a single Japanese sake is served. The original chef trained at the famous kaiseki Hashin, and the similar name of his own restaurant (opened in 1975) was chosen to honor the place where he first made his name. A menu from those days still hangs in the kitchen, which is now manned by the founder’s son: Kanji Kubota. The set-course menu he provides has ten dishes, all of them timeless classics featuring the best that the region has to offer. Expect baby sweetfish sourced from small-time fishermen at Lake Biwa, candied chestnuts, roast duck, savory egg custard, and a plethora of other marvels from the waters and mountainsides of Kanto.