Saika

Pressed up against the walls of Hidenin Temple, Saika is situated in a large traditional house with white plaster walls and a high-roofed dining room with wooden beams above. The sunken counter seats run along floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the greenery of the gardens. This is the perfect theatre for one of Kyoto’s best Chinese food experiences. The format is distinctly Kyoto — dish after dish of delicate seasonal cooking, in the city’s native kaiseki style — but the dishes are drawn from all over the Middle Kingdom. This means premium offerings such as swallows nest in clam soup, and shark fin either steamed or braised. Owner-chef Saito is an expert in mixing Japanese and Chinese traditions, and the result is one of the most exciting meals in the city. Even if you’re tried a thousand kaiseki restaurants, and a thousand more Chinese ones, you’re sure to find something new and in the delicious combinations at Saika.