Soujiki Nakahigashi

The northeast part of central Kyoto is home to rows of beautiful temples which are backed by mountains. It’s in these mountains that Chef Nakahigashi gathers his wild ingredients: mushrooms, vegetables, and edible flowers. Along with vegetables grown in his own garden, he serves these up at his fantastic kaiseki restaurant. The long, glossy counter here faces the open kitchen, with a burning grill at the center, as warm as the hospitality of the host. Here he cooks up his finds, along with premium seasonal meat and seafood, on a famously high-quality omakase menu. His store is becoming notoriously hard to book, so you’ll need to stake your claim early to have a hope of taking a seat at his counter.