Tenjaku

The most important ingredient at the Michelin-starred kaiseki restaurant Tenjaku is love: a love for cooking, a love for family, and a love for Kyoto. Owner-chef Nishioka Ryo’s journey started early. When he was just three, watching satisfied customers leave his grandfather’s restaurant inspired him to take over the restaurant. After training at the Michelin-starred Kyoto establishments Otagi and Kodaiji Wakuden, he returned to Tenjaku, renovating the restaurant in November 2021 and receiving a collection of Michelin stars along the way. Out of respect to his hometown of Kyoto, Chef Nishioka sources the majority of his ingredients from the surrounding locality, but he has also traveled all over the country to find the best possible ingredients from various production areas. The tableware, on the other hand, cannot possibly get more local; the beautiful porcelain is crafted at famed Kyoto kilns Teizangama and Waraku. Every meal at Tenjaku may be omakase — left to the chef’s whims to decide — but ultimately, every service always follows a similar formula. Beginning with the impressive platter of hassun — assorted Kyoto-style delicacies — Chef Nishioka takes diners on a journey of discovery through Japanese traditional cuisine, to soup and sashimi, to the well-trodden final destination of tempura. It’s a homage to Tenjaku’s roots as a tempura restaurant, and a show of respect to Chef Nishioka’s grandfather, the man who started him on his own culinary journey in the first place. Michelin Guide: 2024 - 1 Michelin Star