Yamaguchi

※ Reservations at Yamaguchi are strictly by invitation only, and these are few and far between. Guests should adjust their expectations accordingly. ——— Italian food eaten with chopsticks? While you try to stop imagining yourself haplessly attempting to cut a slice of pizza with two little wooden sticks, we’ll elaborate. This Italian restaurant in Kyoto (very close to Yasaka Shrine) combines classic Italian dishes with a distinctly Gion-esque kaiseki format: lots of small tasting dishes served over several hours. Chef Yamaguchi studied Italian and Japanese cuisine before deciding that the two would fit well together — and how right he was! Premium ingredients including truffles, sea urchin, wagyu beef, and abalone provide the palette for the chef to paint a picture of Japan’s culture and seasons using Italian forms and techniques. Imagine “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” as painted by Michaelangelo, and you’re on the right track.