Yamaguchi

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.