Deep Kyoto

good places - good people

Salut Ya

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日本語はこちら

さるぅ屋 is a cafe/bar/diner in a lovely old renovated machiya on Imadegawa. The food menu concentrates on burgers, sandwiches and curries and is generally pretty meaty. As I don’t do the meat thing, I settled for an advocado and cottage cheese sandwich, expecting something bland and was surprised by its sweet deliciosity. And the bread! That was something else.

I finished off with chocolate cake and ice-cream — smashing!

Below are some more pictures and you can see some pictures of the renovation process up here.

The drinks menu includes coffee, a full range of Yogi teas and fruit smoothies. As well as wine, cocktails and shochu, the bar also has Premium Malts on draft and also some Mexican and Belgian beers.

Salut Ya is super easy to get to from the Keihan Demachiyanagi Station. Take the number two exit and go east from the Family Mart on the corner of Imadegawa/Kawabata and Salut Ya is right there on your right. Here is a handy map.
Opening hours: 11:30~22:00 (Last orders for food: 21:00, and drinks: 21.30)
Telephone: 075-203-6552
Salut Ya on Instagram
On the way out I asked where they got their delicious bread from.
“レ・フレール・ムトウ”, she said.
And I said: “What?”
Next post: the bakery/cafe Les Freres Moutaux.

Text and images by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. 

Craft Beers at Kyoto Brewing Company Taproom

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Here’s a pleasant way to spend a lazy weekend afternoon. Head down to Kyoto Brewing Company’s Taproom and enjoy the very freshest craft beers in a super relaxed and casual space. If the weather is good you can sit outside, and if not, you can chat to the friendly brewery staff indoors as they pull your pints. In the colder months they will also set up a tent outside with heating.

Mewby enjoying the cool and crafty weekend beverage vibes.

The taproom has six taps with a mix of regular beers and seasonal specials. The beers themselves are a fusion of American and Belgian styles priced at 600 yen for each 400ml glass. I enjoyed a glass of Ichigo Ichie (a fruity/spicy Saison style beer), which I followed up with a very satisfactory seasonal IPA. These are great artisanal beers, well priced, and served in a very special location.

Deep down inside all beer crates secretly want to be chairs or tables.

The brewery doesn’t serve food itself, but there is often a food truck on site for the taproom’s opening hours, and if not, you can bring your own snacks.

Perfectly poured by people who care from perfectly maintained taps.
Souvenir glasses and t-shirts are also on sale inside.

Opening hours: Kyoto Brewing Company Taproom is only open on weekends from 12.00-18.00 (Last orders are at 17.30). As the taproom closes on occasion, when the brewery staff are taking part in special events, you should check the scheduled openings either on the official Kyoto Brewing website, or on their Facebook page. Please note also that the taproom is not open on public holidays.

A window onto wonders. This is where the magic happens.

Location: Kyoto Brewing Co. is located in a former lumber yard about 10 minutes’ walk south of Toji Temple, about 15 minutes south west of Toji Station, and 12 minutes west of Jujo Station. Here is a MAP of the location.

Address: 25-1 Nishikujyo, Takahatacho, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8446
Tel: 075-574-7820

Once a lumber yard, now a hub of local beer appreciation.

Kyoto Brewing Company’s craft beers can also be enjoyed at a range of venues around town including (but not limited to) Tadg’s Gastro Pub, Bungalow, 100K, Bozu Bar, Beer Komachi, Len, and Beer Pub Takumiya.

Deep Kyoto on CNN Travel

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In case you missed it, my recommendations for what to see, do, buy, & eat when in “Japan’s most photogenic city” are now up on the CNN Travel site.

Inside Guide Best of Kyoto

Everyone should visit Kyoto at least once.

It’s Japan’s best preserved ancient city.

Shrines, temples, palaces, gardens … the city is home to thousands of architectural wonders, including 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Geisha and locals wearing traditional kimonos aren’t unusual sights.

But Kyoto is a modern city with a dynamic music and arts scene, lively markets and restaurants serving the best Japanese cuisine.

There’s too much to see on a single visit — so we have whittled down the best of Kyoto.

Click to read the rest of: Inside Guide: Best of Kyoto

I had to put this piece together in a bit of a hurry last July, so it was a HUGE help that Jeffrey Friedl, Travis Seifman, and Mario Cacciottolo let me use some of their photos. By way of thanks, I encourage you all to visit their websites:

Jeffrey Friedl’s blog: http://regex.info/blog/
Mario Cacciottolo’s photography: http://travellinglensman.com/
Travis Seifman’s “musings on the arts of Japan and beyond”: https://chaari.wordpress.com/

Thanks also are due to Chris Rowthorn who put CNN in touch with me in the first place.

Philippe’s Bar

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February 2015 UPDATE: Philippe’s Bar #3 is now open! Check this link for details: BAR FSN #3

November 2014 Update: Philippe’s Bar #2 has now closed, but will be reopening in a new location as Philippe’s Bar #3 very soon. Check this site for updates!

Frontieres Sans Nations aka Bar F.S.N. aka Philippe’s Bar

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Bar F.S.N., more commonly known as “Philippe’s Bar”, was originally opened by my good friend Philippe Goulier, a few short years ago at a small location north of Shijo. It was a cosy little place and rapidly become popular with both Japanese and foreign patrons… But Philippe regularly had to turn people away because he simply didn’t have the space. Some months ago he upped sticks to a new location just south of Shijo. It still features Philippe’s inimitable charm, his own artwork, interior woodwork and design, but it’s a lot more spacious.

Here you can see the bar at opening time.
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And here it is when it is busy.
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Philippe loves music: “Mostly underground, or independant, not that famous; reggae, ska, punk, sometimes jazz, sometimes hip-hop but mainly rock and French music… It depends on the customers and the time. At 6 o’clock, if I have a 60 years old customer, I will not play Metallica! If it’s quiet, then something slow. If people look like they are ready to dance, then something groovy.”
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At the bar, draft beer is 600 yen, wine by the glass starts at 600 yen, and bottles of wine are from 2500 yen. But Philippe is also a great cook and will prepare something for you, if you’re hungry, from the ingredients to hand. There’s no menu, so just tell him how much you want to pay, (a minimum of 500 yen) and he will prepare something accordingly. Philippe hails from Burgundy in France, so I suppose there is a French influence to his cuisine, but it’s mostly original: salads, curries, pates, soups, omlettes etc. And everything is largely vegan or vegetarian, except for the cheese.
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Philippe just happens to be my oldest friend in Kyoto.
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But I’m sure many would agree he’s an all-round top chap. I’m very happy to recommend Philippe’s Bar F.S.N. Why not pop in one day? He’ll be sure to give you a very friendly welcome.
Phillipe

IMG_3862Philippe’s bar is 30m south of Shijo on the west side of Nishi-Kiyamachi next to Francois Café. Nishi-Kiyamachi is the narrow road that runs parallel to and in-between Kiyamachi proper and Kawaramachi. Here is a map.

Open: 19:00 – 25:00 (-ish)
Closed on Mondays.

Craft Beer in Kyoto

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A pinty at Tadg's
A pint at Tadg’s. Craft beer has become a serious business in Kyoto.

Craft beer is trending in Kyoto with craft beer festivals twice a year, many bars stocking varieties and some bars dedicating their business completely to promoting craft beer culture. There are two craft beer breweries in Kyoto, and another starting next year. Here I talk to Tadg McLoughlin who runs the eponymous Tadg’s: a craft beer specialty bar in Kyoto, about being on the cusp of this trend. Below the video I have posted a list of bars serving craft beer in Kyoto, with links for maps and details. [Read more…]

Jajouka

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UPDATE: Jajouka closed in 2016, but K-san has opened two new restaurants serving French and Thai cuisine at Le Bistrot Belleville and Tolbiac. For details check the old Jajouka website.

Jajouka is a Moroccan/French style restaurant and bar on Yanaginobanba that I pop into from time to time. It’s a little bit pricey but the food is good and the owner K-san keeps the place stocked with a very nice range of international beers. K-san was previously co-owner and cook at the diner MoSO in Gion, but after that closed, he traveled some more in Morocco honing up his culinary skills. Finally last August he went independent, opened Jajouka and as far as I can tell he has been doing very nicely since.

tajine des sardines aux légumes

If you come here to eat, you must try a Moroccan style tajine. This dish is named after the heavy clay cone-capped tajine pots in which they are stewed. A typical tajine dish consists of slowly simmered stews of tender meat (or fish) with aromatic vegetables. Above you can see the sardine tajine and below is the lamb:

tajine d’agneau aux legumes

You can also get a chicken or beef tajine and they all come in three sizes:

S – (for 1 person but actually quite large) – 1,700 yen
M – (for 2 people) – 3,400 yen
L – (for 3, people) – 5,100 yen

Here are some more items on the menu; in order we have appetizers, a Basque style maguro steak, a couscous salad, a Moroccan style omelette and the Belgian beer Chapeau Exotic.

There are ten more Belgian beers on offer plus beers from Spain, France, Portugal, Malta, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Nepal, Thailand, Laos and of course the Moroccan beer Casablanca. Most of them go for 800 yen a bottle, but the Belgian beers will cost you more. Check out the Jajouka website for more details of the food and drinks menus.

K-san shares a shisha

Jajouka is small, most of the seats are at the counter and it fills up fast, so you may want to call ahead and book your seats in advance. It’s a bright spot though, K-san can speak a smattering of English and French and is clearly internationally minded so if your Japanese is a bit rough he can help you. Most importantly this restaurant has a strict no tobacco smoking policy which K-san himself adheres to by smoking a cigarette outside during quiet periods. The only exception to this rule are the fragrant Shisha water pipes which you can smoke for 1,200 yen. Here are some more shots of the interior.

Jajouka is on the west side of Yanaginobanba, north of Gojo and south of Matsubara. Here is a map.

UPDATE July 2013: Jajouka’s opening hours have recently changed! As Jajouka is now opening at lunchtime, evening opening hours have also changed accordingly. Jajouka is also now open almost every day, but will close irregularly, so please call ahead, or check the information page on K-san’s site for updates. Here are the new opening hours:

Lunch: 12:00 ~ 14:00 (Last Orders)
Dinner: 18:00 ~ 22:00 (Last Orders)
Tel: 075-341-0530

Hitachino Nest Beer Festival

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A word from our sponsor!

These beers are on tap at Tadg’s Bar for the first time in Kyoto. Hitachino Nest Brewery has won numerous awards at Beer festivals around the world. This Sunday from 2:00 pm we offer you the unique experience of tasting all these extraordinary beers, only at Tadg’s Bar. Chill out with great Beer, great Food and live Music!

Also (!) coming soon to Tadg’s: Green Tea IPA – a wonderful collaboration between Baird Beer (Japan) Stone Brewery (US) and Ishii Beer (Guam). A limited edition of of one keg only – all profits will go towards Tohoku disaster relief via All Hands Volunteers. Details will follow later!

Thanks Tadg! To find Tadg’s walk straight up Kiyamachi from Sanjo, before you get to Oike you should see the Empire building on your right. Tadg’s is on the 8th floor. Here is a map.

The Legend of UrBANGUILD

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Let me tell you a story, about a place called UrBANGUILD… It’s a kind of fairytale, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true. And it all began in another place. A place that I like to call cafe underpants.

The 1928 Building. This art deco fantasy houses a (currently) very popular cafe in the basement. Fans of UrBANGUILD might sense a certain familiarity in the interior design.

Once upon a time there was an honest carpenter named Jiro. One day, Jiro was hired by a man of property to design and build a cafe.  Jiro was a very fine carpenter and designer, and a very hard worker too, and so in no time at all he created a very fine cafe indeed. The owner of the cafe was very pleased with the work that Jiro had done and asked him to manage his new establishment. They called it independants. Under Jiro’s stewardship this cafe independants became a very special place: a place where musicians and artists could meet and freely experiment, and it became a true centre of the Kyoto avant garde! Unfortunately it didn’t make any money… and naturally the owner of the cafe began to worry. Jiro’s passion was for art, not money – but a cafe can’t continue if it doesn’t make a profit! Sadly the owner told Jiro that he had to go. In the real world, that’s just the way things are. Sadly, we just don’t live in fairytales…

ryotaro is the booking manager at UrBANGUILD. He told me this story, so I know it's true.

But then something magical happened. Every single member of staff at cafe independants told Jiro that they wanted to continue working with him. They wanted to recreate the same kind of special artistic centre with him in another place. They pooled all their funds together and they found and built another cafe/bar/performance centre on Kiyamachi. They called it UrBANGUILD (!) and having put all their money into it – well they endured some difficult times! But today, that place, that centre devoted to performance and art and music and the free pursuit of self expression is THRIVING! Well, to be honest, it still doesn’t make much money. Jiro, talented and hardworking carpenter that he is, supports it with his own income. And the staff still work there because they value what they do, not for any misguided notions of profit.

But UrBANGUILD is thriving, because it is ALIVE! Over the last twelve months or so, I have visited and revisited this place and I am ADDICTED. For one thing, I love UrBANGUILD for it’s acceptance.

Something very special indeed - click the image to read more about this one.

You  get some acts here that are mediocre,  others that could be interesting but are a little self-involved, and you get some TERRIBLE acts here too! But they are all accepted – and applauded. And then, pretty much every time, you get something very, very special indeed. Something you simply wouldn’t see anywhere else. Because only a place like UrBANGUILD would allow it to happen.

Another reason I love UrBANGUILD, is the inclusive sense of community. It’s easy to make friends here. Come regularly and some faces will become familiar to you – and you to them. You will become drawn into discussion. You will become part of the scene.

Tomorrow, UrBANGUILD is throwing a New Year’s party entitled “Velvet Moon”. I invite you to attend. There are some Deep Kyoto favorites performing: the dancers Bridget Scott and 袋坂ヤスオ, accordionist ryotaro and the mad scientist of sound mr. Sseeaann Rrooee.

Bridget Scott

And then there are other more intriguing things like Karikatura, a “gypsy, reggae, rumba, flamenco, ska, world, groove, band” from Brooklyn. Here are the details! Check it out! Enjoy!

VELVET MOON!

The Perfomers:

Karikatura (gypsy, reggae, rumba, flamenco, ska, world, groove)

なゆ(dance)

袋坂ヤスオ

Bridget Scott (dance)

Yangjah (dance) with
糸井宏美（映像）
イガキアキコ（たゆたう）
Jerry Gordon

Sseeaann Rrooee (sound artist)

袋坂ヤスオ (dance) & ryotaro (accordion)

OPEN: 18:00 / START: 19:00
Tickets in advance:1500 yen (includes one drink)

I almost forgot to mention, they do good izakaya style grub here too. The vegetarian curry is awesome!

On the door: 2000 yen

at UrBANGUILD

To find it, from Sanjo Dori go down Kiyamachi Dori (this is the narrow street running alongside Takase stream) UrBANGUILD is on the east side (left hand side as you walk down from Sanjo) after approximately 150 metres. It’s on the 3rd floor of New Kyoto Building – access by elevator or stairs. Here’s a map.
Tel: 075-212-1125  Facebook page here.

Deep Kyoto & Tadg’s

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Right then! I’m off to Bali for a week and will be resolutely offline during the interval so there’ll be no more posts for a wee while, but before I go a short word of explanation. The astute among you may have noticed the appearance of a black box on the upper right of this page which proudly bears the name “Tadg’s”.

It looks like this (only smaller):

I’m pleased to announce that Tadg Mc Loughlin has agreed to become Deep Kyoto’s first official sponsor! Fond as I am of good food and tasty beverages, I don’t think I could have found a better partner. Tadg’s Irish bar and restaurant has a phenomenal selection of craft beers on tap (just check out the list on his site! go on click it!), and a fantastic menu. As I don’t eat meat myself, I’m particularly keen on the vegan selection. Take a look at Tadg’s legendary vegan pizza :

Mediterranean veggies, cheeseless pizza with organic Ise Miso

I ate that you know – and it was gorgeous! I ate this Tuscan bean and vegetable stew too (not at the same time though – that would be silly).

Tadg & Mika

Look at those colours! That’s not just food you know, it’s a beautiful piece of art. It’s poetry – in a bowl.

So there you have it; Tadg’s has great food, great beers, beautiful views over the Kamo river and super friendly staff and (I might be courting controversy here but), it’s also the only real Irish bar in town (in the sense of you know, actually having someone Irish in the place). That’s why I’m more than happy to have Tadg as my sponsor – I’m delighted!
To find Tadg’s walk straight up Kiyamachi from Sanjo, before you get to Oike you should see the Empire building on your right. Tadg’s is on the 8th floor. Click here for a most convenient map.

BAR F.S.N.

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UPDATE: BAR F.S.N. has moved and is now located here.

Recently I heard that an old friend Philippe Goulier, had opened up his own bar. I was curious to see it. Philippe had always talked about running his own little cafe, or tea house, or restaurant… or something, but it always seemed like it was just talk. It’s awfully nice when people exceed your expectations. Philippe has created a really nice little place. The name F.S.N. stands for Frontieres San Nations. I’ll let you puzzle over what exactly that might mean yourselves…

Burgundian, Philippe Goulier – a man of many talents.

[Read more…]

Tadg’s Irish Bar and Restaurant

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The Home of Craft Beer in Kyoto

Meet the family: Jimmy, Tadg, Mika, and Ben.

Four years since it first opened, the Irish pub formerly known as Mc Loughlin’s has been renamed as Tadg’s. Not a big change really, as I think everyone was calling it that anyway. I’ve written previously about this pub; its friendly hospitality and the fantastic views over the river and city. And Tadg’s cooking is also justifiably renowned; he uses locally grown organic vegetables in his many fine creations and the menu features an impressive vegan section. All that aside though, this bar’s most impressive feature is the selection of craft beers: Rogue, Ise Kadoya, Minoh, Yeti Imperial Oak and Victory at Sea… I had a snifter of the latter last night; a fine coffee flavored porter with hints of bitter chocolate like nothing I’ve ever tasted before. Absolutely gorgeous. [Read more…]

Alphabet Ave.

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Here’s a place I’ve been meaning to write up for the longest time. As regular readers may be aware, of a weekend my friends and I tend to gather at the wonderful music bar Joao. However, Joao tends to close relatively early (around 11 pm), so if we still have a thirst upon us (and we invariably do) the bar of choice is Alphabet Ave. on Pontocho.

Some of the regulars...

Alphabet Ave. is a pretty laid back place with chill-out music and a fine night view over the Kamogawa. This bar specializes in rum but they have plenty of other drinks too. [Read more…]

Koji’s Pasta!

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Taisho being currently indisposed (long story), his pal Koji has temporarily taken over the running of our much beloved music bar Joao. And he has put his heart and soul into the job too, creating his very own pasta menu. Whether carbonara, arrabiata, or peperoncino, Koji’s pasta has proved a hit  with the regulars – and all dishes are priced at a mere ￥700！ Last night I ordered a simple spaghetti with mushrooms in a nice cheesy cream sauce…  Here’s the cook in action.

Koji - "The Cook of Love"

And here’s the spaghetti (I ordered 大盛り so this is an unusually large serving).

"Heartfull Pasta!"

How was it? – Delizioso!

Joao is a very nice (and spacious!) bar just south of Oike Dori on Higashinotoin (one street east of Karasuma Dori). Here is a map. During Taisho’s absence it will be closed on the following dates: March 27th & 28th and April 4th. Regular opening hours are from 6:00 pm till late.
Tel: 075 223 5881

Click here for the original post on Joao.

Kanso

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Sean Roe invited me out to this place ages ago. “￥380 a beer,” he said. Very hard to resist. So I went. And here’s what I found:

Kanso is a bar, and an art installation combined. Its concept can be roughly summarized as

drink x cans = fun

The art here is nothing precious,  consisting as it does of cans. Big cans that you sit at like tables and walls of cans to dazzle your eye. [Read more…]