Deep Kyoto

good places - good people

  • About Deep Kyoto
  • About Michael Lambe
    • ARTICLES BY MICHAEL LAMBE
    • ARTICLES FOR INSIDE KYOTO
  • Books
  • Deep Kyoto Hotels
  • Flea Market
    • Bag Stall
    • Furoshiki Stall
    • Kimono Stall
    • Nintendo Playing Cards
    • Pottery Fair
  • 日本語

Ran Hotei Cafe – Vintage Taishō Romance & Excellent Cake

July 25, 2023 By Michael Lambe

日本語はこちら

One day I took a walk over to the Sanjo-kai Shōtengai shopping arcade and popped into Randy Channell’s machiya cafe Ran Hotei.

Randy is well known as a master of Japanese tea ceremony, and he does teach a few tea ceremony classes at Ran Hotei. But if you are not interested in tea ceremony, that’s ok, Ran Hotei is essentially a cafe, a place to relax, with coffee, tea and other standard beverages plus some damn fine cake.

On my visit I had a coffee and cake set. It was a maple chiffon cake, not too heavy and not too light and tasted excellent.

Randy opened the cafe in 2007, after having the building, a traditional wooden townhouse, or machiya, thoroughly renovated. He explained that he was looking for an art-deco, “Taishō Roman” kind of style when decorating the interior. Taishō refers to the Taishō Era (1912-1926), a short period of liberalism in Japanese politics and culture, which in popular memory stands in sharp contrast to the chaotic drive towards modernism of the Meiji Era that preceded it and the more militaristic early Shōwa Era that followed.  “Roman” is short for romantic, so essentially Taishō Roman stands for a kind of vintage romance.

The stained glass doorway above was found for him by our old friend Rob Mangold.

Take a pew – the seating above was originally from a church!

Or if you prefer you can kick off your shoes and relax on a tatami floor.

Randy has decorated the machiya very nicely with some lovely items. Check out that beautiful chandelier.

The Ran of Ran Hotei is from Randy’s name and the Hotei comes from the popular figure above. Randy has an extensive collection of Hotei statues and images, over 3000, but the one above he tells me, is his “treasure”. Hotei is a folkloric figure representing contentment and generosity.

Plus points: Ran Hotei is non-smoking and it is also officially a “Dog Cafe” meaning you can pop in here after taking Rover out for walkies. If you are lucky, you may get to meet Snow, above, so named because she is black (?), but perhaps also because she is すなお, a very calm, gentle natured dog.Randy is a very welcoming and friendly chap and he has been in Kyoto long enough to have a few stories under his obi. Before he was a tea master, he was a practitioner of various martial arts. I was very glad to meet him and am looking forward to getting to know him better. Mostly though I just want to go back and have another piece of that cake.

Ran Hotei is situated on the south side of the Sanjo Arcade which lies between Horikawa and Senbon Streets. Here is a MAP.
TEL: 075-801-0790
Opening hours: 11:30 〜 20:00 (until 23:00 on Fridays)
Closed Thursdays
No Smoking
Check out Randy’s online tea shop here: https://ranhotei.thebase.in/

Original article posted October, 2014. Updated and reposted July, 2023.
Text and images by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.

Cafe Bibliotic Hello!

July 17, 2023 By Michael Lambe

日本語はこちら

Situated on Nijo/Yanagiyabamba, “Cafe Bibliotic Hello” is a converted old machiya, one of the traditional old wooden townhouses of Kyoto. Bring a book with you or just grab one of the many off the walls. Here you can enjoy coffees, teas, cakes, pastries or grab some dinner if you are really hungry. They do some pretty awesome sandwiches but one night I treated myself to the day’s special. It was pleasing both to the eye and tongue.

Spinach & tomato pasta with whitefish

I also recommend the “Old Fashioned” a kind of fruit crumble with ice-cream.


The atmosphere here is super relaxed, and unlike Starbucks you aren’t expected to leave or order more as soon as your coffee is finished. Here are some pictures.

Sitting here, surrounded by lights and books and old wood is a balm to the soul.

To find it just head west on Nijo from Teramachi and look out for the ridiculously oversized palm leaves. Here’s a MAP
Cafe Bibliotic Hello! on Instagram.
Open every day: 11:30 ~ 23:00
Tel: 075-231-8625

This article was first posted in July 2007, then updated and reposted in July 2023. Some items on the menu may well have changed in the interim!

Text and images by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. 

Salut Ya

July 14, 2023 By Michael Lambe

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. 

Quarirengue

July 12, 2023 By Michael Lambe

日本語はこちら
Here’s a nice quiet place for coffee and cake. Mewby and I found this cafe one Saturday and spent a pleasant afternoon there enjoying the tasty fare and the cosy mood and burying ourselves in our books. Tucked away down an old residential machiya alleyway it’s not a place you’d find by chance. It’s word of mouth that gets you there, and Quarirengue has clearly earned its reputation as a place of quiet retreat and fine confections.

Let’s take a look at those cakes shall we? This chocolate cake (自慢のクラシック・ショコラ – Classic Chocolate Pride) will set you back 750 yen. And yes folks, those are real blackberries you see on that plate.


[Read more…]

The Benten Residences; Machiya House Accommodation in Kyoto’s Higashiyama District

October 29, 2018 By Michael Lambe

The Benten Residences are two beautifully restored traditional machiya townhouses sitting side-by-side in the Higashiyama district of Kyoto. Shimaya Stays, the Singapore-based company responsible for their restoration, recently invited us to stay in the Benten West house for a couple of nights, so we could see for ourselves what good work they have been doing. We also had the opportunity to meet one of the founders of the company, Lee Yong Chye, along with local manager Janice Tay. They showed us round both properties, and explained how the company was born partly out of a love of traditional Kyoto, and partly out of a desire to create a form of “serviced accommodation” with more personality than would be possible in a generic hotel.

Benten West

To achieve this they employed local architects and artisans to restore these buildings, which are over 100 years old, and they have done a magnificent job. Take a look at the pictures below and imagine renting one of these heritage houses, steeping yourself in the atmosphere of old Kyoto, while also enjoying all the comforts and facilities you might expect from a boutique hotel.

Benten East

The Facilities
I would recommend the Benten Residences for couples, small groups, or families. Both properties have two floors and are spacious enough to accommodate a family with children. Benten East is big enough for up to 6 guests, and Benten West can happily house up to 5. Both properties have western-style bedrooms, but also tatami-matted rooms with extra futon bedding. They also both have a living room and dining area, a bathroom with an interior garden view, a kitchenette, two toilets, and separate showers. One of the things I thought was great about these houses was the heated flooring. Machiya are famously cold in the winter, but that won’t be a problem in these warm and cozy homes.

Inside Benten East

The living/dining area on the 1st floor
Dining table and kitchenette
Bathroom
The stairwell
2nd floor landing “reflection space” – a nice touch!
2nd floor shower and toilet
Western-style bedroom
Lovely beams!
Japanese room with futons

Inside Benten West

The entrance hall – with Mewby
The living room
The dining area
The kitchenette
Everything you need for a short self-catering holiday is right here
Note the Nespresso machine on top of the microwave!
The 1st floor Japanese style room with tatami matting on the floor
The upstairs western-style bedroom
The 2nd floor Japanese room which can also be used as an extra bedroom
Lovely beams!
The entrance hall viewed from the upstairs air well – with Mewby!

Make a booking now at Benten Residences.

Amenities
Both properties are supplied with heating, air-conditioning, and high speed WI-FI internet access. The kitchenettes have a refrigerator, an induction hob, cutlery, crockery, cooking utensils, a microwave oven, a rice cooker, an electric kettle, a toaster, a Nespresso machine, and a dish washer. There is also a washer/dryer for your laundry. A full set of towels, a hair dryer, and complimentary toiletries are supplied in the bathroom. To secure your valuables, there is a combination safe box in the dressing room on the 2nd floor of both buildings.

Services
Staff will greet you on your arrival, are available for enquiries throughout your stay, and will perform daily housekeeping and cleaning with a clean set of towels supplied each day.

The E-Concierge System
Once you have booked your stay in one of the Shimaya Stays properties you can have a highly-customized itinerary made just for you based on your own interests; whether they be Japanese cooking classes, zen meditation sessions, or simple restaurant bookings. All of this can be arranged by email with the help of a team of local experts, and then when you arrive everything is planned out, including walking routes on Google maps, right down to train and bus times. This is done so that you can maximize your time in Kyoto and get the very best out of your stay. I was told that these plans appeal to the more independent and discerning customers, and although personal guides can also be arranged, most people are more than satisfied with their personalized itineraries.

The Benten Residences at night

Location
The Benten Residences are located a stone’s throw away from some of Kyoto’s key attractions: Kiyomizudera Temple, Kodaiji Temple, Gion Corner, and Yasaka Shrine. They are just a 12 minute walk from Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan Main Line, or 15 minutes from Kawaramachi Station on the Hankyu-Kyoto Line. Here is a map of the location.

For further details, room rates, and bookings check the Benten Residences booking page.

The All-New Machiya: Komatsu South
Shimaya Stays have recently opened a new property in Kyoto, which unlike the Benten Residences is not a renovated townhouse, but a brand new machiya-style structure built to combine traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern comfort. I will be writing more about this exciting new development in a later post!

Full text and all images by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.

Campton Luxury Lodges: The Future of Kyomachiya

September 20, 2017 By Michael Lambe

As regular readers know, I am a big fan of Kyoto’s machiya: the traditional wooden townhouses that once formed an integral part of this ancient city’s streetscape. As such I am always keen to support and promote local business that have wised-up to the great potential of these old houses as shops, restaurants, cafes, and hotels. I recently wrote about one such exciting venture; a new machiya resort in the Shinkamanza district of central Kyoto, and today I will introduce another which is equally ambitious and holds much promise for this city’s future.

CAMPTON Head Office is located close to Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto

Recently Janic Kuehner, an intern at local company CAMPTON, wrote to me about their good work restoring and renovating old machiya for use as luxury holiday lodges. Founded by real estate entrepreneur Masao Ono in 2015, this company has been active in reinventing these residential buildings as upscale luxury lodges that blend traditional grace and simplicity with every modern comfort for the perfect holiday home in Kyoto.

Masao Ono named CAMPTON after a historical hotel in San Francisco which is his personal favorite.

The company is centered on the CAMPTON Head Office on Nene-no-Michi Lane in the scenic Higashiyama district of Kyoto. Fittingly for a company so concerned with preserving Kyoto’s traditional architecture the CAMPTON headquarters are housed in a stately residential building, constructed in the classic sukiya-zukuri style, with beautifully preserved tea rooms overlooking a very fine traditional garden. As well as being the hub of CAMPTON’s activities this building is also used as an event space and has hosted several “Genius Table” roundtable discussions for local artists, scientists, educators, and business leaders.

The garden at CAMPTON’s Head Office.

To begin with, CAMPTON’s focus was on renovating old machiya with a view to preserving these historical buildings for posterity. The destruction of old machiya is an ongoing tragedy in Kyoto, as property developers ceaselessly demolish them without mercy in favor of yet more parking lots or high rise apartment buildings. CAMPTON’s business strategy however, recognizes that a house of 100 years old or more has a special value, a character, and a presence, both in itself as an integral part of the community. Once you knock something like that down, you can’t bring it back. So as the first stage of their business plan CAMPTON have now renovated and opened 6 luxury machiya lodges in different locations around Kyoto. In seeking to protect and reutilize these properties CAMPTON and their CEO Masao Ono are certainly to be commended.

Luxurious beds at CAMPTON Lodge 2 Nishi-no-Toin

However, where this company shows its true vision, is in the next stage of its plan. This summer CAMPTON broke ground on a new construction site near Ninenzaka Street close by Kiyomizudera Temple. Here work has begun on a set of completely new machiya buildings, faithful in style, substance, and structure to the traditional designs and materials of the original iconic Kyoto townhouses. How wonderful! Here is a business that views machiya not just as a treasured aspect of Kyoto’s past, but as an essential element in its future development. I was delighted to hear about this fantastic development and can only hope that other businesses follow this brilliant example.

Design plans for CAMPTON’s new Yasaka Project on Ninenzaka

If you are interested in CAMPTON’s properties or business why not stop by the Head Office on Nene-no-Michi? Or you can contact them via their website here: http://kyoto-campton.com/contact

A traditional tea room at CAMPTON headquarters.


The CAMPTON Lodges

CAMPTON’s new machiya buildings are scheduled to be ready for business by the summer of 2018. Below are the six CAMPTON Lodges that are currently available. All lodges are supplied and fitted with a full set of amenities, bedding, wooden bathtubs, heated floors, Shigaraki-ware ceramic wash basins, and Imabari luxury towels. To learn more about the unique features of each lodge or to make a booking for your holiday stay, click on the links or photos below.

CAMPTON 1 – Ushitora

CAMPTON 1 – Ushitora has two bedrooms, one Japanese style room, a living room, a bathroom with a wooden bathtub, a shower room, and two toilets. This lodge is a 15 minute walk north of Kyoto Station and an 8 minute walk south of Gojo Subway Station. It is convenient for Higashi Honganji Temple, Nishi Honganji Temple, the Ryukoku Museum, and Kyoto Tower. Here is a MAP of the location.

Check room rates at CAMPTON 1 – Ushitora.

CAMPTON 2 – Nishi-no-Toin

CAMPTON 2 – Nishi-no-Toin has two bedrooms one of which is Japanese style, one Japanese style room, a living room, a bathroom with a wooden bathtub, a shower room, and two toilets. This lodge is a 15 minute walk north of Kyoto Station and a 9 minute walk south of Gojo Subway Station. It is convenient for Higashi Honganji Temple, Nishi Honganji Temple, the Ryukoku Museum, and Kyoto Tower. Here is a MAP of the location.

Check room rates at CAMPTON 2 – Nishi-no-Toin.

CAMPTON 3 – Gosho-Minami-Hotei

CAMPTON 3 – Gosho-Minami-Hotei has two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom with a wooden bathtub, a shower room and two toilets. This lodge is a 10 minute walk north of Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Subway Station, an 11 minute walk south-east of Marutamachi Subway Station, and a 10 minute walk south-west of Jingu-Marutamachi Station on the Keihan Line. It is convenient for the Imperial Palace Park, the antique shops on Teramachi Street, city center shopping and dining, and is exactly 3 minutes south of the best bakery in Kyoto: Dough. Here is a MAP of the location.

Check room rates at CAMPTON 3 – Gosho-Minami-Hotei.

CAMPTON 4 – Gosho-Minami-Ebisu

CAMPTON 4 – Gosho-Minami-Ebisu has one bedroom, a living room, a Japanese style room, a bathroom with a wooden bathtub, and two toilets.This lodge is located beside the CAMPTON 3 Lodge.

Check room rates at CAMPTON 4 – Gosho-Minami-Ebisu.

CAMPTON 9 – Nishijin Itsutsuji & CAMPTON 10 – Nishijin Arima

CAMPTON 9 and 10 are located together. CAMPTON 9 has one bedroom, a living room, a Japanese style room, a bathroom with a wooden bathtub, and two toilets. CAMPTON 10 has two bedrooms, one living room, one Japanese style room, a bathroom with a wooden bathtub, a shower room, and two toilets. These lodges are an 18 minute walk west of Imadegawa Subway Station in Nishijin which is a traditional silk weavers district. You can see many machiya buildings here, and it is convenient for Kitano-Tenmangu Shrine and Nishijin Textile Center. Here is a MAP of the location.

Check room rates at CAMPTON 9 – Nishijin Itsutsuji & CAMPTON 10 – Nishijin Arima

Many thanks to Janic Kuehner and Campton for their assistance with this article.

Shinkamanza Machiya Resort Named “Village Kiramachi”; New Photos from Our Stay

September 6, 2017 By Michael Lambe

A few months ago I wrote about an innovative machiya townhouse revival project in the Shinkamanza district of central Kyoto. Under the supervision of local architectural company, Good Design Works, not just one traditional townhouse but a whole group of houses has been renovated and reinvented as a single integrated resort hotel. I have now been informed that the resort has received a new official name: 宿きらまち (yado kiramachi) in Japanese, or “Village Kiramachi” in English. This new name partly reflects the close communal atmosphere that Good Design Works have strived to create in this project, and also honors the name of the chief designer Moatesu Kiraeri.

Mewby in the Village Kiramachi machiya resort.

Mewby and I were recently invited back to the Village Kiramachi resort to see how much the construction work has progressed and also to spend a night in these beautiful surroundings. The resort will not be opened to guests until later this year, so we were very fortunate to be able to have a preview of the facilities. Here are some images from our stay.

A village view. At the center of the resort is a small community shrine.
Each machiya building has been lovingly restored with respect to its individual character – no two buildings are exactly alike.
Every window offers a different view.
A small stream runs throughout the resort offering natural background music.
Two lanes lead into the resort from the street outside. One is original…
…And one was newly created to add more air and light. Can you tell which is which?
Everywhere you see tremendous attention to detail, from the traditional latticework on the windows…
…to specially selected momiji maple patterned ceiling paper….
…or in this room the simple beauty of a wooden ceiling.
In this house guests can enjoy moon viewing in all seasons.
A traditional tea room is also available for the guests’ enjoyment.
This house has a traditional hinoki wood bath.
And in this house you can enjoy a view of the inner garden while taking a shower.
Imagine going to sleep with this as your view…
…And waking up to this!

Many thanks to Good Design Works for letting us stay at Village Kiramachi and for permission to take these photographs. For more information about this beautiful new resort and to view the design plans, see my original article: Shinkamanza: An Innovative Machiya Townhouse Resort in Downtown Kyoto. Village Kiramachi will open to guests later this year.

For further details, current room rates, and bookings check the Village Kiramachi booking page.

Full text and original photographs by Michael Lambe – All rights reserved.

Shinkamanza: An Innovative Machiya Townhouse Resort in Downtown Kyoto

May 16, 2017 By Michael Lambe

Last year I was invited to view the ongoing work on an exciting machiya revival project in central Kyoto. Overseen by a local architectural company called Good Design Works the plan is to renovate not just one traditional townhouse but an entire unit of houses as a single integrated resort hotel.

Machiya are the traditional wooden townhouses of Kyoto. Their dark lattice fronts once lined all the streets of the city, and their low-lying tiled rooftops formed a gentle rolling city skyline with here and there a palace or a temple rising up above them. Though the palaces and temples remain, that distinctive machiya skyline has now all but disappeared. Over the last 60 years or so, machiya have increasingly been torn down in favor of high rise blocks and parking lots. Though this destruction of old Kyoto continues today, there have been some efforts in recent years to find new ways to preserve these buildings. Famed Japanologist Alex Kerr was a pioneer when he founded the Iori company to renovate old houses for use as hotel lodgings. Other businesses have transformed machiya into attractive modern cafes, restaurants, and shops, and both the city and local banks offer attractive investments for new home-owners who wish to buy, restore, and refurbish these buildings.

This all represents something of a boom in machiya revival, but up until now most projects have focused on single buildings. Where Good Design Works are showing a new and rather daring approach is in seeking to redevelop an entire connected group of houses. This is actually really important. Traditionally, machiya were (and some still are) grouped together in small neighborhoods, and everybody in that neighborhood knew each other. Typically a narrow lane would run off the main road and around it there would be a close knit community of houses, with many neighbors employed in the same kind of work. People would see each other daily, meet up for gossip at the local public baths, and watch over each other’s kids when they played outside in communal areas. Restoring a single machiya is always a worthwhile enterprise, but on its own it does nothing to preserve this old communal spirit and there really is nothing quite as sad as the sight of an old townhouse hemmed in on all sides by looming apartment buildings.

This is why it is so wonderful that Good Design Works have taken a block of buildings in Kyoto’s Shinkamanza-cho district and renovated them as a group. The new resort is named “Shinkamanza” after this district, and it is an ambitious project, but having viewed the construction site I am happy to say it looks splendid. The resort sits in a well-preserved area on a quiet side street not far from the Shijo-Karasuma intersection, and despite its central location it forms a natural sanctuary from the busy urban surround. Within the resort are 9 houses containing separate apartments. Each house has its own individual design, its own facilities, and its own inner courtyard garden. All of these houses offer unique views on the rest of the resort complex that provide a nostalgic glimpse of old Kyoto. The resort has been conceived as a small village, and to bind this village together there is a communal garden with carefully chosen rocks, a small café bar area where guests can mingle, a traditional public bath for group or family bathing, and a flowing stream that provides both cool air and natural background music to calm the soul.

And the houses are comfortable! These houses have been fully refurbished, so that they will be warm and snug in winter, and cool and breezy in the hot summer months. I was also highly impressed by the attention given to each house’s bathing and toilet facilities. The chief designer, Moatesu Kiraeri, spent a lot of time explaining to me how important he felt these areas are. Machiya houses are generally not that big, and traditionally they didn’t have their own bathrooms, so modern refits tend to skimp on the space and materials used for these modern conveniences. Not so at Shinkamanza! Here you will find not a cramped plastic toilet, but an elegant room with a ceramic bowl, a spacious hinoki wood bath tub, or a piping hot shower, and in each area you can enjoy piped music, or a cleverly angled view of your inner garden (with your privacy preserved intact). As Kiraeri-san enthused on these areas I could see that he conceived of the toilet and bathing areas not simply as facilities, but as comfortable spaces for quiet contemplation. I was instantly reminded of Junichiro Tanizaki’s In Praise of Shadows where he waxes lyrically upon the Japanese toilet as a “place of spiritual repose”:

“No words can describe that sensation as one sits in the dim light, basking in the faint glow reflected from the shoji, lost in meditation or gazing out at the garden… surely there could be no better place to savor this pleasure than a Japanese toilet where, surrounded by tranquil walls and finely grained wood, one looks upon blue skies and green leaves.”

Furthermore, I was assured that each building is fully soundproofed, so you can play your music at top volume, and they won’t hear a thing next door.

Overall I was really excited by this project, both for its overall vision, and for the attention to detail in choosing the perfect materials: just the right paper for the ceilings, the very best cedar wood for the baths, and not this rock but another for the garden display… Clearly no expense or effort has been spared on this project and quite rightly it has been given full backing by the city government too. Shinkamanza looks to be not only a great place to stay when visiting Kyoto, but a brand new model for machiya revival projects elsewhere. Three cheers for Good Design Works and may others be inspired to follow their example!

The first floor design plan.
The Second floor design plan.

The Shinkamanza machiya resort will be officially opened in July late 2017. All images from the Shinkamanza resort were taken by Elsa Arribas (aka BunnyTokyo). For more information visit the official Shinkamanza Facebook page or follow the project on Twitter.

Update September 6th 2017: The Shinkamanza machiya resort has now been renamed Village Kiramachi. For more information and pictures see my latest article: Shinkamanza Machiya Resort Named “Village Kiramachi”; New Photos from Our Stay

Update September 13th 2017: The Shinkamanza machiya resort is now taking bookings. For further details and room rates check the Village Kiramachi booking page.

Kawai Kanjiro’s House

November 25, 2013 By Michael Lambe

IMG-1028_580x435

This is the house of Kawai Kanjiro, a legendary potter and a key figure in the mingei or Japanese folk art movement. His beautiful wooden townhouse has been preserved as a memorial run by his family. The building itself and the garden are wonderful, but you can also see here many of his works: ceramics, sculptures, and woodcarvings. His kilns are preserved at the back of the house. I was there back in September and took some 360 degree pictures which I shall share here as they give a good impression of how much there is to explore in the house. Just click on them to have a proper look around: [Read more…]

Trattoria Dougetsu by the Ocean

November 13, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Mewby’s birthday was a couple of weeks back and to celebrate I took her to Trattoria 道月 by the Ocean. Though the name is a bit unwieldy, the restaurant itself is very welcoming and friendly, and the food was superb.

IMG_4365This is the outside of the building which as you can see is a lovely old (but fully renovated!) machiya townhouse. You can’t beat a bit of machiya dining when in Kyoto. This restaurant specializes in fresh seafood served with Italian pasta, which you can eat at the counter whilst watching the cook at work, or separately at your own table. We had a little room to ourselves and here are the dishes we ordered: [Read more…]

Machiya Dining at Cameron

February 28, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Cameron

This restaurant, Cameron is, in a very good way, odd. The graceful decor,  the attentive service, and the exquisite delicacies they serve you, all give the impression of expense. Yet though we ate our fill of fine things and were waited on hand and foot, after bracing ourselves for a very steep bill, we were surprised to find we had spent less than at your average rough and ready izakaya. Really. I cannot stress this enough. This place is extraordinarily REASONABLE.

Here’s the food:

IMG_0763

A nice piece of breaded marlin and some choice veggies. How I love those snow peas. [Read more…]

Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide: Affordable Dining in Traditional Townhouse Spaces

February 27, 2013 By Michael Lambe

Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide - Click to buy!I am currently reading this new book by Judith Clancy and at some point will write up a proper review for Kyoto Journal. But for the time being here are some rough notes and impressions.

Machiya are the traditional wooden townhouses of Kyoto, sadly under continuing threat from modern developers and their preference for boxy apartment buildings and parking lots. This book provides a guide to 140 of Kyoto’s machiya restaurants and cafes, with 20 singled out as personal favorites. Many I have been to and many I haven’t, so it’s nice to know there is plenty yet to explore and with excellent maps, details and directions they all look to be easy to find.

In addition, introductory chapters describe the evolution of Kyoto’s machiya culture and design within a historical context, and celebrate the revival of machiya values in recent years. An excellent photo essay by Ben Simmons also helps to act as a guide to differing machiya design characteristics as well as helping the novice to appreciate their simple beauty.

Indices by both cuisine and shop name provide easy reference. And with a glossary of culinary terms, plus a guide to Japanese table manners, this is a very handy tool for the Kyoto explorer.

The small businesses featured in this book are helping to preserve and revive Kyoto’s machiya culture for future generations and so a book that supports those businesses in turn is to be praised. Judith Clancy’s Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide is an essential addition to the Kyoto lover’s library.

Available from Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.com, and Amazon.co.uk. Also available on Kindle.

Exploring Kyoto - click to buy the bookJudith Clancy is the author of Exploring Kyoto: On Foot in the Ancient Capital, long a favorite walking guide to the city.

A portion of the proceeds from Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide are being donated to the Kyomachiya Machizukuri Fund to support machiya preservation.

See also: Machiya Revival in Kyoto
Images of machiya from Stone Bridge Press.

Épice

November 4, 2011 By Michael Lambe

Last Monday was Mewby’s birthday and every year, on her birthday, I take her out to a restaurant that must fit two criteria: it must be somewhere new (for us) and it must be super posh! This year it was Épice, a French restaurant in an old wooden machiya townhouse not far from the Imperial Palace Park.

It’s a pleasant spot, and the food could best be described as sumptuous. Épice prides itself on using local produce and the freshest vegetables from Ohara and Shiga. There is no a la carte however, so you have to choose a course menu and if you choose the more expensive dinner options you will need to book it in advance. Here are some pictures from our multi-course meal:

It's not a doll's house but a tower of hors d'oeuvres! Top to bottom: pond smelt roasted and then marinated in a spicy sauce, carrot mousse, and Parma ham and green tomatoes.

[Read more…]

Ushinohone Anaza

February 21, 2011 By Michael Lambe

Here’s another comfy, little izakaya style restaurant in an old machiya building on Sanjo. There are lots of simple but tasty Japanese dishes to choose from here. Behold the food!

Appetisers. Unusually (but happily for me) none of them contained meat!
This Crab and tomato tartare was luscious…
Potato Salad with Mentaiko (marinated roe of pollack) – a very nice mix!
”Renkon no kinpira” – stir fried slices of lotus root.
“Kumoko no ponzu” – Cod milt in a ponzu (citrus based) sauce
Shrimp and avocado baked in mayonnaise
Spring rolls with oyster and winter vegetables.
Kinako (soybean) flavored ice cream with kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup))

Ushinohone Anaza is part of a group of restaurants established in Kyoto in 1985. They specialize in hot charcoal cooked dishes and seasonal obanzai ryori. The atmosphere is relaxed, spacious and welcoming. This one sits on the north side of Sanjo in between Tominokoji and Yanaginobanba streets. You can find a map to it here and a map to the other branches here.
TEL/FAX:075-213-2822
Open every day:17:00~24:00

Next Page »

Search hotels and more...

Destination

Check-in date

Sat 14 Jun 2025

Check-out date

Sun 15 Jun 2025
Booking.com

Kyoto: A Literary Guide #AD

Deep Kyoto’s Best…

BARS
CAFES
DINING
EVENTS
HOTELS

Japan Station

Japan Transportation Guide
Japan Transportation Guide
Kyoto Transportation Guide
Kyoto Transportation Guide
Osaka Transportation Guide
Osaka Transportation Guide