Kikunoi Honten
Kyoto, Japan
⭐3 Stars
The Experience
From Michelin Guide
Kikunoi is spreading the word worldwide about the allure of Japanese cuisine. Yoshihiro Murata sets his sights on innovation while evangelising Kyoto’s graceful ryotei culture. Occasionally Western ingredients get added to the mix, infusing a contemporary sensibility. Change accumulates in layers here, as a result of shifting personnel: Chef Murata invites trainees from overseas to pass on to them the true nature of Japanese cuisine and Japanese traditions of service. Fixing his gaze on the future of Japanese cooking, Murata cultivates the next generation of chefs.
Unique Things
From Visitor Experiences
1. Private Dining Room Inspired by a Boat
One of Kikunoi Honten’s private rooms is uniquely designed to resemble a boat, a creative touch personally crafted by the chef, offering an unconventional dining atmosphere compared to traditional Japanese restaurant layouts.
2. European Antiques in a Japanese Kaiseki Setting
A specific room at Kikunoi Honten is decorated with European antiques, including a chair from the era of Napoleon III, French stained-glass, and a century-old Persian rug, deviating from the typical Japanese aesthetic and blending international influences within a kaiseki context.
3. Historic Chrysanthemum Well and Water Tradition
Kikunoi Honten’s cuisine is rooted in water drawn from a historic well on the property, shaped like a chrysanthemum, which has been used for tea since the time of Kitanomandokoro, wife of Shogun Hideyoshi Toyotomi. This well is central to the restaurant’s identity and culinary tradition, with the motif appearing throughout the restaurant and on tableware.
Ingredient Stars
From Visitor Experiences
Signature Ingredients at Kikunoi Honten, Kyoto
Kikunoi Honten, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Kyoto, is renowned for its use of seasonal and local ingredients. Here are some of the key ingredients and their significance:
Kintoki Red Carrots and Carrot Tops: These are a Kyoto specialty, often served in a mustard sesame sauce. They are part of the hassun course, which showcases seasonal delicacies from the mountains and seas.
Warabi Bracken and Udo: These mountain vegetables are shaped into flower petals and are part of the hassun course, highlighting the restaurant's creative use of seasonal ingredients.
Guji (Tilefish): This prized fish is specially prepared in a breading of dried mullet roe for the yakimono (grilled course). It is served with donko shiitake mushrooms, which mature slowly over winter, enhancing the dish's rich flavors.
Red Sea Bream: Used in a dish featuring a cube of milt tofu topped with red sea bream and covered with a ponzu jelly, showcasing the restaurant's innovative approach to traditional ingredients.