Kikunoi Sushi Ao

A ‘sushi kappo’ opened by the ryotei Kikunoi. Sushi is Japanese food, after all, so inventive steps are taken to incorporate sushi into the proceedings, interspersing nigiri into the flow of appetisers, sashimi and soup. Treatment of ingredients is unique: for example, Japanese tiger prawn is char-grilled and scorched in the shell, and conger eel is seasoned with black seven-spices and buds of the pepper tree. Another thing you won’t find elsewhere is the ability to choose from serving ware and sake decanters crafted by none other than legendary ceramicist and epicure Rosanjin.

• Sushi inside kaiseki, not next to it: Nigiri turns up between soups and small dishes, so the meal feels composed rather than a parade of fish.
• Rosanjin in active use: Guests can choose serving ware and decanters made by Rosanjin, which is almost unheard of in a working restaurant.
• Kyoto setting, Edomae technique: The fish is handled in Edomae style, then bent toward Kyoto seasonality and restraint.

• Japanese tiger prawn: Char-grilled and scorched in the shell as a signature treatment.
• Conger eel (anago): Seasoned with black seven-spices and pepper-tree buds, also used in soup components.
• Karasumi (bottarga) and squid: A house-style pairing, karasumi wrapped in squid and marinated for depth.
• Hamo (conger pike eel) sashimi: Blanched briefly in broth and served warm with pickled plum.
• Red-vinegar sushi rice: Used for richer fish such as tuna, with lighter fish matched to rice-vinegar rice.
• Rosanjin tableware: Not an ingredient, but a defining material choice that shapes how the meal reads.

One-star sushi-kappo in Kyoto’s Higashiyama area, produced by the ryotei Kikunoi. Nigiri is woven into a kaiseki flow of appetisers, sashimi and soup, with distinctive treatments such as char-grilled Japanese tiger prawn and conger eel seasoned with black seven-spices and pepper-tree buds. Serviceware and sake decanters include work by Kitaoji Rosanjin.