8 Gourmets You Must Try when Visiting Kyoto
Kyoto has a wide range of tasty food and you'll want to eat everything! Introducing the gourmet foods of Kyoto, so that you can eat your fill of Kyoto's elegant food culture when visiting!
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1. Boiled Tofu（Shoraian）
If there's one thing we want you to eat when going to Kyoto, it's Sagano's boiled tofu. The inside is even a special product of Shoraian. It's a building with a lovely atmosphere not too far down along the Arashiyama Katsura River, and it's famous because you can taste a delicious boiled tofu meal while enjoying the scenery from season to season. Since evenings are 7,500 and up, it seems there are a lot of people who visit for lunch.
HP: www.shoraian.jp/ (Japanese Only)
Address: Inside government land, Sagakamenocho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto,shi, Kyoto-to (Google Map)
2. Konpeito（Ryokujuan Shimizu）
Konpeito is often eaten in early childhood, but later on, you don't happen to see a store specially dealing in it. However, there is only one store in the country that specializes in Konpeito, and it's in Kyoto. It's Ryokujuan Shimizu. Shimizu's Konpeito has abundant variations, and they are all extremely good-smelling and each has an elegant and thorough taste. The appearance is also cute, and the high-grade packaging makes it a perfect souvenir.
HP: www.konpeito.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 38-3 Yoshidaizumidonocho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Google Map)
3. Sukiyaki（Mishima-tei）
Mishima-tei's sukiyaki is definitely something you'll want to try if you go to Kyoto. You can enjoy Japanese black beef cured by a unique recipe as much as you want, and it's very delicious. Mishima-tei was established in 1873 and it's 140 year-old traditional cooking methods haven't changed even to this day. Also, the restaurant not only has meat, but Kyoto vegetables as well, so be sure to try them!
HP: www.mishima-tei.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 405 Sakuranocho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Google Map)
4. Mame Daifuku（Demachi Futaba）
You can't leave Kyoto without a well-known soybean cake from Demachi Futaba, who uses an unchanged cooking method since its establishment in 1899. You'll be addicted to the red beans with a strong, chewy texture and elegant sweetness added to it. They very popular and made one by one, so they have the attraction of being able to be eaten while you stand in line.
HP: tabelog.com/kyoto/A2601/A260302/26001520/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 236 Seiryucho, Kawaramachi-dori Imadegawa Agaru, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Google Map)
5. Japanese Sweets（Tsujiri）
If you go to Kyoto, you'll want to drink delicious tea and eat Japanese sweets. At Tsujiri Tea Room, you can taste various yummy Japanese sweets using traditional raw materials of Kyoto. It was a shop originally made for members of younger generations to learn the ways of making and drinking delicious tea, but now it's a famous shop visited by members of every generation. The green tea parfait is a very popular menu item and has a deliciousness that comes from the thick tea's taste.
HP: www.giontsujiri.co.jp/saryo/menu/ (Japanese Only)
Address: Gion Tsujiri Main Store 2・3 Floor, 573-3 Gionmachi Minamigawa, Shijo-dori, Higashiyama, ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Google Map)
6. Kuzukiri（Kagizen Yoshifusa）
Kudzu starch noodles are made using only Yoshino Hon-kudz-ko and water, so they were created as a confectionery. It's popular to mix it with brown sugar syrup, and it gives a refreshing feeling going down one's throat and is recommended during Kyoto's hot summers. When it comes to kudzu noodles in Kyoto, Kagizen Yoshifusa is famous not only for its taste but also its hospitality. Go see it by any means.
HP: www.kagizen.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 471 Kawaramachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Google Map)
7. Mitarashi Dango（Kamo Mitarashi Tea House）
Kamo Mitarashi Tea House is located near the pathway of the world heritage site Shimogamo Shrine. The mitarashi dango here is a gem that you should try at least once. It's very delicious with the sauce made from brown sugar syrup. It seems that it was made as a motif of the spring water bubbles of Mitarashi pond in the Tadasu forest. Nowadays the mitarashi dango here is major, but it's said that this is actually its birthplace.
HP: www.kyotogmap.com/shop/0106_kamomitarasi/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 53 Shimogamo Matsunokicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Google Map)
8. Nishin Soba（Matsuba）
You can't miss Matsuba when talking about Kyoto's gourmet foods. There are probably many people who aren't familiar that think it's a strange combination, but the nutritional value is very high, it smells great, and it has a simple taste that will make you want to eat it many more times. This is the famous store that everyone knows in Kyoto as Matsuba. Since it's establishment 150 years ago, it has maintained its flavor without changing, and everyday there are a lot of people visiting with the goal of nishin soba.
HP: www.sobamatsuba.co.jp/ (Japanese Only)
Address: 192 Kawabata-cho, Shijo-ohashi Higashi-iru, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto(Google Map)
The information in this article is accurate at the time of publication.
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