Arancino Kyoto — Restaurant in Kyoto

This message is meant for the owner/manager: what we were charged for this meal and dining experience does not nearly match the quality and level of service that we received.

Summary: arrived on time for meal but not served even amuse bouche until 30 minutes later (Champaign already finished) we ordered the tasting menu with wine pairing and every single course I had to remind the server to bring the wine (several courses already eaten) the timing between the courses was way off. Sometimes it was 5 minutes, sometimes it was 20 minutes this was the most expensive meal we had in Japan but the service and quality of food was unfortunately the worst here there were only 3-4 other tables occupied during our dinner

Genuinely, we felt bad for the server at the restaurant. He was really trying his hardest to help but everything felt very chaotic and he had to do everything himself. It’s hard to say exactly where the problems are but there for sure should be a better system of service/management if you’re going to charge Michelin quality prices for your meals. The food was “okay” with some courses that showed promise but others being...

After a few days in Japan, we were wanting something a little bit closer to home. The food here was delicious with a fusion style to the food and we went for the lunch slot which is about 40% cheaper than evening with a pared down menu but still allows you to try some signature dishes. Nibbles: Olive oil that came with the bread was really good and breads verh soft. The parmesan crisp bread could have done with more cheese flavour Starter: Seasonal carpaccio, lovely flavours in particular the citrus fruit which added a nice touch to the fish. Charcoal lasagne also delicious. Primo: Definitely go for the uni pasta, rich and more-ish and good pasta work. Secondi: Pork loin and Wagyu steak were lovely and flavoursome and cooked to perfection. Salt flakes on the side to season bringing out even more flavour. Dessert: Small and dainty to complete the lunch, hojicha tiramisu and strawberry fruit mousse, super light as with most japanese desserts.

Would highly recommend...

A Michelin Star is in order for the elegant Arancino Kyoto restaurant where we celebrated my birthday dinner. Italian-Asian fusion cuisine served as a chef's menu which surprised and delighted us at each of the seven courses. The flavors leaned toward the Italian, but the ingredients were local and more typically Japanese. Starting with shrimp tartare & caviar, then a scallop papaya turnip creation ...each small offering was better than the next. The melt-in-your-mouth Wagu beef sirloin qualified as my favorite of the evening - not counting the desserts. Created especially for my day, the sugar glass confection encasing a cake with a candle was spectacular!! Chef Masaki Takahashi was masterful......I HIGHLY recommend a visit...