Izusen - Daijiin shop — Restaurant in Kyoto

Really nice shojin ryori experience in a restaurant that's part of the Daitoku-ji grounds. Daitoku-ji is a Buddhist temple, and so the food is entirely vegetarian (though not vegan, gluten-free or sugar-free).

Had the largest set, which was just under 5,000 yen. It consisted of around 15 small dishes, ranging from tangy to sweet to sour to umami. Though the dishes were small, it filled me up pretty well and that's despite not having breakfast. Had some of the best mochi I've ever had.

We came pretty early (around 11:45 am) and got a table without needing a reservation, but it filled up quickly over the course of the hour. It's on tatami mats and there are no chairs, but if you're not used to sitting on your knees then it's okay to sit cross-legged.

One note on getting here -- I walked here from the southeast. Directions on Google Maps to get here were misleading; if it tells you to walk to this place from a street just to the southwest, don't -- it's closed off. You need to enter the Daitoku-ji grounds proper and then make your way to the Daijin area (there is a map that shows this in the middle of...

This is a special place, with a special menu. I'm not vegetarian, but I don't miss anything when dining here, the food is so varied and delicious. I'm not a good sitter in the Japanese style, but they invariably bring a chair good-naturedly to me when asked, so I can enjoy my meal comfortably. I've been three times now! Once by myself, once when visiting Japan with my mother and nephew, and once last month with my husband on his first visit, so apparently I do think it's a must-try experience. There is a lot of food: unless you are a champion eater, the smaller menu is probably heaps.

Despite being here three times, I've entered via the back gate and snuck through to the front door each time. Google Maps keeps dropping me off in the wrong location, and I despair of finding the correct approach. I suspect on my fourth trip I will do okay: the trick is to enter the Daitoku-ji complex through the Main gate (Daitoku-ji Somon), and follow the path west, and when it turns to the south keep following it, until eventually you see signs. When we exited the shop we did it in reverse, so I'm...

Finding this restaurant is not easy unless you’re already in the Daitoku-ji complex. Google map takes you to the wrong place if you navigate directly to here. Just navigate to Daitoku-ji and follow the sign for 泉仙 or 食. It’s a bit hidden and you have to take some winding narrow roads to get here. BUT it’s so worth it. This vegan meal is so satisfying with a lot of flavors and thoughtful presentation. The service is very good. They open for late lunch as well. Sets range from 3000-7000 yen and two could share one set if preferred.

The idea of the meal comes from the history that monks used to eat from an iron bowl so the food here is served in similar bowls.

Def worth checking out this place! And the Daigoku-ji complex is nice to explore too...