Kaji — Restaurant in Kyoto

This was truly a sublime experience. Perfect taste, perfect texture, perfect balance.

You know when you read a really good book and it takes you on a journey and then at the end when you finish you don't quite know what to do with yourself, but you wish you were at the start again so you could have that experience again....this was a bit like that. I wish I could do it all over again... except I can't because now I am delightfully full and am reeling in delight from the experience.

So, this is how it went:

The first dish brought out was quite literally the most beautiful work of art I experienced on this trip. Everything (Everything!) was Delicious! The sweet potato was perfect. The little ginger delights on the pine. The lotus! Everything was not only presented perfectly, each individual flavour was brought out to perfection.

As a starter it set a high bar and I have to say the rest of the meal lived up to it!

Each course was really interesting, and had delicate balance to it. You could taste the individual flavour of the vegetable and seafood, and each one did not overpower any other item. Utterly perfect and delicious.

Soup - if the appetizer was the show stopping opener, this soup continued the deliciousness! The delicate clear broth that made you desire more.

Sashimi - the freshest seafood I've ever had. And I really enjoyed each individual flavour. There was a set of 3 condiments and the wonderful waitress was kind enough to advise which would suit which. She was right! They just elevated the flavour which was good because to mask any of the put together flavours would have been a crime.

Grilled - an awesome use of puree green pepper on top of grilled fish. The was not hot spicy but like elevated pepper with the taste of fire and fish. Also freshness (like summer in a garden after cut grass) in the glass small dish. Sweet, fresh, gooooood!

Freshen up - this one gets a special shout out. Corn tofu had both a delicious flavour and lovely texture. In the surrounding sauce broth slight jelly (not sure the correct word), were the most amazing green shoots! I had to ask the wonderful waitress what it was called - Jinsai, the shoot and a small bud. First time I've had it, and hopefully I will again! Because it was divine!

Steamed - I could taste each vegetable clearly and they were in a broth that had hints of citrus (I think and also maybe a tingle on the tongue) so so good. I adored the texture of the vegetables, they were cooked to perfection, not over nor under done.

These were served together: Rice - I got rice cooked in an earthenware pot with a green herb and fish on top. This was lovely. There was so much flavour here. The way it all melded together and yet kept separate in taste was amazing. Miso- the slight saltiness went with the little clams and it just worked so well. So so tasty. Pickles - Kyoto pickles, what can I say, these are the absolute best and delicious every time!

Each dish was a testament to the natural beauty of Kyoto and it's environs.

Desert - plum sorbet with peach jelly, cherry mousse thingy, + blueberries = Delicious! Do not ever say no. Not to be missed out on.

This is an experience of flavours that you definitely want to do, it is a...

I'll preface this by saying that this is my only Kaiseki experience so I don't know how it compares to others. However, I can say that it was an experience that was completely worth the 8100 yen price. (That's the most expensive option. It starts at 3900 yen for both lunch and dinner). The meal is 10 courses with various types of seafood, vegetables, and pickled goodies. Each one was delightful to the eye and each had its own special addition to the meal. I loved that each dish was perfectly timed so that a minute or two after we finished one, wondering what each thing was (they don't speak English), another dish came out. We spent about 2.5 hours there and never felt rushed. My favorite dish was the seasonal rice and fish and the delicious and generous helping of fresh sashimi. Lastly, as we were leaving the chef came out, grabbed our shoes for us, took careful photos of us outside and walked us to the corner. That's an experience...

I thoroughly enjoyed dining at Kaji. The food was fabulous, some had subtle yet incredibly flavourful undertones and others that just burst with freshness and flavour. It kept me wanting more and more with each bite. Both the owner and chef, despite not being fluent in English, made every afford to explain each dish to us, and kept up friendly conversation over the evening. Lunch and dinner prices appear to be the same and there are 3 kaiseki courses to choose from. For the quality of food offered, the prices are both reasonable and affordable. I am so glad I found this little gem of a restaurant; amazing food, great hosts... it will definitely be on my list to dine at again next time i'm...