Kani Doraku Kyoto Honten — Restaurant in Kyoto

I didn't have high expectations for this restaurant, considering the so called reasonable prices. However, I was extremely disappointed after the meal. The service was quite poor, especially for a restaurant in Kyoto. It felt like they were just trying to get rid of us, especially because we were foreigners.The male receptionists (3 of them) had a terrible attitude, showing no enthusiasm or smiles. One of the young waitress spilled some sauce on my table and didn't bother cleaning it up before leaving. That was shocking and unacceptable. The quality of the food was mediocre, and the crab was overcooked. To top it off, there was a loud group from mainland China (without any intention of being racist as I am Chinese but not from mainland China) which was disruptive to other customers. The restaurant should have asked them to keep the noise down. But they didn't do anything. I would not recommend this restaurant at all. For a lunch spending over $13,000¥ there are so many great...

It wasn't too busy the day we went, a Sunday evening around 5pm, yet I have reservation made. Because I had two kids with me, they gave me a private room at no cost. Having a private room with the two kids allowed me to relax and not worry about bothering other customers. Kids were blown way by the giant crab that moves outside the store. We had shabu shabu. I don't like to peel crab so that's the easiest to eat. Also, that is a dairy-free, egg-free and peanut-free option for my 2 year old who has food allergy. Also ordered a side of the iron pot rice and cawanmushi (egg custard). Probably one of the best meals I had! For the picky eaters I have, it's amazing that they chow everything down. Service was prompt...

FEB 2024

Came here with a reservation and ordering is via QR code. There are a number of set course menu and also ala carte if you know what you want. But since it was my first time at Kani Doraku I went with one of the set course which included three types of steamed crabs (king crab, snow crab and hairy crab) to try and also a variety of crab dishes from grilled, raw, tempura and sushi. The crabs were fresh and tasty but did took a bit of time to learn how to efficiently get the meat out of the shell as there was no instructions provided. Staffs have limited English but they were friendly and service was good. Price was about right for the quality and variety of crab dishes you get to experience for...