Kikunoi Roan — Restaurant in Kyoto

It sinks my heart to give a low rate to the restaurant. Where should I begin.

If you are a foreigner then you will be treated like an outcast. I was one of two other Japanese guests tonight. When the Japanese guest were treated well (collects sir and ma’am’s jackets and pull/push in the chair and greet them) I stood there waiting to be greeted and after being ignored for 8 seconds decided to pull my own chair and tuck myself in.

Was given a warm towel and sake menu, and the server/cook just tells me what the book is and walks away. I once again waited hoping I could at least get some explanation. Later, I asked for suggestions and the cook told me what the house sake is and I have ordered it. The sake was very disappointing, lack of flavor and taste like cooking sake mixed with soju…

If you read other guests reviews, there are multiple claims that the cook will drop the dish and will not interact with the guests. Well it’s not true, it’s worse… they will point to a course paper and tell us “it’s this one” and leave. As a chef myself, I just don’t understand how you as a cook who spent hours to prep, weeks to practice, and years to master have such lack of passion and respect that you just walk away to hide behind a wall after dropping the dish… although, for the Japanese guests the chef spent at least 10 seconds to describe the dish and where the produce comes from. Although, I was treated like an outcast, I experienced how I could have been treated if I was a Japanese not American.

The meal should of represented Summer (August) but all I felt was jelly’s and bitter cooked citrus flavor from yuzu. From 10 courses, 4 were legit jellies… I am pretty sure I wasn’t a great guest as I received the 3rd jelly dish I stared at the chef and whispered jellies? Maybe, in Japan, during summer they survive the season with jellies. But for a $300+ meal getting jelly after jellies was extremely offensive.

To be fair! The Japanese guest were astonished to receive jellies so what do I know…

In the end it was a experience I hope I didn’t get in Japan. As a chef growing up in western Michelin starred restaurants, hearing about the legends of Kikunoi Honten and cultural influences from Kaisake cuisine, it would have been better left as fantasies then this experience.

Maybe you may have better experience then I do or someone who loves jellies for $300 should try. But for my future self and my friends please skip this one. I hope Michelin look into all guest’s experience not only experiences of it’s resident of its own people to give an award.

Thank you for reading and see the...

I came back a second time after a two years’ break. My expectations were high.

Was it good? - very good. It’s a surprise what you’ll get. Some courses are heavenly others good. The eel rice at the end seems to be a standard and hasn’t changed, they know it’s too much because they’ll doggy-bag the remains for you. (Wished they were as generous with the other foods.)

Is it worth the price? Don’t forget you have to add 20% to the stated price for service and tax (most expensive is 30,000¥ and you get some more bites like duck). I don’t think it is anymore. It has faded in its way. The place is very nice. But don’t expect any over the top service like I have seen it in other places. After all these years the English continues to be very poor and basic. For a place that probably has half its customers from abroad. There is no interaction with the cooks at all. They are not explaining anything of what they do - and it’s amazing to watch them. You are getting instructions on what to dip in which sauce. The reception is basic. The jacket that was hung for me smelled of food more than me. I know Japanese staff do not interact with their guests but it’s a lost opportunity - probably little follow-up business anyway. It could make the difference to be more open and improve the language skills.

Should you come? Hard one. You have to reserve, let the hotel do it (language again). It is amazing what they do, no doubt. But I’d say try another one first. Sorry.

Will I go back? I will most likely not. I am sure I will find something else next time I come back to Kyoto, me favourite City in Japan. Because the haute cuisine of Japan, Kaiseki, beats the French ;-). I love it. Thus I will have the extravaganza again, and save...

Huge Quantity of Low Quality Kaiseki food - Sadly Disappointing

Of the 11 courses none were delicious. The 4 of us love Japanese food, consider it our favourite. We were blown away by high end meals in Tokyo at Sushi Ya, Honmura An etc.. However Kikunoi Roan was an abundance of bland food. French influence heavy dishes like quail and foie gras dumpling with truffle just made us yearn for something delicate and refined. The appetiser sushi were the same quality found in a local food hall. The grouper hot pot was grissly and unappetising. The one nice dish was tuna sashimi with an egg yolk dipping sauce. The crusted sea bream tasted like English fish fingers. The cod semen tofu was gross (where as a delicacy as served at Sushi Ya) Even the typical Kaiseki rice dish at the end of the meal was odd with overpowering raw green onions! We were stuffed midway with heavy handed dishes and wanted to get out.

I’ve attached the menu. We opted for level 2 at 16,000 yen , which costs 25,000 yen through their Tableall online reservation site. Always better to get a Japanese speaker to book direct with the restaurant.

Overall our expectations for Kyoto cuisine was too high. We found some decent simple places, like Sensaku soba and Kaiseki at Teramachi Yoshikura, but nothing like what Tokyo had to offer. Maybe it would have been different if we went to his older brothers restaurant Kikunoi, but Roan was Michelin 2-star, the other 3-star. Roan’s 2-star seems to have been completely misplaced.

There are many bad and good eviews of Roan. From seeing the young tourist customers at the bench table, I suspect their ignorance might have contributed to...