Kyoto Sushi Emon – Premium Aged Sushi on Senbon Street — Restaurant in Kyoto

tldr : overpriced and average. Hoping for more transparency on seating fee and required drink order per person before you sit down.

Response to Owner’s comment: As for my point about the drink, it wasn’t disclosed on the menu outside the restaurant that each person should order a drink. Not disclosing the service fee and the required drink per person is dishonest. We were told a drink was required per person after we ordered. How would I feel comfortable to stand up and leave after that? Thank you for pointing out that the sashimi being cut in two, I appreciate the thoughtfulness. We were unaware about it being cut in two as we intended to eat our meal separately as my companion does not eat raw fish, hence we ordered two meals. There wasn’t any malicious intent in my review, I just wasn’t satisfied. Additionally, we brought our unfinished coffee from outside as we are not able to find a trash can. We didn’t drink it while we were in the restaurant - but that’s not the point of my review.

Note the place charges a seating fee and requires you to order a drink. This was not disclosed on the outside menu.

We got a sashimi set and a 4pc tempura. The sashimi had a clean taste, but a few pieces were unevenly cut (pic reference below - the salmon cut is 1/3 that of the tuna). The seating fee came with an appetizer, which was quite good. The tempura was basic and is overpriced (2200 yen for 4pcs). Overall, the food was okay but overpriced. I hope they disclose the seating fee as well as the required drink in the future before...

Recommended by our fancy hotel's front desk when our more expensive choices didn't have availability. Ordered the special sashimi for 2 (~8k yen) which advertised to include uni and tuna belly. This seemed like a good deal but didn't disclose approx how many pieces. It came with 22 pieces but more than half were pieces of fish that were tough/chewy to eat and had veins that were simply intolerable. Temperature across sashimi pieces were inconsistent as well. May have been an anomaly.

300 yen each person was required as a sitting fee or cover charge and in return each person received a "special" appetizer which happened to be a tofu bean curd square layered in a light soy based sauce for us.

The host was quite welcoming and nice but the food was the most intolerable sashimi I've had in Japan. Simply disappointed with my first sashimi meal in Japan...

In this evening, I went to eat some sushi at the sushi bar where I choose to go when I come to Kyoto, "Gion Emon", which was recentely moved from the Gion area to the central district of Kyoto. I had a glass of "Umeshu (Japaneses plum liquor)" a very sweet fruity liquor, grilled sea scallops (hotate) and sea bream (tai) and a dish of assorted sushi. After a starter with a glass of Umeshu, a small grill was brought to the counter table with a 6 pieces of scallops so that a customer can cook it by himself or herself. I hate to eat sushi in other country because it is usually horrible. When I come back to Japan, the first thing I eat is sushi and raw fish because they are freshly caught. I almost always eat at the bar counter so that I can see a sushi chef how to make it and possible have a chat with him or with other customers. Many sushi restaurants where one chef prepares dishes are family own and only opens for dinner. Imagine he (or she) has to go to the fish market to buy fresh fish and seafood and prepare dishes for customers while he listens to them and talks with them. It is extraordenary and it required a good communicate skill and patient . It is completly different or even opposite to many Michelin chefs who command in kitchen. My recommendation at this restaurant is "Seikyo-zuke" which means "pickled food in soybean paste" or "Miso". It can be some pickled vegetable or it also can be grilled fish or meat. This technique with whitish soybean paste "Seikyo miso" was developped in the imperial Kyoto hundreds years ago. Soaking into a soybean paste for a long hours takes out water from the ingredients. It can last longer. Back to what I had tonight was grilled sea bream soaked in the soybean paste which are obsorbed the taste of the paste. It tasted very good. To finish dinner, I had some Maccha ice cream. The total was 7,920 yen. Note: ENGLISH...