Man — Restaurant in Kyoto

SCAM me if you can…

I usually do not post on google but I feel compelled to do so since it was the WORST restaurant experience in my 5 week-trip in Japon. My girlfriend and I picked this place because of the numerous good ratings on google/maps… DO NOT rely on them !

Let me tell you about our experience/trap : 1/ they ask you for a drink and give you an appetizer while telling you there is no menu

-2/ once you have begun to eat, they ask you for your budget but swiftly indicate that 20 000 yen per person would be a reasonable price (for the Spanish clients coming after us, probably looking more wealthy because older, it was 30 000 yen / person)… classical price anchoring technique, professional negotiators should recognize…

-3/ after multiple talks in English/Japanese/hand language we highlighted that 10 000 to 15 000 yen at most, was more what we had in mind… still not knowing what would be the experience!

-4/ our Spanish neighbors finally left because of the overpricing, which triggered the chef into anger mode

-5/ we were served super fast a dozen of sushis/makis (including 3 cucumber makis)… some (1-2) very good, other more classical

-6/ after 25 minutes, drinks still half full and chopsticks not yet down, we were invited to pay the maximum amount mentioned (ciao to the 10 000 yen option) + extra fees for the drinks (about 10€ for your average Asahi beer)… amounting to 33 000 yen (approx. 200€ for 2 people)…

Honestly not worth it…

-7/ We left the restaurant with a bitter taste in mouth…

In 2 words…...

This is an extremely high-quality Omakase sushi experience. Omakase means the chef chooses for you. One reviewer here complained there was no menu. No darling there is no menu because it is Omakase, which literally means the chef chooses what he will delight you with. And delight me he did! The food was magnificent. The service was very very good. This is a well seasoned chef. I believe I read 43 years in the industry, along with his lovely wife and son create an exceptional experience. This man is an artist, I have no idea how I’ll go back to the United States and ever eat sushi again. There is just no comparison. When you find something this extraordinary there is a cost. We were a party of two and we paid $350 American. Worth every penny/yen. I have read online about other Omakase experiences that were $300 per person and up. This is an eight seat restaurant, all eight seats face the chef. I encourage you to get a reservation. Also check out the pictures of the entryway online. It was raining and dark and we were on foot. It took us a few minutes to find it. It is a small entryway down a long outdoor corridor. When we entered the restaurant, the chef was standing there grading fresh wasabi root. I had never seen real wasabi. There is no comparison between this and that powdered junk they serve in the US. I hope one day I am lucky enough to return to see their smiling faces again and taste the exceptional...

Pros : Easy to book as it seems always empty, you will have a private chef The chef and his family are very open to foreigners

Cons : The price is a complete rip off, you will be charged 20 000 yen per person for a dinner with 10 nigiri. For comparison, the best 3 michelin stars omakase in tokyo charge around 25 000 yen per person for a 20-30 plate dinner. You will not know the price in advance as there is no information given when you book, or online, and nothing on the menu This is not an omakase. You choose what type of nigiri you want to eat. There is no work and research done by the chef to craft the best possible experience The sushi was good but not...