MOTOÏ — Restaurant in Kyoto

My sister and I were looking at different places to eat when we stumbled upon MOTOI at the web (I have to admit we were first looking for the Gyoza place, and while I'm sure that is lovely, we were beyond pleased to wind up here).

Motoi is quite, classic and stylish. The staff are professionel and kind.

Every dish was masterly prepared, the techniqe perfect. Add to this that while Motoi specialises in french techniqe, every dish has a Kyoto twist that was supprising to our palates; red miso powder on the foie gras, chilli along with the whale, and bamboo with the beef. Sometimes, twists of this kind can feel forced, like something added to the dish at the last minute to satisfy a concept - not so at Motoi; the twists enhance the dishes and lets you experience known tastes in a new way.

Every dish was delicious, but some stood out, and for my part, I want to highlight two of the three desserts:

Tomatoes for dessert is a bold choice. Add to this that the second dessert has as many as six components and is only a few spoonfulls large, and I would have thought that this dish could not possibly work. On the face of it, it seemed the sort of dish where you understand that the chef has been somewhat too creative. Not at Motoi. Here the flavours of the many ingredients manages to share the stage, they balance each other instead of beating each other up. Such a clever little dish!

I also have to write a few words about the mini-madelaine cake with seaweed we got along several other tiny and delicious cakes (and which I forgot to take a picture of). Everyone who has ever tried to make a madelaine-cake knows the struggle this seemingly simple sweet entails. The madelaine is a monster, it demands perfection to get its shape, its golden exterior, and still retain moisture. To even attempt a miniature madelaine is brave. To manage to make a perfect mini-madelaine is masterfull.

A visit to Motoi should be high upon the list of anyone visiting Kyoto, we will surely come back should we again find ourself...

MOTOÏ is a Michelin starred French restaurant in Kyoto. Online reservation is straightforward; all guests must pre-order the same menu and prepay the full amount in advance. While the façade of the restaurant resembles that of a traditional Kyoto mansion, the interior design shows much influence of the western culture. The elegantly chic main dining room is spacious and well ventilated. Servers are polite and professional. Owner chef Maeda Motoi-san is also friendly and accommodating. Food is of great quality and reasonably priced.

The 10-course “Gourmand” lunch (JPY 16,500/head) might not be as artistically plated as other fancy restaurants, but each dish has its own subtle uniqueness. For example, the perfectly cooked foie gras is paired with the seasonal pacific saury tartare and mandarin orange sauce, an innovative combination that is surprisingly light yet flavourful. It is apparent from his use of local ingredients that Chef Maeda is inspired by his Kyoto roots. The wagyu main course alone includes 60 kinds of “Kyo-Yasai” (a term referring to vegetables grown in Kyoto). Another highlight of the meal is the refreshing amuse bouche made out of Manganjitougarashi, the king of Japanese chili pepper originated from Kyoto. The vibrant Manganjitougarashi mousse is sweet but not spicy, and is perfectly balanced with the freshness of the scallop and salmon roes. A lovely lunch on a...

Their signature dish was very interesting and very well executed, a good balance of flavours and it transmitted that Chinese vibe (as its a Chinese inspired dish).

There was also a remarkable lobster dish, perhaps the high quality of the lobster was carrying the dish.

Their most balanced dish was a foie grass based dish with a very good choice of seasoning for the cookie (cumin).

Now to the bad part... The entrees although good were most certainly from the previous day, it was obvious by looking at the base of them if we'd lift them up. We were the first service so I get it but this kind of place shouldn't cut corners.

The beef (和牛) was OK, from a local source, but not the high quality I would come to expect from one of these places.

The rest of the dishes pretty uninspired, since it's a seasonal thing this may change in other seasons.

The coffee was made by drip, the beans were clearly high quality but the way the coffee was made lacked the body and foaminess of a well made spresso.

Summary: A pretty good place for a good dinner, however bear in mind that a michelin star doesn't have the same meaning in Japan than in Europe (maybe that's why here they are cheaper). If you expect the same level as you'd get on a European michelin star restaurant you will be...