Sushi Rakumi — Restaurant in Kyoto

My wife and I are celebrating birthday at Rakumi this evening. The dining experience was way below our expectations, especially considering its price. Here are some details. Service: (1) We have been several omakase in Japan before. Most of them have a dedicated waiter/waitress serving drinks or towels. This is something missing here, which results in a slow response in service even in such a small venue. (2) When we were booking the meal, we have indicated that we were going to celebrate birthday as a couple. This is not mentioned throughout the meal. I guess that this kind of issue shall not happen in a restaurant marked as recommendations. (3) One thing that really confuses me is the way of serving drinks this evening. We are not informed if the drinks are included in the omakase combo price or not. Not sure how much a drink costs. I have asked the guy for the drink menu. The response is that there is NO MEMU. NO MENU for food or drink. Usually there should be a list sharing what we are going to eat in the course and a drink menu. What’s more, the price is not broken down during the payment. The guy just gave a note stating the overall price. I am not sure how the price is calculated. (PS: I later learned that THERE IS A DRINK MENU in Google map.) (4) Minor: As foreigner, I feel less attended, compared to the local diners. I guess that it may be caused by language barriers. Food: Overall speaking, the food is OK, but not necessarily good. I could not reflect anything after returning to my hotel. The tuna quality is not to the expected standard as I tasted. It can be skipped for some other fish. The squid and other fish are no better than what...

No sincerity, no integrity

I came alone because my wife got food poisoning elsewhere and couldn’t join last minute. The staff said “get well soon, we are very sorry about your wife” and told me they would handle it and not charge for her. But in the end, they did charge as usual — no gesture, no sincerity.

For a place that presents itself as high-end, dining isn’t just about food — it’s about culture, sincerity, and ambiance. I saw no integrity in how they handled this situation, so I can’t recommend this restaurant.

yes the food is ok, but i find better food with...

I made a reservation for 2 through a concierge service a few weeks in advance, and came here on a rainy Kyoto day. Best sushi of my life and wonderful service. It’s a small counter for 8 people per service, so you can see all the preparation and grilling up close. The chefs went out of their way to explain the items in English, which was appreciated. One of our dishes was abalone liver risotto, which was so delicious we scraped up every drop in the bowl. This restaurant easily deserves its Michelin star - thank you for a welcoming and delicious meal for our first...