Kashiwaya Osaka Senriyama — Restaurant in Suita

Reservations for two, I didn't specify the room. I ended up in the Shohaku room (seats 20-30). I saw the reviews, I've seen the guide, I read the website....

It's honestly a good restaurant, but it feels very stiff, very formal. It feels like a restaurant where politicians come and speak. The restaurant is EXTREMELY private. As they list on their website, they have seven rooms. You are really only coming here for very private dining.

Food (4.5/5): I saw some people complain that the food wasn't three star worthy. I think what people have to understand is that the food did not seem super modern, contemporary, with plating in a European/Scandinavian fashion. I am not claiming to be a Japanese expert, but the food appears to be pure-pure traditional Japanese. I personally was looking to eat a very traditional Japanese meal to kind of see what's going on, and I think that's what was delivered. The sake/wine pairings for the most part were great! I think one thing that made me feel disappointed, as others have voiced, is the fruit dish. I think it's a missed opportunity as Japanese gift fruit is known to be extraordinary; however the fruit presented did not seem remarkable. Also, the fruit was not cut particularly well, if a restaurant is bold enough to present fruit on its own as a dish, perhaps it would be an opportunity to show the chef's skill by having the fruit cut intricately. I think the emphasis for most of the course was, light, refreshing, natural.... I think it delivered, as the courses came through, I felt calm. The food was not BOLD, not BIG flavours, but muted, subtle, calming. I felt very calm when eating the food. I guess the "warning" for people is that you need to curb your expectations for the "finest" ingredients, or crazy intricate flavours. The restaurant is serving local ingredients that are in season.

Service (5/5). There is a language barrier, the English is fine, if not conversational. All of service staff were excellent. It felt a bit stiff at the start, then as the night progressed there were more smiles, more talking (interactions), and I felt more at ease. The staff waited in the rain to see us off in the taxi. This is easily three star Michelin service.

Atmosphere (5/5). As I previously stated, it was a reservation for two, and ended up in the Shohaku room (seats 20-30). My wife and I were wondering what was up, it felt very lonely in there. Can I really complain when they give you 400 soft of private dining space? I saw some other posts that say it was just a table in the room which is half true. I mean, it's a tea house style room, with a table in the middle. I don't think the staff can reasonable haul 10 tables in and out, chairs, in and out, then be expected to throw up some statues or something. Also, the pictures on the website show the shined wood tables; but our tables were covered in white table cloths. My wife and I were given three shiny wood tables, covered in clothes. So we were essentially two people dining on a 100 cm x 250 cm table. As previously stated, the staff ended up smiling more, speaking more, and the atmosphere lightened up. For future diners, SPECIFY YOUR ROOM.

Overall, I do think the restaurant is FAR above other 1 star Michelin restaurants. I think the debate is whether they are 2 star or 3 star. The service is quite frankly an easy 3 star. The food is what has all these customer reviews split. Personally, I think the Kiku (220,000) was worth the experience. My recommendations to the restaurants: I - Please ask diners to pick a room to dine. ii - Please differentiate Ran, Take, Kiku, Ume to international guests on your website. I have no idea what the difference is, other than prices. iii - I think the cut fruit dish can be improved or become an opportunity to show off Japanese gift fruit, or chef's knife skills.

Thank you...

I stopped posting photos or reviews for a long while, but decided to resume posting just to share the unique culinary, culture and artistic experiences I recently had at Kashiwaya. I had been to Kashiwaya twice in the past ten years or so, but I wasn’t sure it was a 3-star Michelin restaurant back then. I booked an appointment early this month without remembering anything about this place or knowing it’s a 3-star restaurant. It was quite a culture shock and culinary adventure so I booked another meal three weeks after, since they changed their menu right around 20th of each month. I have to say that I don’t remember any other 3-star restaurants could provide similar experience through an exquisite meal. First of all, I was lucky to be seated in their private Japanese tea ceremony house both times this month, and that’s the experience no others can provide. I had watched the Japanese matcha tea ceremony on the Japanese TV show once, so I wasn’t completely out of my mind when I was guided to enter this rustic wooden house through the garden. You have to bend down and kneel in through the nijiri agariguchi (a tiny door or some might say it’s a doggy door). Then you enter a meditation-like space that you are blocked from city noise, modern technology or any restaurant stereotype. All food items and services are through the little white door on the right, but most of the time, you get to enjoy your meal without any distractions. This wabi-sabi (侘び寂び) dining atmosphere enable maximum attention on the presentation and tasting of each dish. I was very impressed by the museum-quality dining wares for each dish and the various cooking techniques used throughout the course. Usually I avoid most Michelin restaurants in Japan because I don’t have an elegant taste palette for sashimi. But Kashiwaya is a bit fashion and “adventurous. Today’s Japanese chawanmushi soufflé is the best example, it combines the most delicate dishes in French and Japanese cuisine into one small cup. Of course this tea house experience is not for everyone, since you do sit on the tatami floor for the whole time, my legs went numb...

Of all the Michelin Star restaurants in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, this was the restaurant we were most excited about. I’m really bummed to have to write this review... On paper, 3 Michelin Stars, Relais Chateaux, $400 per person... It sounded like the meal of a lifetime, right? NOT. The restaurant has many rooms, most of which are tatami floor seating style. We were led to what looked like an interrogation room with a table large enough for 10 people, 2 Western chairs, no artwork on the walls and dated decor. Not even old charm Japanese, just old and frankly creepy. No music and the incessant sliding door opening and closing with a rusted metallic sound... We were totally creeped out. We had to start playing a little background music from our phones to get a some kind of atmosphere. Rude of us? Maybe, but I swear, the room had this awful fluorescent lighting, not at all the “cocoon feel” I had read about in the reviews. THE FOOD: just plain boring. No flavors, nothing exciting at all. Is the Chef so well known that he keeps getting the ratings he received 20 years ago? The sake/wine tasting at $90 per person consisted of $12 bottles anyone could find at the corner supermarket. Not good at all. Service was lovely. Therefore my giving the place 2 stars.

We walked out of there, thanked everyone politely and burst into laughter once in the taxi. Never have I spent $900 on a meal for 2 that was so below average. Not to mention the restaurant is a 45 minute drive from the center of Osaka.

SO...