After an exceptional 3-hour train ride, we stumbled into the Kyoto train station. We were tired from the late trip and our three-day stint in Tokyo, but we were determined to test the area that night. Right off the bat, the differences between Tokyo and Kyoto were clear. Kyoto while still crowded, wasn’t hectic with a continuous flow of stimulation like Tokyo. In addition, you didn’t need your train ticket to LEAVE the train station like in Tokyo, already I loved Kyoto…
In truth, I don’t know why I immediately loved Kyoto, although, I had plenty of reasons by the time our five days in Kyoto were complete. The initial drive to the hotel did not have the same sensory overload like in Tokyo. The buildings were not glowing with neon lights or spritely cartoon characters, or even ostentatious architecture (on the surface), driving through it, it looked like an ordinary city. Sometimes a city just has the right feel to it, and Kyoto did. I just knew I was going to love this city. We had three full days, and four nights. If I listed the top days of travel in my life, two of them were spent in Kyoto. The only reason it wasn’t all three was because an unfortunate trip to Osaka broke up the day. Below are the reasons why I loved Kyoto…
The Food in Kyoto
I love Kyoto for the food above all else. If you are comparing the sheer volume of food to Tokyo, yes there is more in Tokyo (and Osaka for that matter). Believe me, you will not go hungry in this city, have no fear, there is enough good food that you will never get to it all. Our first stop was to the Nishiki Market. It was a quick walk from our hotel, so it was the obvious choice. We were exhausted by the time we got off the train but wanted to see part of the city.
I would give this market mixed reviews…when I see skewered sparrows sitting out in the same position, every morning, I have my doubts about the freshness … I like my sparrow freshly killed! Admittedly, there were a couple of places that looked as if they were selling antiques instead of dinner. One lady popped my fish into the microwave…
Now that the negatives are out of the way, the good places are missed dearly… There was a guy who would grill up A4 Wagyu beef for 800 yen (around $7.50), while playing the best of Sam Cooke… We did not pass him without getting some skewers and a highball. There was a shrimp guy, whose product went quickly (so you know it was fresh). I dabbled a lot in this market, my first and only octopus stuffed with egg, grilled squid, non-egg filled octopus…it was a good way to start (and finish) ….
What’s Matsusaka Beef
Nothing sounds more authentic than a restaurant in Japan whose name is primarily in English. Make no mistake, this is no Americanized beef restaurant. First, the name asks a good question: What’s Matsusaka Beef? It is one of the “big three” in terms of beef in Japan. The two other’s being Kobe Beef, and Ohmi Beef. I know you have heard of Kobe, all three are the highest grade A5 Wagyu beef. All three melt in your mouth…
We ate so much Wagyu that we made Peta’s most wanted list. Having tried all three, on multiple occasions I can say all are equally fantastic. What’s Matsusaka Beef was the best steak house we visited in Japan. It isn’t cheap, but it is the highest quality. We had some veggies and beef, that’s it…no noodles, no rice. The price was close to $200. I thought that was high until I realized, that I got a couple of skewers and some bad pork belly tacos at Soul in Charlotte for $225. It hurts my T-Rex arms just writing that sentence…. What is also great is the atmosphere. We received our own private room, with a buzzer if we needed anything. When in Kyoto don’t pass up on this gem…
Sushi: Isami or Kappa
We had sushi twice while we were in Kyoto, both times it was outstanding. First, Isami is a little family owned restaurant. It appeared to be a father and son operation, it was very quiet and small. I assume the place has been there forever. The dad looked old enough that he may have been serving dinosaur on his original menu. My dinner was outstanding, and the service was impeccable. It was right next to our hotel, Villa Sanjo Muromachi Kyoto; I loved this hotel, read the TripAdvisor reviews below.
Read Reviews of the Villa Sanjo Muromachi Kyoto on TripAdvisor
Kappa is the sushi restaurant my wife preferred of the two, it is very good as well. It is located on Pontocho alley, our preferred way to end a night in Kyoto. The sushi chefs here are quite talented, serving up some of the best bites on our trip. This was the first place we tried tuna belly, something that goes for $15/Roll in Charlotte. The fish melts in your mouth, we loved it so much we ordered pounds of it when we found our way back to Tokyo.
The food was excellent, the service outstanding and the price wasn’t bad. You aren’t paying Jiro prices, but this isn’t Al’s Sushi and Oil Change either. It was worth every penny, the presentation alone in both places shows how important details are to the culture and the country.
Yudofu Sagano
The experience was unbelievable, if for nothing else, just the atmosphere. The Yofofu Arashiyama restaurant might be hard to find, but that is why you have GPS! So as not to revoke my Man Card, I want to preface this by saying we had A LOT of beef on this trip….!
Yudofu Sagano on the other hand is known for Tofu. I used to hate Tofu, but this place perfected it, finessed it, put its foot all up–well you get the point… Set right inside of a beautiful Zen garden, you walk into a quiet room and sit Indian style (not sure if I can still say that, but it is my blog). We struggled at first, but after several gestures and picture pointing our Tofu arrived and it was worth the language barriers. The restaurant serves you maybe 12 dishes each, all at once. The flavors of all the dishes were crisp, light, surprisingly flavorful, teasing the palate with every bite (…yes, we ate 24 small plates…) if you want a unique experience, Yudofu Sango is a good choice…
Atmosphere
I mentioned how much I loved the feel of Kyoto, because of the overall atmosphere of the city. We were coming from Tokyo, where everything seemed rushed, crowded or just a collateral attack on the senses. There are crowds in Kyoto as well, especially near the attractions, they just weren’t overbearing like in Tokyo…
The city had an older, wiser, sage feel to it, a welcome reprieve from the energy of Tokyo. Walking down the streets at night, people were on bikes everywhere or on foot, it was very peaceful just strolling the area. Out of nowhere a temple would appear, some big, some small. The city just felt easy to navigate and at night I always felt safe. For the record, I felt safe in all of Japan, no matter the hour. Walking along the river or on Pontocho alley, it was always a great way to cap off the night. The atmosphere is another reason why I love Kyoto.
I won’t list all the things to do in Kyoto, as a short blurb won’t do them justice. I will say that areas such as Arashiyama were breathtaking, a small river, a tiny bridge and a rare glimpse of a Geisha… Kyoto is also the home to the Vatican of temples, which can be explored throughout Kyoto and can take hours (if not all day) to fully explore. Some were crowded, but the crowds seemed to disappear depending on the hour (go really early or late in the day). We would get to one of the major attractions and it would be full of people, 5-minutes later there would be no one around…
The People
First, let me state that the people and the service all over Japan were amazing. Minus a couple of taxi drivers, everyone tried extremely hard to make you happy. Maybe it was our hotel, maybe it was dumb luck, but I feel like the people in Kyoto took it up a notch. It is hard to explain without examples…
The first one that I think of was a man and his family in an art store. We decided to take a couple of paintings home with us, something we do on every trip. You would have thought the emperor walked in; with the way we were treated. They took that painting and as a family wrapped it up tightly, then proceeded put a handle on it for travel. I was worried how the hell we were going to get it home; they turned it into a mini suitcase.
They were not poor or desperate, just nice. I have bought paintings that were hundreds of dollars in other countries, most of which I was lucky to get a plastic bag, let alone a sincere thank you and a bow…
A second example is as we were leaving our hotel. As I stepped out of the front door to hail a taxi, I went for and missed one by seconds. The gentlemen at the front desk saw this, proceeded to run out the door, shoot down a side street in a sprint and disappear. Five-minutes later, a cab pulls up with him in the back seat. Either this guy really wanted me the hell out of there or he treats his guests well. I am sure it was the latter, they treated us with exceptional kindness the entire stay, and remained bowed as we drove away…
Negatives to Kyoto
I always like to point out what someone might not like in a city, and given that Kyoto is one of my top three favorite (maybe #1) cities in the world I will have to stretch it… I didn’t explore all of Kyoto, as there is A LOT to do during the day. Having said this, it was not as high energy as Tokyo. The nightlife was fine for me but it wasn’t the ‘crazy’ the some may enjoy…
Kyoto is a more relaxed atmosphere than a lot of other cities in Asia. There is plenty to do, but not on the same scale as others in terms of nightlife. You may find it is “small-town” at night, going to the same place over again and again. This may be the only drawback for those looking for something a bit more rambunctious…
Conclusion
To recap, I loved Kyoto. It was unique, elegant and relaxing with an exceptional number of beautiful things to see and experience. The energy and really the old-world calmness of the city resonated with me. The MELT IN YOUR MOUTH beef did not hurt…but really, I felt it as soon as I got off the train and I inhaled the intoxicating heaviness of incense, felt the cleansing water before entering a temple, the light sting of sake while looking out at the river from a much beloved balcony… I lusted after Tokyo (bites hand at the idea of a rich broth ramen), but when I visit Japan again, I will go back to where the heart is …in Kyoto...
