Last time I had a kaiseki dinner, I promised to myself that I won’t have it “any time soon”. “Not any time soon” was exactly two years. I don’t even know if you can have dinner in Kanamean Nishitomiya if you don’t stay at the ryokan. The ryokan has only 9 rooms and the chef (Kanamean san ?) is also the owner (together with his wife). The location of Kanamean Nishitomiya is 5 minutes away from Nishiki market– perfect for the style of cooking where seasonal, fresh products are fundamental.
Kyoto is closer to the mountains than to the sea, so it’s natural that the traditional Kyoto kaiseki dinner includes lot’s of mountain and locally grown vegetables. The meal was very healthy, something I could eat every day. The other reason why I loved the dinner at Kanamean Nishitomiya were the modern touches in the presentation… I felt that Kanamean Nishitomiya was much more accessible and enjoyable than Kikunoi. It was a splendid dinner -fine ingredients, minimum preparation and again, very light.
The kaiseki dishes were as follows..
