Lunch in Kyoto

There is only one destination for which I will endure a nine hour flight in an uncomfortable seat, and that’s Japan. My favorite place is Kyoto in the fall. Whenever I can, I plan an autumn trip from Maui to Kyoto to see the artwork and history, and for the food.

Shopping doesn’t interest me much (unless it’s Tokyu Hands department store), but eating at small hidden and not so hidden places entertains me to no end. I look for inexpensive and beautifully presented food. Easy task in Kyoto. The choices are endless, and most of the restaurants I have tried are great! The only time I didn’t enjoy a meal was when I ate pasta or bacon and eggs. The pasta had a Chef Boyardee and ketchup flavor and the bacon was boiled instead of fried to a crisp. So I stick to what they do best, Japanese food.

The preparation at most places pays close attention to variety. Every little detail is addressed beautifully. They balance every presentation with color and size and shape. All of it makes me smile.

One of my favorite restaurants is at the Kyoto Municipal Museum. It’s quiet and small. Twice now it has been pouring rain outside, and to wait it out I went to have some lunch at the museum. They have four restaurants there, and I like the smallest one for their simple tofu variety lunch. The tofu in the bowl (bottom right) is made from the milk of ground sesame seeds. Oh so creamy and rich. They are also very clever with tofu skin. Here they have used it to make it look like a little bag. Even the tie they used to close it up was edible. This lunch was $13.

I can’t begin to guess how many restaurants are in the Kyoto Train Station. More than a hundred? It is a confusing task to pick one. The night I was there I was so beyond hungry, I couldn’t think straight. To complicate things, most restaurants had lines of people waiting to get in. I walked around and got to one I thought would be okay and the hostess/waitress was walking by the door as I stood there. She asked if it was only me. I said yes. She waved me in. I thought, what about all those people out there? But since I didn’t say it out loud, no one answered my question. I walked in and they had a seat just for one. I had a pretty good meal. Miso soup, fried chicken and lots of pickled things. That was exactly what I wanted to eat. Actually, I didn’t finish the chicken. They fry chicken with the skin on, so it was a bit too oily for me. But the miso soup was really good. $11.

Did I mention how delicious the rice is in Japan? I mean it has lots of taste. What I grew up with in Hawaii has no taste. I don’t eat it anymore. So I was pleasantly surprised that the rice in Japan tastes the way rice should. It’s fresh and nutty. My guess is it’s because the rice is grown in small fields by different farmers and each farmer uses their family heirloom rice seeds. They are not planting store bought or GMO seeds.

Breakfast at the Bienesse Hotel on Naoshima Island is a perfect way to start your long day of visiting art sites. This is a set menu breakfast. I thought I would need a nap after all this food. Everything was so delicious, I didn’t leave anything behind and waddled my way around the island. The egg custard (bottom right corner) was soft and had lots of flavor. Made with fresh dashi, seaweed and an egg. This meal also had freshly made gomadofu (sesame seed tofu), my favorite. I could taste the lemon they curdled the sesame milk with. I also loved all the little dishes everything was served on. The different textures and colors added to the enjoyment of the meal. I took my time appreciating this one.  $29.

On Naoshima island, I found this very tiny restaurant that served lunch. The choice is to sit on the floor or at a picnic bench with others. I sat at a picnic bench and waited for service. Some very kind people (also customers) sitting across from me realized I did not speak Japanese. I was staring at everything in the room, so they were kind enough to serve me water and hand me my utensils. I just smiled and sat there. They pointed me towards the counter where I was directed to put my order in. I would have sat there a long time without food if they hadn’t noticed I was doing nothing but smiling. I ordered red rice with black sesame seeds, miso soup and fresh fall garden vegetables. Delicious. $13.

Would you like to shop for a prepared lunch where the local people go? Japan’s version of fast food is the Bento Box. The contents are healthier than french fries and a burger, and beautiful to look at. Leave it to the Japanese to elevate the everyday mundane meal to an art piece.

I bought this meticulously prepared lunch for $8 down the street from the Kyoto Hyatt at a Bento shop. I saw a line of people waiting to purchase something, so I had to have a look. Oh a bento box, okay, I’ll try one. The vegetables and raw fish were fresh, the rice was cooked perfectly and I noticed they didn’t make anything with shoyu and sugar. It was simply cooked or steamed and lemon was the only flavoring, if any. I was pretty impressed with myself for finding this little shop.

I splurged one day. I had read about Kaiseki (multi-course meal that is prepared by skilled chefs) Bento Boxes, so I went looking for them. In the basements of the depato (department) stores like Daimaru and Takashimaya is where Kyoto’s amazing food courts are located. But there are so many vendors, it’s a dizzying task to find the one I was looking for. I must admit, I was enticed to go left when I should have gone right because everything looked more tempting and delicious than the last. Good thing I don’t understand much Japanese. The sales people beckon you to their booth by saying things like, “you’re going to miss out on this fresh salmon” or “just picked today, you must try it,” and it’s hard smiling as I go past for the fourth time looking for the Kaiseki Bento Boxes. Finally, I found them. This was all they had in their glass showcase. Simple choice. $27. It was beautiful. The combination of foods complimented each other. Nothing was too salty or too sweet. They had the best fresh vegetables, barely cooked. I would go back for more, and I did.

The design of the box was conceptual. The Kaiseki bento chef/designer had “high mountains, valleys and streams” on his mind when he deliberately put basic shapes and colors together. Chefs have an esteemed status in Japan. They are artists well trained in food preparation.

I made it a point to eat at restaurants where they welcomed a non-Japanese speaker. I liked watching the kimono clad women glide around so gracefully. To add to the ambiance, the women spoke just above a whisper so as not to break the peaceful atmosphere. At the bento places, I enjoyed watching them wrap my purchases in plain white paper. They have a special way of wrapping each purchase.

Bento boxes are very popular in Kyoto, but nowhere in the shops do they provide someplace to sit and eat your meal. I would always plan a walk into my day to a temple outside of the downtown area just to sit and eat. It’s a no-no to stand and eat on the sidewalk or to sit and eat at a bus stop. Being creative while traveling is part of the fun. I became an expert on where the next appropriate bench was.

Nothing compares to Kyoto’s beauty or the choice of food options, in my opinion. It is not an expensive place to go for a vacation. Lunch can cost anywhere from $6 at a Family Mart to $80 for a crazy, fancy, way too much food Kaiseki meal at Yata’s. Both unforgettable.