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Minoko Frommer's Exceptional

Cuisine Kaiseki, Obento
Hours Daily 11:30am-2:30pm and 5-10pm (last order 8pm)
Address
480 Kiyoi-cho
Location Shimogawara-dori, Gion, Eastern Kyoto
Transportation Bus: 100 or 206 to Gion (3 min.). A short walk south of Yasaka Shrine
Reservations Reservations recommended for lunch, required for dinner
Phone 075/561-0328
Prices Kaiseki from ¥15,697 ($121/£60); mini-kaiseki lunch ¥9,999 ($83/£41); obento lunch box ¥3,500-¥5,198 ($29-$42/£15-£21). Prices include service charge
Credit Cards AE, DC, MC, V
Season Closed irregularly 3 days a month

Frommer's Review

This former villa is an enclave of traditional Japan with a simple, austere exterior and an interior of winding wooden corridors, tatami rooms, and a garden. Opened about 90 years ago by the present owner's father, Minoko does its best to retain the spirit of the tea ceremony, specializing in an elaborate kind of kaiseki dinner called cha-kaiseki, usually served at tea-ceremony gatherings and utilizing seasonal ingredients that are beautifully arranged to please both the palate and the eye. If you come for dinner, when only kaiseki is served, you'll eat in a private tatami room. Lunch, which is served communally in a large tatami room with a view of a beautiful garden, is more economical and less formal but still draws on the tea ceremony for inspiration. The obento lunch box, for example, called chabako-bento, is named after the lacquered box it's served in, which is traditionally used to carry tea utensils to outdoor tea ceremonies. A hiru-kaiseki, or mini-kaiseki set meal, is also available at lunch.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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