Junsei

Frommer's Review

Specializing in tofu dishes, Junsei opened in 1961, but the grounds and garden were originally part of a medical school established in the 1830s during the shogun era. Although tourist oriented and popular with tour groups, the food is good and an English-language menu makes ordering easy. There are several buildings spread throughout the grounds, and what you want determines where you go; as soon as you arrive, you'll be given a menu and asked what you'll be eating. I chose the house special -- a yudofu (tofu) set meal -- and was directed to an older building with a view of the garden and filled with antiques and tatami mats. My meal came with vegetable tempura and various tofu dishes, including fried tofu on a stick and yudofu (tofu boiled in a pot at my table). Other set meals include kaiseki (by reservation only), yuba, shabu-shabu, or sukiyaki.

There's a branch, Kiyomizudera Junsei (tel. 075/541-7111), located just off Kiyomizu-zaka, the main slope leading to Kiyomizu Temple. Housed in a grand, 1914 former villa with high ceilings, wainscoting, and stained-glass windows, it offers just three set tofu meals priced ¥2,100 to ¥5,250 ($18-$44/£9-£22) and is open daily 10:30am to 5pm (last order).

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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