Kōdaiji Jūgyūan

The aesthetic steps of Kodai-ji Temple topped the list of this trip to Kyoto. Not only does it have a light show that is the pinnacle of Kyoto's audio-visual aesthetics during the cherry blossom season, but even the adjacent Michelin one-star Jugyuan has excellent kaiseki cuisine created with Japanese garden aesthetics. I ordered lunch for the first time and followed the map to find a short-haired woman in a green kimono standing on the small slope. When she saw us looking around, she knew we were the guests she was waiting for. After attaching a card with my name on it for confirmation, he very skillfully took the initiative to take a photo for us at the entrance. This entrance yard is said to be the famous garden of Ogawa Jihei, the seventh generation gardener in the Meiji era. We quickly followed her up the stairs into the garden, and flashed into the 110-year-old Sukiya-style mansion designed by craftsmen Uesaka Asajiro and Kitamura Jiro. After following her into the house and walking around it once or twice, she opened a door and invited us to take a seat. This mansion is so quiet and private that there is not a single other guest. We were already very hot after traveling all the way, so we wrapped ourselves in kimonos and sat down like two rolls. She couldn't help laughing. Because it was marked as a birthday celebration, the first dish was red bean rice with red and white water-picture 3⃣️4⃣️, which is the food eaten when celebrating birthdays or weddings in Japan. Shuiyin itself means ceremony, and the combination of red and white represents joy and celebration. Then the dishes are served one by one. Pay first (seasonal appetizer) Picture 5⃣️6⃣️ Gobo (Figure 7⃣️Water, kelp, and bonito are used to make soup, which is then served in a lacquered wooden bowl along with seasonal fish, shellfish, or vegetables. When the bowl is served, the lid will be sprayed with mist, indicating that no one has touched it. The bowl is used in an exquisite way. Hold the bowl with your left hand and twist the lid with your right hand to open it, allowing steam to flow into the bowl. Many kaiseki restaurants use a lacquerware called Wajima-nuri. There are exquisite patterns on the inside of the bowl lid. If you are lucky enough to use this kind of utensil, you can hold the lid with both hands to appreciate it. After use, put the lid back on the bowl intact.) Mukaifu (sashimi) Figure 8⃣️ Hassun (seasonal appetizer, served after sashimi, this time decorated with cherry blossom branches) Photos 9⃣️-12 Burning things - Figure 15 Fenhe (Figure 16, a dish that contains two or more ingredients whose flavors complement each other) Earthen pot (stewed rice) Figure 17 Fruits Figure 18, 19 Kaiseki cuisine is full of ritual. As you enjoy the ingredients of the season and slowly learn to follow dining etiquette, you will feel calm. After finishing the meal, she took us out of the mansion again. At that time, a large Japanese family gathered at the door to take a group photo of the wedding banquet. We hurried through the crowd and left. When we were going downhill, she stood at the place where she had greeted us and watched us go. This reminded me of a funny story told by an American boss I know in Japan, that when it comes to seeing you off, they can watch you go for a long time. If we bumped into each other, we would have to bow in return, and sometimes this would become an endless loop... It took us a full minute to walk this distance, and when we finally reached the bottom of the slope, I turned around and waved to her. She also bowed in return, and we breathed a sigh of relief and disappeared around the corner of the path. #Kaiseki cuisine #Food Season #Local food