Ganko Takasegawa Nijōen

Great food great view

This restaurant was apparently the ex residence of a Prime Minister who liked Japanese gardens, and so it still has one after it was converted to a restaurant. Our tour group had what was effectively an elaborate sushi dinner. The starter set was amazing and reminded us of the artsy food presentations we have seen at Next in Chicago. For another course, we also boiled our own raw fish servings in a shabu-​shabu like hot pot except the pot was a broth-​containing paper like filter that scorches but does not burn thank goodness. The main course sushi was very fresh tasting. Our guide later confirmed the meal cost at a very reasonable $ 42 USD per person, and it was a delightful flavor-​of-​Kyoto outing for our group and very well worth it.

It is more a presentation of art than normal food. The exquisite traditional garden outside, the deliberation in every dish, the amazing food décor are all wonderful experience for foreigners. However, it is expensive for the whole set of kaiseki cuisine.

A posh branch of Ganko?! Woah!
Ganko is a huge (often cheap and cheerful) chain, but this branch is a little more special that their average restaurants…
It is set in a 400 year old mansion, and the rooms look out on to a beautiful traditional Japanese garden. It even offers kaiseki cuisine, and the chance to meet geisha or maiko.
I went with a large group for a set meal of shabu shabu.
If I am totally honest, the food was a little disappointing… it wasn’t bad… it’s just I have had FAR better shabu shabu on other occasions. In addition to the shabu shabu, the rest of the set-​meal was uninspired and the sushi was not very good at all.
Also, one of our waitresses was so, so rude and grumpy! I don’t think I’ve ever received such bad service in Japan. Ah well.
I’ve given the four stars anyway, because the location was sooo beautiful! We didn’t book any maiko dancers or geisha, but after our meal we all had a stroll in the gorgeously lit garden, so we got to see the geisha entertaining another group through the large windows. (^^)