Shōraian

This wonderful place gets five stars for the view and ambiance alone. The other reviews talk about the fact that its hard to find, but that’s part of the charm and adventure. The walk along the river is breathtaking (even in winter!), and if one just stays to the left till the end, you eventually will find Shoraian.
Standouts for us were *all* the tofu dishes, no surprise as this is what the restaurant specializes in. To pick two that were mind blowing in their perfection: the ubi (tofu skin that’s layered) and the yudafu, which also becomes a wonderful kombu soup. Some dishes fell a bit short, but the overall experience is not one to miss. Also, our server was conversant with fairly good english and enjoyed answering our questions about the food preparation. Don’t miss this.
The journey from downtown was easy on JR, just a few stops, and the UNESCO heritage temple and gardens were an added bonus.

Really beautiful and great experience, however, some courses are only for the brave. The beef was amazing as was most of the tofu. Please note that the fish should be eaten whole (oh boy!)

It’s hard to find. If you are looking at google maps, that pin is WRONG. That’s some guy’s house and he won’t like it if you «sumimasen» at him. Don’t. Just keep going down the road and take the left fork. There is a sign. I’ll try to post a picture later.
Just make a reservation and go.
I was by myself. It was the most amazing meal I’ve ever had in my life. I had no reservation, and the maitre d’ was kind of grumpy but he allowed me to have a meal.
I ordered the middle one, which appeared to be about 7 courses of amazing food. The amuse bouche is a custard-​like tofu that made me feel emotions. In my soul. The subsequent courses were progressively better, culminating in some homemade ice cream. I also had some nihonshu (sake) and got out for under $ 50 USD.
Do it.

We took lunch here after riding the Hozugawa Kudari (river cruise) down from Kameoka. It’s very close to where the boat lets you off but it’s a bit off the beaten path so bring a map. Also make sure you have reservations!
Shoraian is a tofu kaiseki restaurant which means you’ll receive multiple courses of tofu in different, creative presentations.
We had multiple lunch menus to choose from and opted for one of the less expensive options (~$ 40) which included an appetizer, an assorted specialties plate, yudofu (tofu hot pot), agedashi tofu, rice and pickles, and dessert. The more elaborate menus include more dishes, unlimited refills of the yudofu and even Waygu beef. Were I to return to Shoraian again, I would order the exact same menu I had on my first visit.
Kyoto is known for having some of Japan’s best tofu. If you want to sample some of the best, Shoraian is the place to do it!

The tofu in Kyoto is supposed to be some of the best in the world. We knew we wanted to have tofu but didn’t know where to go. We read some great things about Shoraian, a tofu speciality restaurant. Reservations are required and with some help, we were able to obtain a lunch reservation.
Since Shoraian is in Arashiyama, which is in western Kyoto, we decided to wake up early and explore the area before our noon reservation. While Arashiyama can be very touristy, it is also an area with beautiful scenery.
We had read that Shoraian is very difficult to find but that it was near the bamboo forest. We ensured we had some photos of the outside of the restaurant as well as the map off the Shoraian website. As with most places during our stay in Japan, we usually gave ourselves at least an extra half hour to find the place. Japanese are very punctual people and we never wanted to be late for our reservations. Due to us reading that Shoraian was especially difficult, we made our way through the bamboo forest and gave ourselves about an hour to try and find the restaurant.
My goodness, this place is hard to find! Unfortunately, since we had come from inside the bamboo forest instead of along the river, it was a bit confusing due to multiple trails leading every which way. Looking at the map, it makes sense to walk parallel to the Ōi River for a more straight shot to Shoraian. The map on the website is very helpful and the numerous Japanese people we encountered were able to give us directions based on the map we showed them. Unfortunately, they did not speak English so Adam and I resorted to hand signals and after 45 minutes, we did finally find the restaurant. Adam almost walked into a small house on the left side instead but since we had photos of the front, I was able to steer him to the right and the entrance to the restaurant.
The restaurant is a hidden gem in the middle of the forest. The moment you walk in, you feel at peace and we immediately forgot about the struggle we had to get there. I had requested a window seat and we were given a lovely corner table with views of some foliage and the Ōi River below.
We were only the third group to arrive, and the other diners were dining alone so the space felt as if we had our own private dining room. TThe space was very quiet but not in a way that made us feel uncomfortable, it was so peaceful and we were excited for a wonderful, relaxing meal.
After looking at the menu, there were two options for kaiseki, either a 3,800 yen meal or a 5,800 yen meal. The more expensive meal, named matuzake, came with Ohmi beef. Since this is another speciality in Japan, we opted for the 5,800 meal. Additionally, we ordered a carafe of cold sake for the meal.
The first course, named appetizer (cold tofu apéritif) on the menu, came and included umeshu (plum wine) accompanied with tofu and a dipping salt. The tofu was unlike anything that we had in the US. It was very soft, clean and just so good. Even though the tofu did not have any seasoning on it, I preferred it without the salt. The texture was very unique and we both agreed the meal was off to a good start.
Our next course consisted of a beautifully plated array of appetizers. From left to right, there was a sweet and tart kumquat. A piece of rice cake (dark square behind kumquat) that had a good chew to it. Some type of fish (white with red dot), that had a crunch to it that was enjoyable with the sweet sauce on top. A large grilled shrimp that was cooked perfectly and had a sweetness to it that showed how fresh it was. There was a scallop with a soybean paste. Edamame. A whole fish slicked with a sweet soy sauce. The peeled and stewed cherry tomato that was the sweetest cherry tomato I had ever had, it evoked summer in one bite and I could have eaten a full plate of them. A piece of squash and a rice cake. The two bowls in the back consisted of small pieces of which fish in a gooey sauce with okra (clear bowl) and yuba. The yuba (tofu skin) was the silkiest yuba that we had ever had and we wished that there had been an entrée portion of it instead of the appetizer portion.
Even though there were a multitude of different items on the appetizer plate, every single item was made with so much care and technique. We were blown away with the detail and we were only on the second course!
We were then served a perfectly cooked piece of eggplant in a bonito broth. It came with some grated daikon on top and a pickled spring onion. The sour onion complemented the salty eggplant while the grated daikon prevented the dish from being overly salty.
The next dish was described to us as «frog under an umbrella.» For me, it was almost too cute to eat. A fava bean had been made to look like a frog with black sesame seeds for eyes. The «frog» rested on a gelatin that included diced daikon. I loved how visually appealing this course was and added a bit of whimsy to the meal.
For the rest of the review:

Having dinner at this restaurant was by far the coolest and most delicious food experience I’ve ever had. First of all, to get here, you have to take a train to the outskirts of Kyoto, walk to a river with a nice wooden bridge, then walk along the river for 10 – 15 minutes. Then you reach some stairs and you walk up some stairs into a small mountain forest, and then you end up in a grove with a little traditional house. Their dining room is set up in a traditional Japanese style and seats maybe 15 at most. You have to sit on a cushion on the ground, and they also have an outdoor patio that apparently is really nice in the summer. There’s also great views of the river and surrounding forests/​mountains during the day. They are only open until 5pm on normal days, but on Saturday, they are open until 8pm. When we got there, we were the only customers to be served that night.
We ordered the ~$ 60 tasting menu (they have various pricing options for different courses), which included 11 courses of tofu prepared in different ways including various other accoutrements, including seafood, etc. There were a few cold tofu dishes, and a few warm tofu dishes. There was also a seasonal appetizer dish that included 15 different things prepared and arranged very carefully, including tofu, vegetables, and various seafoods. We also had really interesting preparations of tofu, including tofu skin tempura, and tofu gratin. Finally, we also had a real wagyu beef course, unlike the fake stuff you get in America that’s marketed as Wagyu. And a tofu ice cream course. After everything, we were super satisfied, as everything had its own distinct taste and flavor. Each different preparation of tofu also made sure you tasted the tofu itself, which can rarely be said of the tofu that you get in America.
One thing we did notice is that we traveled with a vegetarian, but failed to tell them that initially when we made the reservation. Upon realizing this, the kitchen tried their best to accommodate said vegetarian, even going so far to substitute newly thought-​up dishes on the fly during the second half of the meal. A lot better than a lot of the other restaurants in East Asia, which will just not budge when dealing with a vegetarian. The waitstaff and the kitchen staff were amazing and super polite. I think that if you’re ever in the area, you should definitely try to hit up this place since it’s such a great and unique experience you’re not going to find anywhere else. In addition, for just $ 40-​$ 60, you can experience a great, expertly crafted multi-​course Japanese meal.