Kyoto's Michelin starred Honke Tankuma kaiseki tasting is a terrific start (3-14-2026)

 I am very far behind and hope to finish these Japan dining write-ups sooner than later which started with our first three nights in Kyoto and a wonderful Michelin-star kaiseki experience that while fascinating was not nearly our favorite meal. The kaiseki experience means a private dining room and we walked up a narrow staircase to be seated in an adorable setting (photos on FB) with unique art (chosen by the manager, apparently) to find out that the chef, while present, had handed over the helm to his son who was also a sake expert and recommended delicious pairings which ranged from Gomon-Kagura "Shichi-you" from Matsui in Kyoto itself, a superb dry Junmai daiginjo to Kachikoma, a daiginjo from Kiyoto brewery and more. Will enjoyed several local beers and we were pleased to see these were not break the bank prices either.

The menu is set, but our server, all decked out in a gorgeous kimono, was adamant we make sure we liked everything and the ingredients were okay. First came Cucumber, Shitake mushroom and wheat gluten cake with sesame vinegar(in the snail shell in the photo), Sea Bream Sushi, and one of our favorite new finds in Japan, the Grilled Firefly Squid here with sweet miso and grated Japanese green pepper leaves paste. We loved it all.

Sashimi (no photo)was next of sea bream, tuna and squid served with Japanese herbs which in olden days were designed to help digestion. The soup course was as weird and novel as it gets as the recipe belonged to the chef's grandmother and was a delicacy dating back over 100 years: Soft Shelled Turtle Soup with baked Rice Cake and Japanese green onion.  Each dish was magnificently presented on beautiful plates or lacquerware and really impressed; the fuss made over this dish, though, was mightily impressive especially after they tried to tell us that we might not like it. The soup was fabulous if the turtle consistency was bizarre, think of cooked cartilage with some small bones. Once we got the knack of it, we did enjoy the dish, but probably would have to say "been there, done that" next time around! We did see it on a menu later on and quickly moved on!

Grilled butter fish marinated with miso and brilliant broad beans was next, but my favorite was the stewed dish (each course is a different style of cooking) Fried Quail Dumpling in a reduced broth with white pepper and Rapeseed.

The "vinegared Course" was a super local Sakhalin surf clam with Hosta grass, Japanese ginger, soup stock vinegar, jelly and yolk vinegar, again a unique favor and taste for sure that may take some getting used to. The fried food was Fried Sesame tofu pudding with Soup Stock of radish, daikon, wasabi and ginger and then came the rice course of Japanese green peas, kelp, bamboo shoot (very much like hearts of palm) and Japanese pickles (rapeseed, radish. and seaweed--definitely the wildest pickle ever!). We were stuffed and there was tons of rice, but we could not eat any more.

Roasted tea came with strawberry (just in season in Japan) and red bean curd, brown sugar and green tea jelly.  We had come to love the white strawberries so much so were a tad upset there were none! alas, I forgot the photo of dessert as well!

More to come....and it gets really amazing!