Tsujifusa, Kyoto
Down a sleepy residential road in the central ward of Nakagyo, you’ll find Tsujifusa – a small, modestly appointed restaurant specialising in kaiseki with a unique Kyotan flair.
Marked streetside by a single lantern and cloth-covered entryway, its appearance is very much in keeping with the historical aesthetics of the former imperial capital. Such seamless style elides the fact that Tsujifusa is, in relative terms, a new addition to Kyoto’s stable of traditional Japanese fine diners.
Chef-owner Yoshikatsu Tsuji opened his mononymous restaurant in 2024, after 11 years at the helm of Aji Fukushima – another Michelin-starred eatery across the Kamo River, in the city’s famous geisha district of Gion. A devout Shintoist who starts every day at the restaurant with a visit to Ujiko Shrine, chef Tsuji’s cuisine emphasises freshness and an unwavering purity of flavour.
The restaurant’s two dining rooms, arranged around sunken kotatsu-style seating, are ideal for those who wish to enjoy their food with a side of contemplation. It’s all seemingly simple looking, but Tsuji stays true to his ethos, unlocking impressive depths of flavour and texture by way of the most resolutely unshowy techniques.
Each dish is its own special joy: a soothing broth of local white radish, buttery and toothsome filets of nodoguro (blackthroat perch), or plump coils of charcoal-broiled saltwater eel.
On the pass and in the cellar, Tsuji is assisted by his wife and co-proprietor Kaori. An indispensable part of the restaurant’s charm, she is responsible for programming a beverage menu that gives Tsujifusa a surprisingly cosmopolitan edge – particularly over many of the other upscale restaurants in Kyoto focused on kappo (“cut and cook”) cuisine.
A range of premium sakes, sourced from across Japan, are of course available. But Kaori also has strong personal preference toward European wines – particularly from Burgundy and Champagne. Our top tip? Diners with a handle on conversational French would do well to seek her recommendation.
155 Mukadeyacho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan. omakaseje.com.
AloJapan.com