Tokuha Motonari opened in December 2023, and before completing its first anniversary, it had already become impossible to book online.
The chef comes from Wakuden, arguably the finest school for Kaiseki in Kyoto. As with other restaurants led by Wakuden alumni, you can expect a Kaiseki meal with creative touches while remaining true to the essence of Kyo-ryouri—lightly seasoned and elegantly presented.
The specialties are the dishes prepared over a hearth with binchotan. These included kuruma shrimp, used in the owan soup (a missed opportunity, as the smoked notes don’t carry over to the dashi), sawara yuanyaki, Kagoshima wagyu with hachi miso and narazuke pickles, and salt-grilled sanma for the final rice dish.
It was a long meal, lasting over two hours. The food was delicious, and the counter is one of the most beautiful in Kyoto. It's easy to see why it's so popular.
