Part I: Tempura Matsu is a cozy family-run restaurant near the banks of the Katsura River, in Arashiyama, Kyoto 🍁🍂. While I’ve been fortunate to visit this little gem many times over the past decade, this was the first time I took photos of my entire course… in case you haven’t noticed I’m fairly nonchalant about personal SNS content. 🤭
Don’t let the name fool you, while tempura is served during the course, the style of cuisine would best be decided as kappo/kaiseki-ryori, with a focus on seasonal ingredients and Kansai produce. As it was late Autumn, we opted for the most luxe course, in which matsuba-gani (snow crab), amadai and black truffle was prominently featured. 🦀🐟🍄
FYI, despite its proximity to Matsunoo Taisha Shrine, which is famous for its deep connections to the nation’s sake brewing and fermentation industries, the sake and wine list is VERY limited, so I’d advise requesting if BYO is possible when making a booking. 🍶🥂🍷
See first half of the menu and descriptions below 👇🏻
とうもろこしのスープ甘鯛
Corn soup
甘鯛の鱗揚げ、卵黄身酢ソース、黒トリュフ乗せて
Amadai uroko-age (outside of Kyoto it’s called 松笠揚げ/matsusaka-age - a technique of deep-frying sea bream so the scales resemble a ‘pine cone”), sauce of egg yolk, rice vinegar and dashi , black truffle
海老芋天ぷら、サッポロ 黒ラベル生ビール
Ebi-imo (shrimp shaped taro tempura
烏賊のお造り
Ika (squid) sashimi
河豚のお造り
Fugu (pufferfish)) sashimi
鰤の炙り、ポン酢ジュレ、からし
Yellowtail seared over bincho-tan, ponzu gelée, karashi mustard
鰆のお椀
Sawara (Spanish mackerel) in dashi broth.
炭火焼き松葉蟹の握り (後の足)
Charcoal grilled matsuba-gani nigiri (back leg meat)
炭火焼き松葉蟹の握り (前の足)
Charcoal grilled matsuba-gani nigiri (front leg meat)
本鮪の大トロ着けの握り
Hon-maguro ōtoro tsuke nigiri
