Tsuru Yoshi (つる由) Nara

I made a reservation over the phone on the same day. Despite the last-minute request, they welcomed me and I ordered the JPY 7,000 course at the counter seat.For sake, I chose Harushika Cho Karakuchi, which is typical of Nara.The course included a total of 13 dishes, including seasonal fruits. Considering the price of JPY 7,000, the number of dishes was more than sufficient, but what stood out was the luxurious ingredients. Sea urchin, conger eel, fatty tuna, sweet shrimp, and managatsuo were served one after another, providing a high level of satisfaction.The seasonal side dish particularly impressed me. The sea bream was recommended to be enjoyed with plum paste, which paired perfectly. Both the sweet shrimp and fatty tuna were of high quality, and the refreshing presentation with plenty of ice felt very summery.The soup was also excellent. The conger eel was thick and fluffy, and the burdock was hollowed out and shaped like bamboo, making for a visually delightful bowl.Starting with the grilled managatsuo, sea urchin also made an appearance along the way. Each dish had variations in the vessels and presentation, ensuring that even with 13 dishes, it never felt monotonous.Towards the end, I particularly enjoyed the soft-shelled turtle porridge. I don't think there were any pieces of turtle meat, but the broth had a unique gelatinous quality, and the richness felt like collagen melting in my mouth. Yet, it wasn’t heavy, and the umami gradually spread throughout.I finished with seasonal fruits and matcha.The counter was mostly filled with regular customers, which made me feel a bit out of place at first (laughs). However, the person in charge of the cooking was very friendly. I learned he was the chef's younger brother, and I was able to chat with him between dishes, making for an enjoyable experience.On that day, the restaurant was nearly full, including the table seats. I am grateful that they kindly prepared a seat for me despite my sudden reservation. Less

I always make it a point to visit this place when I'm in Nara. On this day, I found out that my reservation date was incorrect. Feeling lost, the staff kindly offered to prepare something for me since I had come all this way, and they guided me after a short wait. Their exceptional service truly saved the day.The course, priced around JPY 5000, offers an incredible variety of dishes. Each one is absolutely delicious. This is my fifth visit, and I will definitely come back to Nara just to dine at this restaurant again. Less

Here at Tsuru Yoshi, a long-established Japanese restaurant in Nara, you can enjoy refined dishes in a setting that exudes the history of Nara, all while feeling incredibly comfortable.✨ On this day, I was joined by my usual companions, Himeri-chan and the noble gentleman from Naniwa, and oh, genius Shiga-chan was with us too! www Let’s dive into our delightful time together! ❤️ **● Yuzu Bowl** A bowl made from a hollowed-out yuzu! What a charming start to the meal! Inside the yuzu, there’s a rich and creamy white miso sauce enveloping various ingredients, including nameko mushrooms, tender lily bulbs, and oysters. Roasted pine nuts add a lovely crunch!✨ The warm steam rising with the citrus aroma of yuzu stimulates the senses with this exquisite dish! **● Aburi Shima Aji** I was captivated by the stunning autumn leaf-patterned plate adorned with gold leaf.✨ The shima aji (striped jack) was perfectly fatty and delicious! The skin was lightly seared to bring out the ultimate aroma and sweetness of the fat—truly impressive!❣️ Switching to Japanese sake now! w **● Grilled Dish** Underneath a crispy shrimp head tempura, we found juicy barracuda! The tender ginkgo nuts added a delightful touch. ❤️ **● Simmered White Clam and Octopus** Actually, I, Liona♡, am an omnivore and eat just about anything, but... I’m not particularly fond of octopus and squid unless they’re of high quality! So, I absolutely love delicious octopus! The taste of octopus prepared with genuine Japanese cuisine is truly exceptional. This octopus was so tender it practically melted in your mouth!✨ It was packed with umami! The white clam also had an excellent texture!⁽⁽ଘ( ˊᵕˋ )ଓ⁾⁾ **● Soup Dish** Here, we enjoyed a comforting soup dish with a gentle dashi flavor.✨ The marriage of carrot shaped like autumn leaves, white fish, and mushrooms was lovely! **● Sashimi** On a vibrant blue plate, the translucent squid and rich, colorful sea urchin beautifully complemented each other in this sashimi dish. It’s also great to enjoy it with some nori tsukudani on the side! **● Aburi Sushi** Here, Chef Makocchan even served us sushi! The quality of the fatty tuna is so memorable for me, Liona♡. It was rich and delicious! ❤️ **● Honsushimo** Despite being the season, it’s been hard to find honsushimo even in Hokkaido lately.✨ I was thrilled to encounter it here in the ancient city of Nara! After all, honsushimo is the best! **● Soup Dish** The gently cooked yuba with a thick sauce beautifully encapsulated the umami of the dashi. Is there anyone who wouldn’t be touched by this? ❤️ I’m glad to be Japanese!＾＾ **● Fried Dish** Shrimp tempura, shrimp yam skin, square bean roots, and Manganji peppers— This artistic fried dish offers a variety of ingredients! The depth of flavor is excellent! **● Clay Pot Rice** The clay pot rice was infused with the rich flavor of grilled fish, with each grain of rice soaked in deliciousness!❣️ The crisp texture of the vegetables layered on top made it absolutely exquisite! This is one of the many specialties here! I even got to take some home, feeling super satisfied as I left the restaurant! I ended up drinking a bit too much sake... What a wonderful place! ❤️ Thank you so much to everyone, including Himeri-chan! Thxxx!!! I wonder how many more reviews I have piled up? (･∀･) sweat Osaka Nara Japanese Cuisine Tsuru Yoshi Liona♡ Savanna in Lion♡ Less

On a weekday at 12:30 PM, I visited this restaurant for the first time with a drinking buddy. We passed through three shopping streets leading from Kintetsu Nara Station (Higashimuki, Mochiidono, and Shimo-Gommon) and arrived at this place, which is about a 10-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station.I made a reservation for a counter seat about a week in advance and chose a course priced at JPY 10,000, starting from JPY 5,000.The soup and grilled dishes were prepared in an unseen kitchen, while sashimi and finishing touches were done right in front of us. I enjoyed the lively atmosphere, especially watching the chef skillfully cut the eel bones, which made me feel it was more like a kappo (a type of Japanese dining) than a traditional kaiseki.The portions were not overly large, but each dish was intricate, beautifully presented, and delicious. (Here are my thoughts on the dishes):- The appetizer of frozen squid sliced thinly with ginger and dipping sauce was intriguing.- I smiled at the sight of the now-rare sweet potato, octopus, and pumpkin dish.- The slightly bitter young sweetfish with wasabi vinegar made me feel the season.- The soft eel, cut in front of me and served with plum vinegar, captured the essence of summer in Kansai.- The soup with clams from Chiba Prefecture provided a comforting moment.- I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious tuna caught in Nagasaki for the sashimi.- I savored the thick, fatty mackerel sushi.- After enjoying the saikyo-grilled butterfish, I refreshed my palate with a crab vinegar dish.- Finally, I filled my stomach with soft-shelled turtle porridge and enjoyed a sweet dessert with matcha.They also offer a great selection of sake from Nara and famous breweries across the country at reasonable prices, which is a blessing for sake lovers (see photos).The chef and staff were attentive yet maintained a friendly distance, which was very pleasant. As we left, the chef and staff saw us off warmly.Both my drinking buddy and I agreed that this restaurant would surely delight my wife if I brought her here.We enjoyed four glasses of draft beer and sake, and our total bill for the day was in the JPY 28,000 range.Nara has many wonderful Japanese restaurants now, but this place, which opened over 30 years ago, can be considered a pioneer. I hope they continue to thrive in Nara for many more years to come. Less

Honing his skills in Kanazawa, the owner opened this restaurant in Nara for some reason. This is now the second location, and I have been a loyal customer for over 20 years since the days of the previous restaurant near the city hall. Initially, it wasn't a famous establishment, but I was drawn in by the owner's passion and the delicious food. Perhaps my instincts were right, as the restaurant has grown in size and fame over the years. The quality of the dishes speaks for itself, so there's no need to elaborate further. I appreciate that they serve a variety of dishes gradually. They excel at making broth from bones and often prepare their own karasumi (dried mullet roe) and kuchiko (dried fish roe). I highly recommend sitting at the counter to feel the owner's enthusiasm. There are also private rooms that are perfect for business meetings. Less

I visited at 5:30 PM.It had been a while since I last came to the private room.I have used the low tables before, but this was my first time at a table seat.There were 9 participants.The staff provided explanations for the dishes.However, since they were busy pouring drinks, I often missed the explanations, making the order a bit unclear.The food was, of course, delicious.The atmosphere at the main store is quite nice.At the main store, the counter seats are the best.Next would be the private room.This time, perhaps due to budget constraints, the selection of chilled sake included:- Mujouhai Junmai Ginjo from Nara City- Harushika Chokarakuchi from Nara City- Kisenju Kichijo Junmai Ginjo- Mimuro Sugi Junmai Ginjo from Sakurai CityFor warm sake:- Kuromatsu Kisenju Junmai from Nara CityWe toasted with draft beer and then enjoyed Mimuro Sugi.It was delicious. It was a great meal.[Summary]At "Tsuru Yoshi," when there are many participants, we often end up using the annex.It's hard to get reservations at the main store, so I was lucky this time.I was glad to enjoy seasonal dishes. Less

Located in the Naramachi area, just past the Shimokamimachi shopping street from Nara Station, is the kaiseki restaurant Tsuru Yoshi.Seasonal ingredients perfect for pairing with drinks, such as akagai (red clam), hamo (pike eel), baby ayu (sweetfish), fugu (pufferfish), hamaguri (clam), maguro (tuna), shiro-amadai (white sweetfish), kinki (rockfish), hotaru-ika (firefly squid), and hairy crab, along with mountain vegetables like bamboo shoots, kanzou (Japanese wild ginger), soramame (broad beans), urui (Japanese butterbur), and kinome (young leaves), are beautifully arranged in small plates and bowls, continuously served one after another.Each dish showcases a refined taste, thanks to careful preparation and attention to detail.With the culinary expertise of Chef Hitoshi Kawada, who has earned two Michelin stars, the delicious dishes make the Japanese sake flow more than expected! Surprisingly, after indulging in so much food and drink, the total came to just over JPY 20,000 per person, which is quite reasonable! It was a truly satisfying experience in many ways.Today's menu: JPY 21,000- Bamboo shoots with kinome- Kombu-marinated akashira shrimp with kanzou- Akagai sashimi with soramame- Hamo with ume paste- Dried baby ayu with edamame- Fugu sashimi- Hamaguri in shio-jiru (clear soup) with kinome- Simmered maguro- Natural yam, akami, and toro sashimi- Chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) with tiger fugu soft roe- Simmered shiro-amadai- Grilled kinki- Whales saezuri (whale meat)- Hotaru-ika marinated in soy sauce- Hairy crab and urui- Stewed eggplant, Brussels sprouts, taro, and green beans- Corn tempura- Miso-marinated tofu- Soft-shelled turtle zosui (rice porridge) with pickles- Inaniwa udon- Uwai rice with usui beans- Mango- Yomogi (mugwort) kuzumochi (starch dumpling)- Matcha (green tea)- Other drinks. Less