Kameoka, Kyoto, Japan｜Ganko Sushi (Rakurakuso)

This restaurant is located in an old villa, which was originally built in 1899, becoming larger over the years as the owner became a wealthy farmer and business man. It features different type of dining styles, from open restaurant to private rooms. We had the benefit of dining in an old storage room where valuables apparently were kept. Hence, the room had steel doors and steel shutters that could be closed outside the windows. The entire building has a wonderful feeling of history, and hearing some of it being told made the dinner even more memorable. The restaurant is a no-shoe restaurant throughout and features convenient lock-boxes for your shoes. As the name implies, this restaurant has its core in sashimi and sushi. We started the meal with a generous serving of sashimi, which was already prepared in a bento box when we arrived. The quality and presentation was spectacular, even with Japanese standards. We also particularly enjoyed grilling our own Matsusaka Wagyu on the little mini-grills by each seat. We have had similar personal grilling in the past, but usually larger grills in the middle of the table. These were individual. We had a seven-course set menu, and every dish was spectacular. The amount of food is generous, but as always in Japan, just right. The staff is very professional, but speaks very little English. As we speak some Japanese we found no issues communicating. The beer, sake and wine selection is good, but we thought the sake selection could have been even bigger. Location: 3/5 (it‘s a bit off the beaten track in Kyoto Ambience: 5/5 Food: 5/5 Staff: 5/5 Price/quality: 4/5 (it is expensive)

Part of our RWC tour we visited many places for a coffee, this was the best.

It is for lunch time. This is a special meal of the reservation course menu. At the time of my visit, it was a spring menu, but now it is a summer menu. From a private room, you can enjoy a view of the large garden, and enjoy dishes that use ingredients that change with the seasons. Desserts have become more attractive since last year, and I get a lot of them every time I visit. It seems that you can enjoy not only a meal but also a cafe. It was delicious☆