Kyoto, Japan｜KOKE

Tucked away on an unassuming residential street is this gem of a restaurant. With only two tables, plus counter seating with a direct view of the kitchen, Koke is intimate and welcoming. The menu is a Spanish Japanese fusion highlighted by a fantastic beet and truffle dish, as well as a sprawling tapas course with distinct and varied profiles. Watching the chefs plate your meals a few feet away from you is fascinating entertainment during your three hour journey. Highly recommend.

Incredible!! Very extensive lunch menu and a well priced wine pairing (if you compare it to other Michelin starred restaurants). The food was a mix of Spanish cuisine with Japanese ingredients, which resulted in unexpected combinations we hadn’t tried before. I think I had the best cabbage I have ever tasted here! Location was also beautiful and nicely decorated without trying to hard to be fancy. This was really exceptional and if we are ever back in Kyoto we will be back!!

We’ve been to Koke twice now and loved both our experiences. Once in the fall and once in the spring, and it was nice to see the changes in ingredients with the seasons. I’ve included a selection of photos from both menus but most are from the more recent visit. Koke is definitely one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Kyoto. The way the menu is laid out is reminiscent of Atelier Crenn in SF, the journey is a poem. Everything is beautiful and artfully decorated from the restaurant itself to the minimalist and classy plating. The wood lined surfaces and tiny details of the water features and little animal figurines dotting the place are so delightful. The food itself is wonderful. A journey with local ingredients starting from a soup made with the ground water from right there, to prosciutto from the saitama region, and Kyoto duck. The wood fired duck might be one of our favorite renditions of duck ever and seems to be a mainstay of the menu as it featured prominently both times we visited. Personally, my favorite from this season was the wasabi leaf and watercress dish with cucumber jelly and cashew cream. It was refreshing and savory and the entire dish was just so perfectly complementary. I’d never had something quite like it, and it was a very welcome surprise. Thank you for another beautiful meal, and I look forward to visiting again!