Prizing the Kyoto cooking of the good old days, the chef labours to tease out maximum flavour from his ingredients, which he gets from the city’s surroundings. Bamboo shoots from Tsukahara are cooked over direct heat; sweetfish from Lake Biwa are salt-grilled; mushrooms from Shinoyama are embedded in mixed rice; boar from Tanba becomes boar stew. Whatever you order, the no-nonsense preparation sets the heart at ease. The interior consists of a counter in a tatami-mat room. The sunny disposition and familial service make you feel at home.