The selection of restaurants for MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka 2024 was announced on 9 April 2024.
We asked several of our inspectors to look back on the year just passed and select, from their many dining experiences in Kyoto and Osaka, the dishes they found especially memorable.
The list the inspectors shared with us was as varied as the Kyoto and Osaka culinary scene they observed. Some were dishes that could only be savoured in a particular season. Others were products of venerable tradition, while still others sprang from the unique experience and sensibility of the chefs who created them.
Sea Urchin
MASHIRO KYOTODinner begins with finger food. The sea urchin on the menu is called ‘sea’. Rice flour pastry is topped with sea urchin mousse, seawater jelly and fresh sea urchin. Pick it up to take a bite and indulge in the rich aroma of the sea.
© MASHIRO
The Carp’s Commotion
Sojiki Nakahigashi KYOTOThe carp is cut hirazukuri style, the scales are fried, and the skin is parboiled. It pairs deliciously with plants growing wild in the Ohara fields. The ingredient’s flavours are acidic, bitter and sweet, and can be likened to love, expressing sour love, bitter love and sweet love. Brought together into a single dish and named ‘the carp’s commotion.’
© Michelin
Rakuhoku Venison in Port Wine Sauce
la bûche KYOTOA dish highlighting the natural bounty of Ohara. Venison from local deer hunters is cooked over a wood fire. Hand-picked berries from the mountains are added to the port wine sauce to adjust the sour and sweet elements. This dish reveres both French cuisine and local ingredients.
© Michelin
Par-fried Japanese Spiny Lobster with Egg Yolk Sauce
Ryō-shō KYOTOA dish inspired by Cardinal-style French cuisine. The Japanese spiny lobster is par-fried to draw out its sweetness, then paired with egg yolk imbued with the aroma of the lobster. Experience gained from French cuisine gives this dish a certain uniqueness.
© Ryō-shō
Simmered Turnip and Chrysanthemum Petal Soup
Yusokuryori Mankamero KYOTOA wanmono (dishes served in small bowls) inspired by the Chrysanthemum Festival held on September 9. Open the lid of the lacquer bowl to see a beautiful, turnip curved in the shape of a chrysanthemum flower. The generous garnish of chrysanthemum flower petals exudes extravagance.
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Spring rolls with Pike Conger and Simmered Burdock
Nijo Minami KYOTOSpring rolls with simmered burdock wrapped in perilla leaves. Flavoured with salt or sansho vinegar. Simple yet bursting with creativity. Served on a colourful plate crafted by Ogata Kenzan. Still brilliantly modern today, you would never guess these hues came from the Edo period, as they are still brilliantly modern today.
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Saury and Turnip Cake Wrapped in Mandarin Pancake
VELROSIER KYOTOThis autumn dish takes a cue from Peking Duck. The Pacific saury is confited and paired with turnip cake and sansho-seasoned liver, with a fried Mandarin pancake topping the layer, all wrapped in another layer of Mandarin pancake. Various ingredients are added to this dish, for a theme of making additions to create synergy. Embodies modern Chinese cuisine.
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Fried Pike Conger and Matsutake Mushrooms
Kanamean Nishitomiya KYOTOSplit matsutake mushrooms are wrapped in pike conger, dusted with flour and fried. The colourful persimmon leaf is a nod to autumn’s natural scenery. This dish brings back memories of the fried matsutake mushrooms that the owner always wanted to eat as a child. A refined yet familiar flavour that leaves a lasting impression.
© Michelin
Japanese Spiny Lobster with Sea Urchin
Tokuha Motonari KYOTOA charbroiled dish that reveals the owner’s mastery of rustic flavours. Japanese spiny lobsters are skewered in a pot and seared, creating a delightful aroma. As the sweetness of the sea urchin and the aroma of the lobster pair perfectly, the Japanese butterbur root foretells the coming of spring.
© Michelin
© Michelin
Tuna Sashimi with Doburoku
Doppo KYOTOA dish inspired by tuna nigiri sushi. The tuna is thinly sliced and lightly marinated in soy sauce. Doburoku (unrefined sake), with the full sweetness of the rice and a sour flavour from the fermentation process, is used here instead of vinegared rice. Enjoy this playful dish that captures the essence of its inspiration.
© Michelin
Fruit and Vegetable Salad
LE PONT DE CIEL OSAKAThis vibrantly coloured salad features over 20 varieties of fruits and vegetables. An impressive three-dimensional display of raspberry foam and pie crust. Enjoy the delightful changes in texture and flavour as you indulge. This salad successfully carries out an impressive balancing act in both taste and presentation.
© LE PONT DE CIEL
Sea Connections
HAJIME OSAKAThe pale blue plate evokes thoughts of the sea. This dish has a sea theme, but also expresses connections to all life on the earth with ingredients from the mountains, forests and rivers. Combining various ingredients such as freshwater prawns, truffles and wild vegetables with the sauce; it tells the story of the earth.
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Baked Matsutake Mushrooms
Yugen OSAKAAn appetizer heralding the start of autumn. These finely scored matsutake mushrooms are baked up flavourfully. Notice the detailed work that goes into seasoning with the extracts and grated yuzu peel. The accompanying tempura of Tanba black beans also suit the season perfectly.
© Michlein
Aged Beef Rotir
SINAE OSAKACooked slowly to draw out the essence of the aged beef. With a sauce featuring a convincing fusion of fond and red wine. Caramelised endive. The essence of the ingredients is presented with a sense of simple clarity. Created from a wealth of experience, this dish goes back to the very beginning.
© SINAE
Abalone and Shogoin Daikon Radish Bowl
Taian OSAKAThe thinly sliced daikon radish resembles black ice in this simmered dish perfect for winter. The pairing of abalone and Shogoin Daikon radish showcases the bounty of the mountains and sea. The Wajima lacquerware bowl features an auspicious spinning top pattern. Displays the work and sensibility fostered at this sophisticated Japanese restaurant.
© Michelin
Karasumi and Lime Bavettine
a canto OSAKAThe prized dish of a chef with a talent for pasta. Contrasting aromas fill the air, from the wheat of the home-made bavettine pasta to the sweet herb bread flour. The salty and rich flavour of the karasumi ties together the bitterness and sourness of the lime. For truly masterful pasta, this is the place.
© a canto
Ebi-imo Mascarpone Spinach
KAHALA OSAKAThis dish brings together ebi-imo a shrimp-shaped taro and mascarpone cheese with a spinach sauce. With the added elegance of luxurious caviar and served on a semi-transparent glass plate, this dish feels like a work of art. This restaurant in Kitashinchi has been creating various innovative dishes for half a century.
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Seco Crab Platter
Kashiwaya Osaka Kitashinchi OSAKAEnjoy this female snow crab dish only briefly available during the crab harvesting season. The legs, outer eggs and inner eggs are seasoned with crab vinegar and crab broth, while the main body can be enjoyed with caviar and sea urchin. This platter includes five selections. Enjoy seeing the crab’s presentation and the array of delights spread across your plate.
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Pike Conger and Yolk Vinegar Sauce
Sawada OSAKASimple yet brimming with originality. The pike conger is deboned and par-cooked right before your eyes, and seemingly transformed into a peony. With the pike conger broth, the yolk vinegar becomes something truly special.
Making the most of each ingredient creates deeper flavours. Enjoy vibrant counter-style Kappo cooking here.
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Chestnut Pudding with Rum-flavoured Coffee Jelly
Fujiya 1935 OSAKAA distinctively smoky scent in the air evokes thoughts of autumn. This dessert recreates the aroma of burning rice panicles and fallen leaves. Smoke rises as the box opens, revealing smoked chestnuts like marron glacé. In the glass, the chestnut pudding topped with coffee jelly feels somehow nostalgic.
© Michelin
Related Pages：
The MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka 2024: Newly Awarded Restaurants Announced Including One 2-Star and two MICHELIN Green Stars
8 New Bib Gourmands Announced for MICHELIN Guide Kyoto Osaka 2024
MICHELIN Guide Tokyo 2024 Inspectors’ Favorite Dishes
Top illustration：ⒸRyō-shō
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