Gion Matayoshi

One diner recalls the fish soup as a particular highlight of a lunch course. Gion Matayoshi’s kaiseki menu has also featured clear soup with tilefish and toasted rice cake, offering a taste of seasonal ingredients through its soup course.

Other menu examples include green pea tofu with clams and female Matsuba crab simmered with turnip. One diner who enjoyed a seafood-focused lunch course describes it as having 12 dishes and remembers hearing explanations as each was served. Another notes the freshness of the sashimi and recalls being told about the types of fish and where they came from. For those who like to learn about the ingredients as they savour each dish, that context can be part of the experience.

Warm dishes have included a sake-lees soup with Yodo daikon and duck, as well as an Ishigaki beef hot pot. Examples of dishes to finish the meal include rice with abalone or tuna and a jelly made with wasanbon sugar, so the course can be enjoyed through to its final serving. Some diners have also mentioned pairing their meal with sake; one lunch guest chose wine, too, making drinks another part of the meal to consider.

There are private rooms as well as counter seating, giving diners options for different occasions. Reservations are recommended for both lunch and dinner, so it is worth enquiring about a seat when planning a visit. The menu may change with the season and ingredient availability; if there is a particular dish you would like to try, check when booking.