Our second night in Kyoto was a special dinner at Kikunoi.
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At the foot of Higashiyama Mountain Range, this world-famous Kyoto kaiseki cuisine restaurant has its main house.
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We were escorted to a beautiful private room with a wide window. The owner chef, Murata-san, came to our room to personally welcome us! He is a very good friend with Kyle and also his mentor. Kyle gave a gift, which is a beautiful yuzu chocolate by Hudoson Chocolates. Murata-san loved it. He sat with us to chat before dinner. He was so sweet, funny, and charismatic.
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Our special seasonal kaiseki dinner began.
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Assortment of appetizers: glazed Kamo river goby; flowering cucumber, barley miso; egg yolk pickled in white miso; octopus roe; brook shrimp; Wakasa tilefish and cucumber roll; jade eggplant
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Wine-poached green ume plum, white wine sorbet
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Sashimi of tai snapper and prawn, yellow Chinese chive, curled cucumber, wasabi
Sashimi of blanched hamo (pike conger eel), pickled ume puree
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Hiryozu (tofu dumpling) stuffed with anago (sea eel), lily bulb, wood ear mushroom and carrot, green beans, kinome herb sauce
Tomato sorbet, aloe
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Live ayu (sweetfish) was brought to us before they were going to be grilled. They were jumping around in a basket and so pretty. After a while, it was Mrs. Murata (she's also the madam of Kikunoi) who came to bring us the just cooked fish. Salt-grilled ayu (sweetfish), sauteed fuki (coltsfoot stalk), water grass vinegar. She was so elegant and sweet. We enjoyed chatting with her so much.
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Duck breast, taro, blanched taro stalk, baby okra, mustard
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Chilled turtle custard, turtle soup gelee, poached shrimp, cucumber, thread-cut green onion, thread-cut fresh ginger
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Abalone, uni, and wakame seaweed baked in salt, abalone liver sauce, salted sudachi lime juice
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New ginger rice with fried tofu and mitsuba herb; pickled radish and sesame seeds, cucumber and eggplant pickled in rice bran; new onion soup, red Manganji pepper, baby onion, shichimi togarashi (seven spice) powder
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Agar jelly, rice flour dumplings, azuki beans, musk melon, pelican mango, cherries
The real elegant kaiseki cuisine...we enjoyed every moment.
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Walking after dinner felt so nice.