Leaf KYOTO: Kaiseki Cuisine at Gojo's Notable Japanese Restaurant "Yokoi", Succeeding to the Skills of the Best Restaurants in Gojo

Leaf KYOTO Store Locations The secret story behind the opening of Yokoi: Kaiseki cuisine at the remarkable Japanese restaurant Yokoi in Gojo, which has inherited the skills of a famous restaurant.

2024.7.16

The secret story behind the opening of Yokoi: Kaiseki cuisine at the remarkable Japanese restaurant Yokoi in Gojo, which has inherited the skills of a famous restaurant.

December 1, 2023 open

The owner, Mr. Yokoi, moved from his hometown of Shizuoka to Kyoto at the age of 18 to pursue his culinary training. He grew up watching his father, a sushi chef, and admired his father's work, so it was natural for Yokoi to become a chef.

Owner Hiroshi Yokoi was born in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture. He started his career in Japanese cuisine because of his admiration for his father, a sushi chef. ［After 12 years of training at Kodaiji WAKUDEN group restaurants, he became the head chef at Nijo Yamagishi for 4 years before setting up his own restaurant.

I wanted to take over the family business, but my father encouraged me to learn the basics of Japanese cuisine first," says Yokoi. ［Yokoi studied at such well-known Kyoto restaurants as Kodaiji Wakuden and Nijo Yamagishi before setting up his own restaurant at the age of 36.

In his search for a property, Mr. Yokoi was inspired by the building, "The moment I saw it, I knew this was the place! The building that inspired him was a 180-year-old machiya that had once been a famous kimono wholesaler's house.

We prioritized the comfort of the seats over the ease of use of the kitchen in creating the restaurant. We met with a master builder who is skilled in sukiya-style architecture, and the space has been designed to make the most of its old atmosphere.

The gently curved counter is designed to provide room near the entrance where people frequently enter and exit. The floor with a rake design was designed to be comfortable to the touch when walking on it.

The floor pillars, Taisho glass, lanterns and tsukubai in the garden, and other items from that era remain throughout the building, allowing visitors to immerse themselves in an extraordinary moment in a high-quality space.

In addition to respecting the seasons in the kaiseki cuisine served at his restaurant, he also tries to incorporate his own new ideas into his dishes. One such idea is to combine local Shizuoka tea with the cuisine.

All dishes start at 27,500 yen for the evening omakase course. On this day, the soup course included sea bream and somen noodles. Kyoto's underground water is used to bring out the flavor of the broth. The broth is carefully extracted over a slow fire after being boiled in water to reduce unwanted flavors.

In the hot season, first quench your thirst with a cup of freshly brewed green tea, and right before the bowl, cleanse your palate with a cup of dark-flavored kukicha tea poured into a cup.

The style of hand-rolling sushi in front of you is inherited from Nijo Yamakishi. The sushi is lavishly filled with sea urchin, tuna, and squid with egg yolk.

At the end of the meal, Mr. Yokoi himself served matcha (powdered green tea) using the technique he acquired during his time at WAKUDEN. I would be happy if you could experience Shizuoka's tea culture while tasting each dish," he said, showing his love for his hometown.

At the end of the course, Yokoi-san expertly brewed Uji green tea and sweets. He says that his standard sweets are dumplings on skewers with sweet bean paste and soybean flour.

nightwalk

December 1, 2023 open
88, Banjoji Nakano-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
5 min. walk from Subway "Gojo Station" Exit 1
Tel. 050-1808-9510
12:00 - 15:00 *Closed on Mondays and Fridays
18:00-22:00
By appointment only
Closed on Thursdays
All seats non-smoking Fully private room available No parking
https://kyo-yokoi.com
PHOTO/Emi Masuda, TEXT/Eiko Itakura, EDIT/Moe Sawamura

The information is subject to change. Please contact each store or facility directly for the latest information.
All prices include tax.
※内容の誤りや閉店情報などお気づきの点がございましたら、info@leafkyoto.co.jp までお知らせください。
*Since this site uses automatic translation, the translation may differ from the original Japanese content.

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