A taste of Kyoto’s famous ‘Deaimon’: The perfect pairing of shrimp shaped taro and dried cod | Imobou of Hironoya’s signature dish
In Kyoto, which is located far from the sea and had limited access to ingredients, cooking methods were devised where ingredients complement each other’s flavours and bring out the best in one another.
The simmered dish of ebi-imo (shrimp shaped taro) and bodara (dried cod) known as imobou is a prime example of this. By simmering them together in a single pot, the astringent juices released by the ebi-imo soften the bodara, whilst the gelatinous matter from the bodara prevents the ebi-imo from falling apart. The creator of this dish was the restaurant’s first master, Hirano Gondayu. It was during the mid-Edo period that he encountered the taro root in Kyushu and brought it back to Kyoto to cultivate. A long expanse of time flows through imobou.
“Simmering does not require all that much skill. You simply let the large pot rest overnight on a specially made kamado (竈) after it is cooked. I do worry, however, about how much longer there will be craftsmen capable of building these kamado,” answers the 15th-generation master, Kitamura Kenji, making his hard work sound utterly effortless.
Precisely because it is a simple dish completed in a single pot, the very crux of this cuisine is said to lie entirely in ‘securing high-quality ebi-imo’.
“It is through a great deal of human care that ebi-imo acquires that distinctive shape. Because the nutrients are concentrated solely in the head, both its sweetness and its rich, sticky texture are truly exceptional.”
This restaurant selects extra-large sizes of such ebi-imo and boldly serves only the head portion. How incredibly luxurious.
Isn’t it fascinating that such a large ebi-imo doesn’t fall apart when simmered?
‘Securing High-Quality Ebi-imo’ is Essential
Imobou Hiranoya Honten Restaurant Info DATA
Address: South Gate of Chionin (知恩院), Maruyama Park, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Telephone: 075-561-1603
Opening Hours: 11:00 am – 3:00 pm, 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Closed: Irregular holidays (monthly closure dates are announced on the official website)
Official Website: https://www.imobou.net/
*The prices shown are inclusive of tax. Prices and opening hours are as of March 2026 and may be subject to change. Please confirm in advance via the official website or similar sources.
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/travel/298699/
