Devoted solely to suppon cuisine since the mid-Edo period | Daiichi’s ‘marunabe’
A cooking method that uses coke to prepare the hot pot over a firepower exceeding 1600°C. To combine the pre-seasoned Soft-shelled turtle soup and dashi (出汁) using such immense heat is something you will find only at this restaurant in all of Japan.
“If we draw out the umami slowly, the flavour of the soup deepens, but the suppon meat becomes entirely dried out,” says Aoyama Yoshiki, the 18th-generation owner. What is surprising is that the Zosui (rice porridge) made with the soup from the hotpot, to end the meal is also prepared at the same ultra-high temperature. The rice, having absorbed the umami of the suppon, instantly becomes al dente. A supreme risotto born from an ultra-high temperature clay pot—truly one of a kind!
Speciality restaurants often offer menus filled with various dishes of the same ingredient, but this restaurant centres its focus on ‘marunabe’ and ‘zosui’, structured so that you can enjoy the hot pot twice (refill orders are also accepted). In continuing their trade since the mid-Edo period, their hospitality must surely have been refined as well. Furthermore, although there is only one menu item, their strength lies in the fact that there is not just one flavour.
“Some people prefer a thicker soup by leaving the pot on the fire for longer, whilst others request to add Sake to the pot halfway through. Our customers’ preferences vary greatly, and we cater to the tastes of those who visit us time and time again” (Aoyama).
A pot heated to 1600°C draws out the umami of the soft shell turtle
Daiichi restaurant info
Address: Rokubancho (六番町), Shimochojamachidori Senbonnishiiru, Kamigyoku, Kyotoshi , Kyoto
Telephone: 075-461-1775
Opening Hours: 12:00 – 13:00, 17:00 – 19:30 (last entry)
Closed: Tuesdays
Official Website:
https://www.suppon-daiichi.com/
*The prices displayed include tax. Prices and opening hours are as of April 2026 and are subject to change. Please check the official website in advance.
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/travel/302462/
