Good for enjoying it for yourself! Good as a souvenir! The finest delicacies from four of the best Kyoto sushi restaurants!
Kyo-zushi is a type of sushi that has been popular in Kyoto for centuries, including the well-known Saba sushi (鯖寿司, mackerel sushi), hako sushi (箱寿司, pressed sushi), makizushi (巻き寿司, sushi roll) and chirashi sushi (ちらし寿司), as a special treat for special occasions. The fish is not served raw, but is instead seasoned with salt and vinegar, grilled or cooked, so it can be eaten without soy sauce.
‘It’s full of aesthetics, a connoisseur’s choice of ingredients and the meticulous handiwork of our craftsmen,’ says Sasaki Shogo (佐々木勝悟), the eighth head of Izuu (いづう), a prestigious Kyoto-style sushi restaurant founded in 1781. The trifecta the ‘Kyoto-style sushi’ brings, is just what you’re looking for in a hanami bento. Here we introduce four of Kyoto’s most trusted restaurants with a reputation for their excellent quality.
The delicious taste, aesthetics and handiwork of Kyoto sushi come together! Kyoto-style sushi Assortment from Izuu
The sushi at this long-established restaurant in the heart of Gion (祇園), which has been a favourite at ozashiki parties (traditional Geisha parties) in the Hanamachi district, is both elegant and vibrant. Even if the famous mackerel sushi is a staple of your Kyoto trip, this spring you should definitely try the mackerel, pressed, and roll set, which is the face of the restaurant. The interesting futomaki sushi (太巻き寿司, thick sushi roll), with thickly-baked egg, shiitake mushrooms cooked in a secret sauce and white dried gourd strips, and the elaborate beauty of the pressed sushi are also superb.
Shop Information
【IZUU】
Address: 367 Kiyomoto-cho, Yasaka Shinchi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Tel: 075-561-0751
Opening hours: 11am – 10pm (until 9pm on Sundays and public holidays)
Holiday: Tuesdays (open on national holidays)
Official website：https://www.izuu.jp/
Sushi from Hisago Sushi: Only available in March and April to enjoy the arrival of spring
The folded sushi is a feast for the eyes, and includes eight different kinds of temari sushi (hand pressed, ball shaped sushi), such as a cherry blossom petal-shaped crafted sushi with squid and salmon roe, prawns, boiled conger eel and even a small sea bream wrapped in a cherry leaf and flavourful nori (海苔, seaweed)! The main shop is located in Shijo-Kawaramachi (四条河原町) and is loved by people of all ages. In addition to traditional Kyoto-style sushi, nigiri sushi (にぎり寿司) is also popular. The fun-filled origami sushi is a springtime tradition that has been loved for more than 20 years.
Shop Information
【Hisago Sushi】
Address: 344 Shioyacho, Shijo Kamigami, Kawaramachi-Dori, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Tel: 075-221-5409
Opening hours: 9.30am – 7pm
Holiday: Wednesdays (closed the following weekday if Wednesday is a bank holiday)
Official website：http://hisagozusi.co.jp/
Available only at the main shop. Reccomended to make a reservation at least one day in advance; pick-up times are anytime during opening hours.
Beautiful chequered sushi, steeped in tradition and handcraftsmanship. ‘Izu juu’ joubako sushi (上箱寿司)
This restaurant, which split its goodwill from Izuu at the end of the Meiji era, is well-loved by locals for its relaxed atmosphere. There are various specialities, but this is the place to go for a hanami bento (flower-viewing bento). The seasonal changes are reflected in the folds, and in spring, small sea bream with buds of the trees showing through appears. The colourful folded lunches with ingredients prepared using traditional methods, such as cooking in a traditional kamado stove, have remained a signature product since the shop’s founding. (The photo above shows the exterior of the old shop, which is now open for business in the renovated shop.)
Shop Information
【Izuju】
Address: Gion Ishidanshita, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto
Tel: 075-561-0019
Opening hours: 10.30am – 6pm
Holiday: Wednesdays and Thursdays
Official website：https://gion-izuju.com/
*Recommended to make a reservation; pick-up times are anytime during opening hours.
In addition to the gorgeous ingredients, the rich texture of the vinegared rice is also part of its charm. Kyoto-style chirashi-zushi from Suehiro
On top of a generous amount of sweet kinshi egg garnish, carefully seasoned one by one, are prawns, bamboo shoots, dried tofu and sakurafu (桜麩)… The sushi rice underneath is also a unique taste of this restaurant, with shiitake mushrooms, dried gourds and minced squid mixed in! The taste of this sushi restaurant, which has been in Kyoto for almost 200 years, is full of delicious innovations.
Shop Information
【Suehiro】
Address: 711, Yojoji-cho-mae, Teramachi-Dori, Nijo Kamigami, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
Tel: 075-231-1363
Opening hours: 11am – 6pm (close when sold out)
Holiday: Mondays and Tuesdays
Official website：https://sushi-suehiro.jp/
*Recommended to make a reservation at least one day in advance; pick up can be made at any time during opening hours.
Photography by Ito Makoto Composition by Kawamura Yuko
This article is a reprint of the magazine Waraku (Feb/Mar 2023). Products listed are tax inclusive. Opening days and hours are subject to change, so please check the latest information before visiting.
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/travel/238826/
