京都二条城そばの京町家スイート

まだまだ暑い日が続きますが、皆さまいかがお過ごしでしょうか。

It seems that it is getting a bit cooler in Kyoto.  We hope you are doing well.

 

今回は、京都祇園にございます「天ぷら八坂圓堂」さんをご紹介いたします。

Today, we'd like to introduce the Tempura restaurant, Tempura Endo Yasaka.

 

目の前でシェフが揚げる、あつあつの天ぷらを十品ひとつずついただく、とても贅沢なコース（１万円）を堪能いたしました。お料理の一部をご紹介いたします。

You will be served with the just fried ten delicious tempuras, one by one during the dinner course (JPY10,000).　Let's take a look at some menus of the course.

 

コースの始まりは、じゃがいものコールドスープです。ひんやりと爽やかなのどごしですが、濃厚な味わいがあります。

Cold potato soup as a starter.  It was both refreshing and rich taste.

 

最初に出てきたのは、なんば（トウモロコシ）の天ぷらです。甘味があってとても美味しいです。

Corn tempura, it was slightly sweet and so tasty.

海老の天ぷら、かしらつき。ご想像のとおり、絶品です。

Prawn tempura with its soft shell head fries. They were gorgeous.

 

しいたけの海老詰め。大好きです。

Mushroom stuffed with shrimp paste.  I just loved it.

鮎の天ぷら。たでの葉、たで酢と共に。

Ayu fish with green Tade leaf and sauce.

揚げたて天ぷらメニューの最後は穴子。締めくくりにふさわしい贅沢な一品です。

Conger eel tempura. In my opinion, this is the richest taste among the course.

お口直しのサラダと、締めの海老天茶漬け。

Radish salad with fried sweet potato and rice soup with shrimp tempura.

最後はグレープフルーツのソルベ。

Sorbet of grapefruit.

またいつか、必ず圓堂さんに行くと心に決めました。

I truly loved the food here and promised myself to come back to the restaurant in the near future.

京宿うさぎではご宿泊、お食事処のご予約を承っております。皆様にお目にかかれる日を楽しみにしております。

We'd be happy to assist you to make a reservation at our hotel and the restaurant as well. We are looking forward to welcoming you at Kyo-yado Usagi soon.

京都祇園　天ぷら八坂圓堂　（祇園以外にも京都市内に数店舗ございます）

  The rainy season has finished and summer days go on in Kyoto.

  Although it is so hot and humid, it is the highest season to see around Kyoto city.

  This time let us tell you 'Hokongoin', one of the beautiful spots around Usagi.

  Hokongoin is a temple, and it takes about 15 minutes from Usagi by train.

  (The nearest station is JR 'Hanazono', which is the 2nd station from 'Nijo'.  Nijo is one of the accessible stations from Usagi.)

  The temple was built about 1,200 years ago.

  You can enjoy the seasonable view of a Japanese garden all the year, and today we present summer's beautiful one.

  The color of the garden changes pink in spring, green in summer and coral in autumn since there are weeping cherry trees and Japanese maples all around the temple.

  You can see lotuses in this season.  Hokongoin is famous of them and that is why it is selected as one of the flowery temples in Kansai, the West side of Japan.

  If you stay our house Usagi, we recommend to see around the temple.  You will be certainly satisfied with the fabulous view.

 

It is the rainy season here in Kyoto...the sun shines after a few rainy days.

Today, we'd like to introduce the Gion Matsuri, the festival of Yasaka Shrine, and the delicious course dinner of Hamo (pike eels) as well.

Gion Matsuri is one of the most famous festivals in Japan and it takes place over the entire month of July.  There are many different events, but the grand procession of floats (Yamaboko Junko) on July 17 is particularly spectacular.

Yamaboko Junko has been registered as a UNESCO's Intangible cultural heritage in 2009 and recognized as the world's most important cultural heritage since then.

For decades in the long history, the people in Kyoto started to enjoy eating pike eels during Gion Matsuri for a certain reason...

In the old days, fresh fish from the sea mostly died on the way to Kyoto due to the worse transportation than nowadays.  However, only pike eels survived from this journey, which represented their physical vitality.

In this way, pike eels are said that they contain a "Secret energy essence" and have been preferably eaten by the people in Kyoto.

Moreover, pike eels have countless tiny bones from head to tail and are almost inedible, but it was the chefs in Kyoto who made them the delicious white flower looking "Work of Art".

After the rainy season, it will be the best timing to enjoy Hamo (pike eels) for its mature taste.

Please definitely come to Kyoto this summer to stay with us, to see the exciting Gion festival and enjoy a delicious Hamo dinner!

**********

A Special Stay Plan with Hamo (Pike eels) Dinner at JIKISHIAN(May1-Sep30)

Reservation can be made from the following website:

https://www.489pro.com/asp/489/menu.asp?id=26000028&ty=ser&list=YES&lan=ENG&liop=1#26

**********

Please also enjoy the photos of the Hamo dinner below:

The soup of Hamo and Namafu (wheat gluten)

Slices of raw, boiled and slightly grilled Hamo with 3 different sauces

Genpei-yaki, grilled Hamo in opposite colors

Hassun, small-plate dishes

Tempura of Hamo and vegetable

The climax of the course, Hot-pot dish

We are looking forward to welcoming you to Kyo-Yado Usagi soon.

Kyo-Yado Usagi English Page:

/english/

Contact us:

/english/contact/

 

Going to new place to give it a try, or just chill at your favorite restaurant.

You definitely should stay at Kyo-yado USAGI for those enjoyable moments because we don't have meal service.

Let us introduce very local hideway restaurant of Modern Yaki(similar to Okonomi Yaki). The name of that restaurant is [Mossan no Beta Yaki(もっさんのべた焼き)] .

About 15min by foot from Kyo-yado USAGI, going south way from Shijo-NanahonMatsu Street, just crossed a railroad of Keifuku Dentetsu Arashiyama line, you will find the red lantern on your left side.

Warm-hearted staffs will welcome you.

They provide many tasty foods including Okonomi Yaki, Yakisoba (fried noodle), Modern Yaki. Highly recommendation of mine is [AGI with sauce(アギのたれ焼)]. It's beef from cow's chin, kind of chewy but very delicious!

It is very nice to go some famous restaurant that you can easily find from your guidebook, but how about give it a try at very local restaurant that only local people know to enjoy as if you are living in Kyoto?

Kyoyado USAGI received Kyo-Machiya Awards of Outdoor Advertisement Category in Kyoto Townscape Awards which has started in 2012,  has been given the awards to the building with suitable outdoor advertisement in Kyoto.

We are officially commended by given credit for an achievement which we renewal and use Kyo-Machiya, the historical and cultural symbol of Kyoto, to contribute to make Kyoto townscape beautiful and dignity by its harmonious looking with townscape.
We appreciate from bottom of our hearts to all who nominated us to this awards and also judges by choosing us. 

 Here is a letter of commendation for Kyo-Machiya Award and the next is the certificate of excellent design outdoor advertisment.

This is a brochure that introducing other stores and Japanese hotels including Kyoyado USAGI which received Kyo-machiya Awards  and also more who received other  awards.

 

We are very honored to be lined up in the brochure with other historical and famous accommodations. We belive you can enjoy our suite rooms and sarvice.  There is nothing like Kyoyado USAGI.

We would like every customer from both local and abroad of course, also people walking through Oshikouji Street side by Kyoyado USAGI to love and enjoy its classical elegance of Kyoto by the dignity appearance of Kyoyado USAGI.