Kyoto's Jiki Miyazawa

A new kind of Japanese cuisine restaurant

Justin Velgus Jun 12, 2014 - 1 min read

<p>Purchase a course for 5000 yen or more and you'll receive matcha tea. The tea preparation is quintessentially Kyoto</p>

<p>Across the counter you'll see the food being prepared</p>

<p>The small restaurant of just counter seats is beautiful in its simplicity</p>

<p>Order sake and then select your sake cup. All are stylish designs</p>

<p>A refined sake bottle and a white wine glass. Jikimiyazawa's utensils radiate with sophistication</p>

<p>Jikimiyazawa's specialty: grilled sesame tofu</p>

<p>The rice is freshly made in the kitchen and served in three portions. You'll be able to enjoy a leisurely time as the steam rises from the warm rice. Relax while sampling the subtlety of the flavors</p>

<p>Ingredients are carefully selected</p>

<p>At the teahouse entrance hangs a black curtain</p>

<p>From Nishiki market passing through Sakaimachi from the south you'll see this sign</p>

Kyoto or kaiseki cuisine reproduces the distinct beauty of the four seasons on a plate or in a bowl. The tea room doesn't only delight guests through tea but also food accompanied with sake. You can feel a deep spirit of hospitality from Jiki Miyazawa.

You'll feel a sense of the hard work that goes into every single item of food.

The rice is more than freshly cooked and served. Cooked in a special pot called a nibana, the three portions of rice served from the earthen pot produce different flavors as rice in the middle of the pot has a different taste. The exquisite taste and care in cooking are what you would expect from such a passionate tea room. As such, it is difficult to make a reservation at this famous eatery.

Read about how tea came to Japan and the creation of kaiseki, plus more about Jiki Miyazawa, here.

Justin Velgus @justin.velgus

Justin Velgus (ジャスティンベルガス) is the Miyagi Prefecture expert for Japan Travel and a long-term contributor since 2012 with a focus on the Tohoku region. Justin has written extensively for JT, and other publications such as VisitMiyagi and Sake Today, amassing over 350 published articles...