Soujiki Nakahigashi

Mr. Nakahigashi, the owner-chef of this popular kaiseki spot near Ginkakuji, goes in the mountains in the morning to gather his ingredients to serve to his customers that day. There is something homely and not-so-uptight about this place with twelve counter seats and two private rooms. The chef himself is a warm gentleman who is eager to answer your questions.

My visit to Nakahigashi was in April of 2005, on my birthday. Because my dining companion is a regular at an exclusive New York sushi place whose owner-chef is good friends with Mr. Nakahigashi, we are seated in the middle of the counter, next to three local Kyotoites that seem like regulars. My dining companion and I toast with cold sake, but when Mr. Nakahigashi hears "Happy Birthday," he pours us a little Champagne. A nice touch.

We are presented with small dishes of local ferns and greens that were gathered by the chef himself that morning. Names of these mountain vegetables are unheard of even for Japanese people. A nare-zushi is served with a small coupe of daiginjo sake. The cheese-like fermented quality of nare-zushi goes with the fragrant sake. Mr. Nakahigashi grills beef, especially for us. Ah, I think, because my dining companion is white. He enjoys it tremendously, further deepening the stereotypical meat-eating Caucasian image. I eat it, too. And it's good; sliced tender pieces of Matsuzaka beef seared rare and topped with grated daikon mixed with egg yolk. Like most Japanese steaks, the beef is well-marbled with that sweetness not found in American beef. To be completely honest, I prefer dry-aged American beef, a hunk of good red meat, to the Japanese shimofuri kind. Sorry, Mr. Nakahigashi, Peter Luger wins...

Oshokuji is white rice cooked in his special pot with a little sea salt sprinkled on top, grilled mezashi (a sardine-like small silver fish) and pickles.

Now this is delicious, worth calling "Main course," as the chef does with a proud smile.

This course epitomizes what Nakahigashi is about; simple local ingredients cooked with perfect technique and precision. The full name of the restaurant is "Soujiki Nakahigashi." Soujiki (草喰) literally means to eat grass. As reflected in this name, the point of Nakahigashi is not fancy ingredients, like Matsuzaka beef, but treating local natural ingredients with the respect they deserve. If you are looking for gorgeous sashimi plates with toro and uni, rich beef, suppon etc., this is not the place to go. But if you are tired of those extravagant ingredients and really want the taste of the earth, this is the right place. Nakahigashi is Yin to most Kyoto kaiseki's Yang.

The home-like feel I noticed upon entering must come from this attitude toward food. As we depart, Mr. and Mrs. Nakahigashi walk us out and bow and wave until our taxi is out of sight. Now that I understand the philosophy and how to enjoy "eating grass," it is a place I definitely want to go back to. No beef, though, chef.

Soujiki Nakahigashi

075-752-3500

Kyoto City, Sakyo-ku, Jodo Dera, Ishibachi-cho 32-3

City Bus 5, 17, 32, 203, 204; 3-minute walk from Ginkakuji Dori stop

Hours: Lunch 12 - 2 pm, Dinner 6 - 9 pm

Closed Mondays

Budget: Lunch 5,000+ yen, Dinner 10,000+ yen

No credit cards accepted