Up to this point, I have gone to and written about Kyoto restaurants as a visitor; when I went to Hyotei back in December 2007 I was still living in the New York. My life as a Kyotoite started in February of 2008 as I finally settled down to unpack the thirteen boxes I shipped from the States, impressed that they arrived exactly within the one-hour time frame given by the Japanese moving company.It's a funny thing - and, I think, a common thing for many people - that I stopped being so vigorous to go to restaurants since I started to actually live in Kyoto. The idea that I will not need to count the number of meals, and thus the number of reservations, according to the length of my stay has made me feel less urgent in eating at various places.
I did, however, start something no visitor to Kyoto can do; I decided to work at a kaiseki restaurant in the Gion district as a nakai, a kimono-wearing server. And not just any kaiseki restaurant in Gion; I decided to work at Sasaki.
Sasaki is famous for its dynamic counter-style kaiseki cuisine and infamous for being the restaurant with the most difficult reservation to secure in Kyoto. I have also tried to make a reservation at Sasaki every time I traveled to Kyoto. And, of course, every time it was fully booked.
Whether the decision to work there is from brilliant professionalism or gluttony is up for debate. I will be honest, however, to unabashedly disclose the following thought-process; If I can't eat there as a customer, why not work there to see its food and service? And maybe, just maybe, I'll get to taste some of the dishes (with a half-smile and eyebrows slightly raised).
I did get a close look at the food and the service. I did get to eat not only some, but most of what has been served through the seasons. Not only that, I got to meet, work with and befriend a warm group of people who made me feel at home in Kyoto.
For the next several posts I will share the insider's experience at this little special restaurant run by a magnificently caring couple.
4 comments:
Hi Kyoto Kei,
I am taking a break from running my restaurants in Singapore, visiting Kyoto for the first time at the end of September, and was so happy to find your accounts of the many wonderful meals you've had. I was actually considering Hyotei, Maruyama and Sasaki, and so it's great to see you writing about it, and now I'm going to try booking Mizai!
Would love it if you could get in touch with me, and appreciate any more recommendations that you may have (yuan@me.com).
Best wishes,
Yuan
I'm terribly sorry to be replying so late! Somehow I never got a notification about your comment :(
Thank you for the comment. I'm excited that you are interested in the kaiseki places I've written about.
How was your visit in Kyoto? Did you get to go to some of the places you were interested in?
It was fantastic and I'll be back there again. Particularly enjoyed Mizai - thank you for the bringing that to my attention.
Hello Kei~
I just came across your website and was wondering if you could tell me the easiest way to book a reservation at Mizai. My family and I are traveling there in October and we'd like to try and eat there.
thank you for your help.
ibestace@gmail.com
-stacie
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