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Kashiwai
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Summary
Restaurant Details
Location
Pop these bite-sized temari-zushi into your mouth at this Michelin restaurant, just like the geisha do.
Restaurant Details
Temari-zushi is one of Kyoto’s most iconic foods. Taking their name from the small Japanese fabric balls, the sushi are likewise fashioned to be small such that geisha can consume them in a single bite, minimizing their chances of ruining their makeup.
Nobody does this traditional food quite like the mother-daughter duo who run Kashiwai, a small, quaint shop just a block northeast of Kitaoji Station, and just a short distance from the bank of the Kamo River. Here, temari-zushi are instead called “tsumami-zushi”, or “snack sushi”.
Neatly lined up in black boxes, the sushi are beautifully decorated, and have recently spread like wildfire across on social media, where their popularity has skyrocketed. Adding to their charm is the hand-drawn annotated menu that accompanies them, helpfully written in English for overseas visitors to know precisely what they’re enjoying as well.
And they taste just as good as they look. The Michelin inspectors don’t disagree — the restaurant picked up a Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2023. Seasonal ingredients from around Kyoto make their way into the sushi, like simmered bamboo shoot or conger eel. The 15-piece set may seem like a lot, but it’s the best way to experience these tsumami-zushi.
Michelin Guide:
2023 - Bib Gourmand
Kashiwai Access Info
Kashiwai is a 1-minute walk from Kitaoji Station on the Karasuma Line.
Kashiwai Phone Number
075-491-7056
Kashiwai Business Days
Sunday
09:00 AM
05:00 PM
Monday
09:00 AM
05:00 PM
Tuesday
09:00 AM
05:00 PM
Wednesday
Closed
Thursday
09:00 AM
05:00 PM
Friday
09:00 AM
05:00 PM
Saturday
09:00 AM
05:00 PM
Kashiwai Address
3-3 Koyamashimouchikawaracho, Kita Ward, Kyoto, 603-8132, Japan
Kashiwai Cancellation Policy
Cancel your reservation at least 2 days before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
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Restaurant location
A stone's throw from the picturesque Kamo River, Kitaoji is the easiest access point to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens and the Shimogamo Campus of Kyoto Prefectural University — the latter a beautiful synthesis of traditional and modern architecture.
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September
2024
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¥2,000
reservation fee per guest*
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Free cancellation (2 days notice)
*Fee for reservation service only. This fee DOES NOT include any food, beverages, or services at the restaurant.
*Confirmation sent within seven business days.
*The reservation service charge will only apply if the reservation request is successful. If the restaurant cancels the reservation, 100% of the service charge will be refunded.
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