Kyogoku Kaneyo
A triple-threat of sweet, savory, and fluffy, the signature kinshidon put Kyogoku Kaneyo on the map.
Restaurant Details
Kinshidon is Kyogoku Kaneyo’s signature dish: a large blanket of Kyoto-style dashimaki tamago (savory Japanese omelet), Kanto-style grilled eel and the chef’s favorite rice. What makes this meal special isn’t so much its individual elements — although each one is made to perfection — but rather the presence of three key sensations that change with each layer. The fluffiness, sweetness, and savory elements of the omelet contrast with those same features in the unagi, and once again shift as diners scoop up the sauce-soaked rice beneath it all.
Chef Higuchi came into the unagi business as a family favor, rather than a matter of passion, but a piece of advice from his brother changed his attitude towards the dish: “Even if you make 300 unagi-don a day, each guest only gets to eat one of them – doesn’t that guest deserve the best out of their single experience?”
Since that time, Kyogoku Kaneyo has continued to move towards its goal of becoming the best unagi joint in Japan. Higuchi takes his time to slit open the eel along the back and steam it first, which removes any excess oil and gives the meat a plumper texture. He was also intentional in keeping the facade and interior of the restaurant the same since it first opened its doors, knowing that a guest may only have one chance to capture the essence of the traditional Japanese held within Kyogoku Kanyo’s walls.
Michelin Guide accolades:
2024 - Bib Gourmand
Kyogoku Kaneyo Access Info
Kyogoku Kaneyo is a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae Station.
Kyogoku Kaneyo Phone Number
Kyogoku Kaneyo Business Days
Kyogoku Kaneyo Address
456 Matsugaecho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto 604-8034
Kyogoku Kaneyo Cancellation Policy
Cancel your reservation at least 3 days before the dining start time to receive a full refund minus a 3.2% transaction fee.
Restaurant location
Featuring beautiful landscapes from mountain to sea, Kyoto Prefecture conveys traditional Japanese culture through its architecture and gardens, art and artisanal crafts, and delicious local cuisine made from regional produce.
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10 meals
COURSE MENUToshima Manryo Ichigetsuan
Enjoy traditionally-prepared unagi dishes in this Odawara restaurant, housed in a Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. Toshima Manryo Ichigetsuan uses exclusively blue-backed “ao-unagi” eels, said to account for only 10 percent of mature eels.
COURSE MENUSumiyaki Unafuji Daimaru Kyoto Bettei
At Unafuji, only the best quality blue eels are used, chosen for their high fat content and creamy livers. These are then cooked over a blue-hot charcoal flame to seal in their natural flavor, then coated generously with Unafuji’s secret sauce.
COURSE MENUMARUICHI FUJI AKASAKA (formerly Nyorosuke Akasaka)
Rather than steam the eel first in Kanto style, this famed Akasaka unagi specialist upholds Kansai tradition by going straight into grilling the eel for a crispier, crunchier texture.
COURSE MENUAzabujuban Hanabusa
This Tokyo restaurant sources its eels from unagi farmers in Isshiki Town, who have raised them in an all-natural environment for over 100 years. The unagi are then coated in a secret sauce, before being grilled Kansai-style over a charcoal flame.