Kyoyakiniku Hiro Yasakatei

On the corner of Yasaka Street and among rows of historic Japanese townhouses, the entrance to Kyoyakiniku Hiro Yasaketei guides guests up along a moody-lit stoned path. The lavish restaurant occupies a traditional mansion originally built by a wealthy merchant during the early Showa era. Even after 100 years, the interior and architecture remains true to its original build: coffered ceilings, tatami-matted floors, sunken tables and panels covered in shoji papers. The broad glass windows reveal the view over the 330-square-meter garden, delivering movie-set Showa glamour in spades. Initially billed as wagyu yakiniku fine-dining establishment, Kyoyakiniku Hiro Yasakatei delivered a more intriguing proposition with fusions of kaiseki cuisine. The restaurant purchases whole cattle straight from the Kyoto Meat Wholesale Market. Meat comes in faster — and that means fresher — without intermediaries. Without tethering to one regional breed, the restaurant follows its own stringent criteria. Cuts are prepared in-house and plotted out to different lineups of beef: the tender wagyu yukhoe (beef tartare) with egg yolk hits all the right receptors, but more impressive is the crosshatch-scored thick tongue that’s grilled right in front of you. The secret is in the sauce, which segues from full-bodied soy sauce, green onion and miso-based sauce to special “red mud” sauce. Appetizers and side dishes are just as unmissable. Diners fall in love with the hassun, which sets the seasonal theme and might include delicacies like simmered red snapper, homemade sesame tofu with miso sauce and honeycomb tripe. Don’t leave just yet: head to the swish, handsome salon to enjoy post-supper coffee.