Tempura Endo Yasaka Gion

Founded in 1885, Tempura Endo Yasaka Gion’s roots go back to the Endo teahouse in Kyoto’s famous geisha district of Gion. In 1960, the restaurant moved to Kyoto’s Yasaka-dori street, and in 1991, it reopened under its current name. There are now three Endo tempura restaurants on Yasaka-dori: North and South, which are opposite each other, and West, which is a short distance from North and South.

The first thing that catches the eye of any customer is the impressive 100-year-old façade, which is built in the traditional Kyoto sukiya architectural style. An equally impressive five-story pagoda is visible along Yasaka-dori, and it is beautifully illuminated at night. The restaurant itself stands within the precincts of Kyoto’s Kennin-ji, a historic Zen Buddhist temple. Customers enter the restaurant along a lantern-lit stone path, then pass through a noren curtain to be met by the subtle fragrance of incense. What could be more evocative of Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital?

Diners may admire the traditional garden that faces the restaurant’s rooms, or they can turn their attention to chefs preparing delicate tempura right before their eyes. It is a style of hospitality that goes back to the restaurant’s origins as a traditional Kyoto teahouse, where guests appreciated the changing seasons while enjoying a feast that brought delight to both stomach and soul.

The restaurant’s cuisine features special ingredients from the Kyoto area, such as Kyoto brand heirloom vegetables, mountain plants, seafood from Setouchi and Wakasa, and river fish from the clear streams that flow into Lake Biwa. The tempura is fried using the finest cottonseed oil, with a light batter that preserves the aroma and taste of the ingredients it coats. The restaurant’s special dipping sauce and salt add an extra accent to this exquisitely light tempura. A sommelier, meanwhile, is on hand to help customers choose the perfect wine or sake to accompany their meal.

This restaurant imbued with Kyoto tradition is also ready to take on new challenges. Its innovative cuisine brings together Kyoto-style tempura and Kyoto-style kaiseki, and in 2016, it opened a restaurant in Beverly Hills in the US. In Kyoto, it provides a home delivery service for tempura and kaiseki bento boxes, with a ten percent discount available to those who pick up orders in person. The bento boxes are perfect not just for a special meal at home, but also for private parties and corporate events.

There are also stores in Tokyo, on the 12th floor of the Daimaru Department Store in Marunouchi, and in Osaka, on the 10th floor of the main building of the Daimaru Department Store in Shinsaibashi.

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