Kanga An - Kyoto

The best of Japanese Buddhist tempel eating great service, quality, presentation of the tempel is an incredibly beautiful environment for a restaurant it is not cheap (we have the ¥10.000 zhu zhen meal, the 2nd most expensive) but not crazy either for the quality they receive we had to book about a Japanese friend: no English on the phone

I'm here a lot, and I can't think about going to kyoto without eating here in kanga. in a tempel from 17. for centuries you can enjoy the best of fūcha ryōri in private rooms with views of the private Japanese garden. the menu consists of several beautifully presented dresses that really look like small jewels: from small appetitzügler to vegan sashimi and sushi, from delicate tempura to fluffy goma dōfu, from fake chestnuts to vegan eel, everything is a joy for the sight and the palate. to be the place when in kyoto.

I didn't know what to expect, it was hard to make the reservation because the website is only in Japanese, so we had to ask someone to RSVP for us. They welcomed us by my name as soon as we arrived and showed us to our private room with big, comfy office chairs. After that, the staff proceeded to quietly bring in dish after dish until we ate 12 course of beautiful food that was a party in your mouth. I had no idea how time passes so fast, but all of a sudden it had already been two hours of feasting. Go if you are in Kyoto. If you can only choose one last meal, choose this one

I concur with the previous reviews. This is an experience and not simply a meal. From the time you are ushered into your private dining room you feel special. We had 13 courses over 2.5hrs and it felt like only an hour had passed. Our waiter, who we later discovered was one of the temple monks, spoke good English and explained each dish as he brought it out. Each dish so different from the last. Presentation was excellent. So much detail and artistry. There was not one dish we disliked. The flavours were subtle and not overbearing. The perfect blend of ginger and spices. How much are you willing to pay for the greatest meal of your life. Our Y38,000 was worth every Yen.

Eating at Kanga An costs an arm and a leg but we can't keep ourselves from going back again and again anyway. Easily the most extravagant of the shojin ryori options in Kyoto it's also open at night, which is unusual for temple food which tends to be a lunch affair. The gardens are stunning and utterly unique, with lavish rock garden formations that are dramatically lit up at night: a brilliant view to accompany a magnificent meal. The decor is a little Chinese in feel very over the top compared to traditional Japanese tastes. Our room was punctuated by an over-sized Western style black chandelier and the colour scheme features a lot of strong colours: red, black and gold. It's luxury meets stoicism like a runaway rogue monk and provides for an unexpected and yet entertaining cultural blend. The hybrid theme is continued by the inclusion of a Western style bar on the premises far from the usual temple setup but if you'd like to cap your night off with a whiskey, you've come to the right place. The food is as indulgent as temple food never gets. No austerity here, this is a feast and no less. The flavours are robust, presentation is ornate. Admittedly it feels a bit altered to suit modern sensibilities but when it looks and tastes like this, it's hard to really care. The previous reviewer mentions it's not too tasty unless she's in the habit of eating Big Macs every day this puzzles me to no end, but each to their own I guess!? Book in advance (we always order the most expensive one if you're going to do it, do it in style, right! take your credit card and try not to look too hard at the bill. You won't forget your meal at Kanga An in a hurry so if you think of it that way, it's worth every yen.