Feb. 07, 2023 UPDATE
Masaki
- 柾木 -Traveler Friendly
There is no menu in English, and the owner does not speak English, but he will gladly communicate as best he can with you through gestures.
Menu
Japanese only
Languages spoken
Japanese only
- Reservation Requests Available - Tap the button to make a reservation request.
Story & Recommendation
A new kind of Kyoto cuisine in a down-to-earth vibe
About 15 minutes’ walk south from Nijo Castle is this restaurant. Masaki is in a quiet residential street not far from the Sanjo shopping arcade, a place where locals come and go to shop. This inviting restaurant is run by a warm and friendly owner-chef.
The chef has a storied career preparing kaiseki-style cuisine at Kyoto restaurants like Kodaiji-Wakuden and Mizuki - The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto. It’s a delight to be able to enjoy authentic kaiseki cuisine at a reasonable price.
The standout appeal of Masaki is the generous portions of delicious food carefully selected and prepared by the owner.
If you want to relax, have fun, and eat Japanese food, this is it. What is great is that the chef is a fan of Western food, too, so he actively incorporates non-Japanese touches into the menu. All the same, the fare is decidedly Japanese, with these little twists kept to a subtle degree. Each and every dish at Masaki is unique in this way and well thought-out -- and they’re delicious and satisfying.
The chef does not speak English, but his hospitality cannot be beat. He will be sure to greet you with a smile. If you want to eat delicious Japanese cuisine in Kyoto, this is a great bet!
1Recommended
Course meal
/ ￥11,000 (+ tax)
There are three courses available for lunch and dinner, costing respectively ¥11,000 (+ tax), ¥14,000 (+ tax) and ¥17,000 (+ tax). The ingredients used will change depending on the course. All three courses are almost the same in volume, but the higher the price, the more dishes you will be served.
Seasonal ingredients are used throughout the course, and the chef's ideas are skillfully incorporated into regular Japanese cuisine, allowing you to experience the changes of the seasons through all five senses.
※ The photo shows an example of a course meal.
2Recommended
Course meal
/ ￥14,000 (+ tax)
The chef uses ingredients purchased at the market that day to create rare dishes filled with Japanese freshness. This is grilled nodoguro (Blackthroat seaperch), a winter delicacy, and onion nouveau, a breath of spring. The cherry tomatoes, which at first glance look like they have just been cut, are pickled in plum wine, and have just the right amount of sweetness and sourness spreading in your mouth. The chef also excels at suggesting dishes to accompany alcoholic beverages. Wine lovers will be pleased with the suggestions of dishes that go well with Japanese sake, but also wine.
※The photo shows an example of a course meal.
3Let's Try!
The restaurant’s recommended sake
The chef will select sake pairings to go with your meal. This includes rare sakes that are hard to come by you might encounter very unusual sake that is seldom available! The owner hails from Aomori, so he also carries a stock of Aomori-exclusive sake.
In addition to sake, there is wine, shochu, fruit liquer, and more.
How to Order
The restaurant emphasizes use of seasonal ingredients, so menus change slightly each day. That means you will almost never eat the same dish twice. This is a chance to eat dishes that are genuinely one-of-a-kind for that day only.
- Order Tips -
・If you have allergies or dietary preferences, tell the restaurant when you make your reservation.
・If you want to leave the sake selection to the restaurant, ask them for the "osake" and "omakase".
・If you want to leave the sake selection to the restaurant, ask them for the "osake" and "omakase".
