OBENKEI Kyoto Gion store
At OBENKEI in Gion Shirakawa, Kyoto, you can casually enjoy sushi, tempura, and a la carte menus with Niigata's local sake.
A restaurant has opened in Gion where you can enjoy Niigata's local sake and snow crab at the same time! The restaurant is divided into the 1st and 2nd floors, with the 1st floor serving authentic crab kaiseki in a private room, and the 2nd floor offering sushi and tempura at the counter and dining area.

INDEX
- 1. A restaurant where you can enjoy seafood delivered directly from Niigata and local sake
- 2. Savor the variety of ways to eat live snow crab
- 4. Feel free to enjoy sushi, tempura, and other dishes
- 4. Light and dry Niigata sake that goes well with crab
- 4. I want you to come and visit me without worrying.
1. A restaurant where you can enjoy seafood delivered directly from Niigata and local sake
[Kani Kani Land] and [OBENKEI] opened on November 2023, 11 along Shirakawa in Gion, which is full of the elegant cobblestone streets. Benkei, a sushi group originating from Sado Island, has stores in Niigata Prefecture, the Tokyo metropolitan area, and overseas, but these two stores will be the first to open in western Japan.
At Kanani Kani Land on the 1st floor, you can choose large Niigata snow crabs filled with meat from the fish tank and enjoy them in a variety of ways, including grilled, boiled, and sashimi.
[OBENKEI] on the second floor has a full menu of casual-style snacks, including sushi made with mellow and fragrant red vinegar rice and fresh fish from Niigata, as well as tempura and charcoal-grilled dishes. Both stores serve Niigata's local sake, and have a wide range of customers, both local and tourist.
2. Savor the variety of ways to eat live snow crab
All the crabs you can eat at the shop are carefully selected and come with tags. At home, crabs are usually boiled and eaten, but crabs that are taken out of the cage and cooked on the spot have an exceptionally plump texture. Enjoy the sweetness of fresh crab without seasoning.
Live snow crab shabu-shabu
Live crab sold by weight 800g from 20000 yen
The key is not to overcook the crab meat, which is fresh enough to be eaten as sashimi. Just by dipping the meat into the light white soup stock, the sweetness is concentrated all at once, and you can enjoy the melty texture.
Charcoal grilled live snow crab
Live crab sold by weight 800g from 20000 yen
Slightly browning the crab over a charcoal fire adds aroma and brings out the flavor and sweetness even more. If you add crab miso that has been made to simmer next to it, it will transform into a sake appetizer that you can drink several times on its own.
Kora Sake Tsugizake 770 yen per cup
A truly luxurious cup of boiled crab miso and Japanese sake. The alcohol used for Kora-zake is Kintsuru, a sake from Sado City, Niigata Prefecture. The flavor of the ocean derived from crab miso remains intact, and the sake further enhances the flavor. Drinking feels like soaking in a hot spring.
4. Feel free to enjoy sushi, tempura, and other dishes
[OBENKEI] on the 2nd floor offers banquet courses where you can enjoy fresh fish delivered directly from Sado, assorted sashimi platters, tempura, and other dishes. A daily lunch special is also available during the day, making it easy to visit while sightseeing.
The sushi is made by a craftsman from start to finish. The seafood and seasonal ingredients from the Sea of Japan caught off the coast of Sado and the aromatic red vinegar create a perfect harmony. They also have a rich lineup of sashimi, tempura, and other dishes.
Omakase 5 piece set top 1650 yen
Charcoal-grilled Tamba chicken 1650 yen
4. Light and dry Niigata sake that goes well with crab
The store mainly sells Niigata alcoholic beverages, with a wide selection ranging from popular to rare sake. There are always about eight types of sake available, and the prices vary from 8 yen to 770 yen per cup.
According to Kazuhiko Ozaki, the representative of the Benkei Group, which operates two restaurants, the best pairing with crab is a junmai sake that brings out the flavor without overpowering the aroma of the crab.
Kintsuru Honjozo 770 yen per cup
Kato Sake Brewery (Sado City, Niigata Prefecture), alcohol content 15.6%, rice polishing ratio (malted rice) 60%, (kake rice) 65%
A versatile sake that is very popular in Sado and can be enjoyed hot or cold. The drink has a refreshing and sharp taste, and you won't get tired of drinking it at all.
The perfect sourness, reminiscent of crab vinegar, brings out the flavor of the crab even more. Even though it's full-bodied, it doesn't interfere with your meal, so it's the perfect drink to have with your meal. It's delicious as is, but be sure to try it with Kora-zake.
To Junmai Ginjo 880 yen per cup
Hemi Sake Brewery (Sado City, Niigata Prefecture), alcohol content 16%, rice polishing ratio 55%
A well-balanced bottle with a fruity aroma and gentle sweetness. This Junmai Ginjo, which takes advantage of Sado's natural blessings, has an elegant taste but is also affordable.
Because you can really feel the sweetness and flavor of rice, it goes well with any meal. Of course you can pair it with sashimi, but also with sushi made with red vinegar sushi.
Fugan Daiginjo 1,980 go XNUMX yen
Taiyo Shuzo (Murakami City, Niigata Prefecture), alcohol content 15%, rice polishing ratio 45%
A private brand created through collaboration between Taiyo Shuzo and Sake Hoshino. This is an extremely rare sake that is hardly available even within Niigata Prefecture. There are four types available to suit different cuisines depending on the season, and all of them have subtitles, except for the winter wish.
It has a light flavor that goes well with winter dishes. It gives dishes an elegant taste with a smooth texture and a soft texture that you wouldn't expect from Daiginjo. I want to visit the store just to try this sake.
4. I want you to come and visit me without worrying.
It's great that you can use Kanani Kani Land on the 1st floor and OBENKEI on the 2nd floor depending on the occasion. If you have a special occasion, we recommend having crab kaiseki on the 1st floor, and on days when you want to casually enjoy delicious sushi, we recommend using the 2nd floor.
Even though it's located in the picturesque Gion area, you can just walk in without making a reservation.
It seems that they plan to stock more Niigata alcohol in the future, and there is no doubt that it will take root in Gion as a ``restaurant where you can drink Niigata sake.''
OBENKEI Kyoto Gion store
Address: 67F, 2 Motoyoshi-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Shirakawasuji entrance)
Business hours: 11:00-15:00 / 17:00-22:00
Telephone 075-585-4830
Closed: Wednesday *If Wednesday is a holiday, the following Thursday
HP https://sado-benkei.com/kyoto-gion/
Kanikani Land
Address: 67F, 1 Motoyoshi-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto (Shinbashi-dori entrance)
Business hours: 11:00-15:00 / 17:00-22:00
Telephone 075-585-4820
Closed: Wednesday *If Wednesday is a holiday, the following Thursday
HP https://sado-benkei.com/kyoto-gion/
OBENKEI Kyoto Gion store
- Address
- 67 Motoyoshi-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto Prefecture 2F (Shirakawasuji entrance)Open with Googlemap
- TEL
- 075-585-4830
- Opening hours
- 11:00~15:00/17:00~22:00
- Closing days
- Wednesday *If Wednesday is a holiday, the following Thursday