This restaurant, located in a renovated Kyoto townhouse near Nishiki Market, has a relaxing atmosphere where you can enjoy seasonal kaiseki meals and fine sake. The sake lineup in particular includes the "Assemblage Club," a brand that fans will covet. In addition to the course menu, you can also enjoy a wide variety of a la carte dishes.

Enjoy fine food and sake in a Kyoto townhouse

Kyokoya Ikeda serves seasonal kaiseki courses in a space that makes the most of a century-old Kyoto townhouse with a beautiful small garden at the back. Owner Kenichiro Ikeda started on this path at the age of 18, and is an all-rounder in Japanese cuisine, having worked in a top-class Japanese restaurant, as well as in turtle dishes, tofu dishes, and teppanyaki restaurants. His acquired skills and playfulness are reflected in his hassun dishes and the diverse menu, drawing regular customers in and making them wonder, "What will they entertain us with next?"
The specialty hassun, beautifully presented on a specially made cobalt blue long plate, shows the skill that comes from his experience in each dish. Pair it with carefully selected sake and you are sure to be filled with a moment of bliss. There are about 18 types of sake on offer, ranging from rare sake such as Assemblage Club, Juyondai, Kokuryu, and Dassai, to famous sakes that are only known to those in the know. If you're not sure what to drink, please ask for advice. The owner is easy to talk to and will surely recommend the perfect drink for your tastes.
The seasonal course menu is 15,000 yen, and the omakase course is 18,500 yen. At lunchtime, the Entaka gozen is 5,000 yen and the omakase course is 8,000 yen (reservations only). They also offer a variety of hotpot courses, such as Wagyu beef shabu-shabu and soft-shelled turtle hotpot.

A visually appealing hassun dish filled with seasonal ingredients

An example of the March Hassun (photo shows one serving)
The famous hassun dish graces the middle of the kaiseki course. It is plated right in front of you at the counter, which makes it a real treat. The braised pork belly, which is always served with the course, is also one of the specialties, and is so tender that it falls apart with your chopsticks, and is surprisingly light despite its delicious flavor. Other dishes include salt-grilled moroko, a spring-like three-tiered dish of shrimp and cod shaped like hishi mochi, chirashi sushi, and more than eight other dishes. The dishes are accompanied by strips of paper with seasonal words written on them, which is a stylish touch. Start with this hassun dish as a snack and enjoy your sake at your leisure.

Small soft-shelled turtle hotpot course + 2,200 yen to change from soup
The soft-shelled turtle hotpot is served in a small boiling pot from Shigaraki. To create a clear broth, a special type of kelp called "tsuma konbu" is used, which is boiled down with just sake and water, and then before serving, the kelp and bonito broth are blended together to adjust the thickness, a time-consuming process. The soft-shelled turtle from Miyazaki has no peculiar taste, and one sip of the sparkling amber broth spreads its concentrated flavor, and the nourishment slowly seeps into your body. You can also enjoy the soft-shelled turtle in the soft-shelled turtle hotpot course, which costs 1 yen per person and requires a reservation for two or more people.

A selection of fine sake selected by the sake-loving owner

Assemblage Club 01 CODENAME: Taro Glass 2,200 yen, 1 cup 3,500 yen
Kitagawa Honke Co., Ltd. Kitagawa Honke (Kyoto) Sold by Leaf Publications Co., Ltd. Alcohol content 15%, rice polishing ratio not disclosed

This premium bottle was created through the collaboration of three Kyoto breweries (Masuda Tokubei Shoten, Kitagawa Honke, and Matsui Sake Brewery) using the "assemblage" technique of blending sake.
"It's perfect for drinking with food. When served in a wine glass, it blooms immediately and the aroma comes out. I think it would be easy to drink even with an ice cube in the hot summer months. Strangely, it tastes dry in a sake cup, but sweeter in a wine glass."

Hirotogawa Junmai Ginjo Namasake: 1,100 yen per glass, 1 yen per cup
Matsuzaki Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Fukushima Prefecture), alcohol content 15%, rice polishing ratio 50%
After the devastation caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the young sixth generation owner took up the brewing business. Since then, the brewery has won consecutive gold medals at the National New Sake Tasting Competition, making it a notable sake brewery. It produces seasonal limited edition sake using Yume no Kaori, a sake rice grown locally in Fukushima.
"This is a sake that I personally like. It has a mellow taste at the beginning and a sharp taste at the end. You never get tired of drinking it. It goes well with all kinds of food, including sashimi, of course, but it also goes well with grilled dishes."

Kido Junmai Daiginjo Unfiltered Raw Unpasteurized Sake: 1,100 yen per glass, 1,500 yen per cup
Kitamura Sake Brewery Co., Ltd. (Nara Prefecture), alcohol content 17%, rice polishing ratio 50%
This historic sake brewery was founded in 8 in Yoshino-cho, Nara Prefecture. In a region famous for Yoshino cedar, its sake has long been enjoyed by people who work in the mountains. It is known for its representative brand "Shojo," named after a Noh song, and sake names named after demons associated with En no Gyoja.
"A refreshing, dry sake. If someone asks for a dry sake, this is the one I recommend. There are many delicious sakes from Nara Prefecture, but I chose this rare brand that is not well known in Kyoto."

A desire to spread Japanese cuisine to the world

The owner, Mr. Ikeda, laughs, "I love eating and drinking, so I got into this world. It's like a hobby." Therefore, in addition to sake, the store has a wide selection of wines, and recently held a wine event inviting the representative of a winery from France.
His future goal is to expand overseas. He is steadily making preparations to make his dream of "spreading proper Japanese cuisine to the world" come true, aiming to make this a reality in four years' time.