Food Culture Experience

Very nice staff, very delicious okonomiyaki!
I am confident that I can cook them when I get back home now.

dinner was great, super good service. Make sure to wear mosquitos repellent

The hosts are the kindest people. We had so much fun talking and cooking not one but three different dishes!

We made:
-Okonomiyaki
-Miso-soup
-Onigiri

We never had any Okonomiyaki since we don't like seafood as... more much so we were skeptically but the dish was just delicious! We knew and loved Miso Soup and Onigiri and now we know how to make all 3 dishes by ourselfs - it's actually so simple!! Definetly recommended.

My family and I really enjoyed this class! Everyone was so friendly and kind. Everyone spoke a mix of Japanese and English. (My parents don't speak any Japanese and they felt very welcome and had no trouble communicating... more in English.) Keiko is a great teacher, and we all felt like we'd be able to make Okonomiyaki by ourselves after this class. After we cooked the main dish, we had a nice meal with everyone that included soup, onigiri, and sweets alongside our okonomiyaki. We left with full bellies! We'd definitely recommend this experience!

We missed the shuttle bus so taking a taxi was our only option. The Hotel Monterey Kyoto front desk was so kind and willing; she called the cab and informed the taxi driver where to drop us off which saved us a lot of ti... moreme. The shuttle from the restaurant came out and met us about a mile away as the roads get narrow and difficult to find for drivers unfamiliar with that area. The cab fare came out to be about $35-40 from the Hotel (which was less than what I expected). I highly recommend catching the shuttle service on time (be there early as they will leave exactly on time!)-- not only it's more comfortable having someone drive you to the restaurant, but it will save you time and money.

The restaurant is located in a very secluded and quiet area, completely surrounded by nature. They will greet and walk you to your designated table. The guiding lights in the complete dark woods make the ambience more beautiful. All meals will come out in your eating pace... which is important because I eat pretty slow and sometimes course meals rush you to hurry up and eat. I wasn't sure how to eat fish properly (whether I was supposed to eat the whole entire fish or leave the head or tail), so the older lady came over and removed all the bones for me. Service was fantastic.

There were two Maikos that night-- both Maikos came around, very willing to take pictures and answer questions/ conversate with you. When they start their dancing, I couldn't help but to stare in awe. They look like walking dolls. They also had goodies before the show (i.e a fan, canvas bag, etc). It was a pleasant experience. I highly recommend this tour. I want to do this again if I travel back to Kyoto in near future.

From the drive out of Kyoto Center up the cool hills past traditional tiled roofed houses, to our evening end with our gracious hosts smiling behind us as we walked back over the rope footbridge with the twinkling Japane... morese lanterns lighting the lush green river - A Magical Evening indeed.
Arriving at sunset, you see the beauty of the hot spring resort with our tables overlooking the river and mountain forest. We ordered the snow course (full- larger Kayseki) dinner. Traditional hosts (who speak only a little English) took us to our low tables set with course 1, gift Japanese fans and menu's in English. Sake and beer is additional. We had 2 Maiko's that evening, each separately visited all the tables to take pictures. (they speak Japanese, but can answer a little of English questions) Food was fresh, delicious and so artistically presented course by course. The beautiful dance & musical entertainment was lovely in the intimate setting. Each group had their own tables and the room is not too large. Splurge and treat yourself to this special experience.