HAMASAKU

The story

HAMASAKU Kyoto: Centennial Japanese Kappo Dining

The Knife and the Heart

HAMASAKU in Kyoto has practiced Japanese cooking since Morikawa Eizo opened its doors in 1927. He pioneered the chef’s counter concept here, letting diners watch precise knife work unfold across a wooden stage. His grandson and current owner, Morikawa Hiroyuki, inherited the kitchen at twenty-eight and now applies a carved dining room motto to every seasonal ingredient. The establishment recently relocated to Shimmachi-Sanjō to mark its centenary.

The Counter and the Kitchen

Patrons gather around a long table beneath noren curtains designed by Bernard Leach. You can request specific preparations or simply let the kitchen decide what arrives next. The staff adjusts cooking methods to suit individual preferences, a practice that earned the venue a 17 point Gault&Millau rating. This direct exchange between cook and diner defines the original kappo style.

Seasonal Ingredients and Signature Plates

The kitchen builds its menus around whatever reaches peak freshness that month. Prices for the seasonal omakase begin at seventy thousand yen and shift with market availability. Visitors might encounter matsutake mushrooms in autumn or broiled Ise lobster with bamboo shoots served in handcrafted Raku pottery. The same dedication to technique extends into published cookbooks and a thirty year teaching program.