Moritaya Kiyamachi
We walked in without a reservation, which I wouldn’t recommend. The host had to check her book pretty carefully before finding us a spot, and I’m glad she did. We ended up in a small room overlooking the interior entrance, not the river view some of the other rooms offer, but it had a quiet, tucked-away feel that worked well for a dinner for two.
Moritaya has been doing this since 1869, and it shows. The place carries that kind of quiet confidence that comes with being the definitive version of something. In this case, Kansai-style sukiyaki which meant less sauce than you’d get in Tokyo, letting the beef do more of the talking.
We went with a special set menu at ¥132,000 JPY. The appetizers came out first, then the staff returned to prepare the sukiyaki tableside. There’s something ceremonial about watching them coat the cast iron with beef fat, add the sugar, and lay down the first cut of wagyu. You dip each piece in raw egg before eating it, and the combination of the caramelized meat and the egg is exactly as good as it sounds. The kuroge wagyu, sourced from their own farm up in Tanba, was tender and well-marbled throughout. Needless to say, I was in heaven at that moment.
Moritaya Kiyamachi
中京区木屋町通三条上ル上大阪町531
Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8001, Japan
Google Map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/r4Efbrx7irWjmiqP7
Verdict: Make a reservation. Don’t do what I did.
Attachments
Here’s a shot of the marbled beef and yes, I believe that’s a cube of beef fat (tallow), not butter.
★ ★ ★ ☆
The meal started with five types of small appetizers. All of which stood brought their own flaor and texture profile to the course. None of which were heavy or over bearing to one another.