DISCOVERIES IN NEW & NOW KYOTO 4

Dining high and refined

In Kyoto today even the most exalted traditional cuisine can be found in new places, farm-fresh produce is growing in rooftop fields, and new-wave confectioners and cafés are opening. Whether you’re looking for a fine meal, an afternoon pick-me-up, or an unusual gift or souvenir, here’s where to go.

SAVORY

The Seasonal Vegetable Assortment is offered in the ¥6,000 multicourse dinner, or à la carte for ¥1,800

The scene pictured on the opposite page shows a rooftop in central Kyoto. This is, in fact, a normal working day at Rokkaku Farm on the three-story building of Kyoto Yaoichi Honkan, a market popular with locals and highly rated by food professionals for its extensive selection of vegetables and many other goods.

Rokkaku Farm vegetables grow in soil from a farm under the same ownership in northwest Kyoto prefecture and are irrigated with groundwater drawn up to the roof top. Needless to say, they feature prominently in the cuisine prepared at the company’s restaurant adjacent to the rooftop farm. The idea of this unique dining experience was hatched to promote interest in vegetables and, by extension, agriculture. Savoring the bounty of the earth while looking out the windows at this lush farm in the heart of the city, diners are spurred to appreciate the effort involved in nurturing the vegetables and the energy they give to our health and well-being.

Freshly picked vegetables abound with nutrients

SAVORY