Choshoku Kishin

Saw that their restaurant was awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand, decided to make a reservation. It's a small restaurant that seats 8 pax. You will need a reservation as they don't entertain walk in, unless it not filled up. Only managed to get the 1245pm slot, and we got the whole restaurant to ourselves. They only serve simple authentic Japanese breakfast meal. Don't expect anything more than that. Usually breakfast is a fast pace for most of us, a quick breakfasf and off we go for the day. The concept of the restaurant is a slow down our breakfast pace. We should appreciate and enjoy the meal as a whole. Using the traditional Japanese method of using clay pot to cook the rice, you will find that the rice taste better as it retained as texture and fragrance. Starters, was the "mashed" tofu with a tint of wasabi. Next, you need to chose your own rice bowl. The rice is presented as "stage 1" (70% cooked". We are asked for smell the fragrance and slowly consume the rice. The side dishes, sardines and soup is served. There were 3 types of soup to chose. We opted for the miso pork. The two sardines The rice is served once it is cooked perfectly. We added an extra egg to enhance our experience. After the meal, the chef will served the "final stage" of the cooked rice crisp to end the meal. We ended the meal with a sweet red bean dessert. Overall it's a totally different dining experience. Yahoo Mail: Search, organise, conquer

Another place that I might have had expectations that were too high to meet. You will likely need a reservation to get in, and I was only able to get a lunch seating for the time I was in Kyoto. The restaurant serves traditional Japanese breakfasts with a clear focus on the rice. The restaurant staff make a big effort to serve newly cooked rice, fully cooked rice, and even the crispy bits that are stuck to the pot after cooking. You even get to select which unique bowl you want to use for your rice. All this effort on rice unfortunately meant that not so much dedication was made to the other dishes, and while the tofu skin appetizer and the soup was good, the rest of the meal focused on some small mackerel which was not our favorite, nor did it fill us up. At the prices the restaurant was asking per person, it left us a bit disappointed. If you really enjoy quality rice, this is a good place to go with generous refill policy. However, overall it didn't quite hit the spot for us.

This was a beautiful dining experience. As tourists to Japan who wanted to enjoy Japanese cuisine we had a special experience for breakfast. Staff were attentive and the service was excellent.

Really cute Kyoto breakfast-only place on the bib gourmand list! They start you with an amazing creamy yuba appetizer and then serve you several versions of rice with pickled veggies and soup. I really liked the pork soup and my partner liked his seafood tomato soup. The different stages of rice were fun to try - not fully cooked, cooked, and slightly burnt. The sardine dish was a bit too salty for me so had to eat it with a lot of rice. Also if you want the grilled mochi they only let you order it early so don’t be like me and miss out on it :(

Very average experience comparable to most quality ryokans. I feel like the other reviews here haven’t had much Japanese breakfast experiences? The Kyoto miso soup is definitely a strong A+ but everything else was average. It was cool to try the different textures of rice but the rice texture wasn’t exemplary and the aroma wasn’t there. The Japanese seafood, tomato soup Had shrimp that waaaay overcooked and seafood wasn’t fresh. Grilled fish was average. I had high expectations at breakfast specialty restaurant, and wrote out of the way to get here with a reservation. I feel I would get more satisfaction at quality ryokans or hotels serving Japanese breakfast that offers you more variety and drinks

The chefs are clearly passionate about the food they make. It was very nice to see. The pork soup was amazing and so was the tofu (first dish). Their tea was excellent and we could get refills. I wasn't a fan of sardines. All my friends left the sardines 😅. The atmosphere is awesome in there.

Made reservation on OpenTable. They offer breakfast till the noon, great for people who are not morning person but want to have a decent Japanese breakfast. Rice cooked to perfection, and can be refilled many times. But the first bowl is for sure the best! You also get to choose the bowl you like for the rice. It’s a pity that we don’t speak Japanese to understand a bit more about the story behind each bowl. Vegetable and miso pork soup are both amazing. Great quality of all the ingredients they use. Price is much higher than what you would normally spend on breakfast or lunch. Overall a nice dining experience but not a must-eat restaurant

Edit update - 2023: With another visit to Kyoto came another amazing meal at Choshoku Kishin. This time I had Jax with me and we were both so taken by such an amazing meal and incredible service. Over the years things have kept consistent and delicious. The pork Soup was silky and thick but not overly rich and the rice was amazing once again! 2015: An amazing experience. Kazushi San was super hospitable and informative, sharing his story and the story of his food. Best rice I have ever eaten. Thank you.

Kyoto, Gion. December 2024. You can make this meal at home. You've eaten the same food before at various times. You just cannot do it as well as Kissin. You eat asa-gohan. This is choshoku. They both mean breakfast, but the execution at Kissin looks casual but is at a higher level than home-cooking. The ladies welcome you like you're about to sit down in their home for a meal. It is One Rice, One Soup. You can choose from three different soups. Choose the pork with Kyoto white miso - Kyoto tonjiru looks and tastes different that what you've probably eaten before. There are some extra sides - only order them if you know you like them because you will not lack for bulk. You will be presented a set of rice bowls - you choose the one you like. Then the fun starts when the donabe of rice is ready. After presenting the rice to everyone, you will get a couple of tablespoons of the rice just as it is finished. It is still very wet and very al dente. You've eaten this kind of rice before - you opened your electric ricepot and scooped out rice before lifting and stirring it, and got scolded for doing it. This is actually pretty darn good. As the rice has been lifted and folded, rested, and absorbed more moisture, you get a second bowl with Kyo tsukemono and the soup you chose. Extra servings of rice are encouraged. As the rice sits longer in the donabe, still over low heat, the texture and chew changes even more. If you ordered some sides, this is the time to eat it with rice. The final presentation is the okoge, scorched rice from the sides and bottom of the donabe. Anyone who grew up eating this will be impressed with the presentation and perfect texture. Get up early for this breakfast. When you're done and leaving you can see all the people headed to work in the morning rush. You can be happy you've had a better breakfast than them.

So glad I found this place, mostly visited by Kyoto locals according to the chef! It was tough to get a reservation as they only seat ~7 people per meal, but we got a time and we HAD to check out this traditional japanese breakfast experience. The chef explained each course in Japanese, then in English for us non-Japanese speakers. The goal for this particular day was to taste the different flavors and textures throughout the courses. First, we had al dente rice grown in Kyoto and wow, it was extremely flavorful and aromatic. It was less than the amount of rice you would get in a nigiri, but it was one of the most flavorful rice I've ever had and it was al dente so that some substance and wasn't mushy at all. We had a selection of 3 different soups that day, we got the pork broth and also the tomato veggie broth. Both were amazing and even with that, there were so many textures going on with the soft tofu and meat, chewy and tougher kobo, mushy tomatoes etc. You just kept getting hit with different flavors and textures, it was quite fun to eat. I just love mackerel, both raw and cooked, so it was awesome to get some charcoal grilled mackerel that seemed to by simply salted. The rice with the main course was fully cooked and soft. The fully cooked rice was so soft and tasty, but as it was more cooked, it was less fragrant than the al dente rice! Throughout the meal, we also got a traditional kyoto smoky roasted green tea which can't be found anywhere else. It is a traditional kyoto tea where the leaves are fired on a large fry-plate above a huge wood-coal fire which gives the green tea it's unique smokey flavor. As the tea roasts to a smokey burnt finish, the tea tastes more smokey than roasted, and the caffeine level decreases as well. It was common in Kyoto to drink this tea casually, throughout the day, and even after dinner meals due to the low caffeine level. The tea is unique and yes, you can buy it here at the restaurant or also online. This was on my TOP 5 favorite meals in Kyoto and highly recommend visiting if you are in Kyoto! It is a traditional japanese breakfast experience you will never forget! After the meal, the chef wanted to chat with us about our trip and the food, the chef was extremely nice and made this an awesome experience!

After a few days in Kyoto, I decided to randomly decide breakfast the night prior. A quick Yelp search led me to Breakfast Kishin. Reservation... BOOM. Done. The next morning arrives to the sound of chirping birds, and as we stroll through residential streets in the early hours of 8am, we found ourselves in front of Breakfast Kishin. We were greeted by a wonderful hostess, who was simply delightful throughout our entire meal because she tried so hard to translate and keep us informed. We ordered the set menu with a few more items, thinking we wouldn't be full. For about $25 USD, you're stuffed and left wanting more. While some may say that that's a lot to spend on a breakfast meal, I think it's a steal! The women here are so pleasant, the food is delicious, and everything is served so beautifully. From soup to rice, smoked fish to tea, everything was delicious. We almost came back again, but alas, our bellies were full from other foodie adventures throughout Kyoto.

It was a perfect way to experience local and traditional Japanese cuisine. The menu is simple but the sevice is great! We will definetely going to come back here!

This is one of those places that are all about the experience and then it comes the food. They make you part of the cooking sharing with you the particular elements of the food or showing you before you eat it. You have to make a reservation, but sometime like my case I was able to get there early to let us in without it. If you're visiting Japan this is a great way to experience their traditional culinary arts.

I'm not writing this review because I had a horrible experience. I'm only trying to warn others of all of the 5 star reviews. The signature breakfast is expensive ($25 usd per person) and consists of white rice, a choice of soup, a few sides and tea. The food itself isn't horrible, but you can probably find something better at your local asian restaurant.

Very warm and comfortable setting, food is traditional Japanese with several side dishes . Offered set meal only. Best reserved before come over as it was very popular for local and we were lucky someone cancelled their reservation so we got in ;)

I had a wonderful breakfast in Kishin at a Wednesday morning. It is a Kaiseki style breakfast, a traditional multi-course Japanese meal. Honestly, I can not best describe the amazing experience, but it easily explains why this place earns a Michelin award. Ambiance is the best. The restaurant tries to avoid walk-ins. Meals are served in scheduled slots, so the courses are presented in a ordered uninterrupted manner. Having a meal there is like a theater experience. The owner describes the meal in detail, shares a little Kyoto culture and knowledge about the each plate. It is best not to dive into the details, because it may ruin your dining experience. The food itself is amazing and unique. The plates are not over powering in taste but has a good light favor. The quality is just right that is enough for the morning. The food is prepared from scratch in high quality. My best example is that rice is not cooked in a rice cooker. :) If you want a description of each course, I suggest going to the website. Basically, you won't find your strong favor or heavy food here like ramen or okonomiyaki in here. Finally, I had the pleasure of talking with the owner. I have never experience so much friendliness and courtesy from a restaurant. I really like her passion and ambition and how she treats her customers. I hope she will able to expand her restaurant to America. Fortunately for me, she is fluent in English. Overall, if you are in Kyoto or Kanagawa, I suggest to come here and book a reservation. It is a Kaiseki style breakfast that is a "hearty" meal.

Small cozy place that sits 10-12 people. A very intimate dining experience where the two chefs guide through a 3 course culinary journey. Very enjoyed the simple ingredients with amazing flavor and taste. Would highly recommend trying this place if you are in Kyoto.

One the best breakfast that I ever had! Still taking about it after a year! Lol. We stumble upon it, as we were yelling for nearby breakfast place. Definitely worth trying if you are in the area. Worth the price.