Just off the main tourist stretch of Arashiyama, hidden from plain sight and cloistered in a lightly wooded area on the mountain's edge overlooking the Oi river bank, lies a rustic building that is home to one of the best dining experiences we've had the pleasure to have on our maiden trip to Japan.

Kyoto's tofu is widely regarded as the best in Japan, and this restaurant - considered the best in its field - specializes in just that. Each dish of our 8 course kaiseki was mostly some variation on their choice ingredient, simple in appearance yet a joy to eat and the epitome of dedicated artisanal craftsmanship.

The Hassun(second course) was a departure from the tofu-centric bent of the other dishes, and was immaculate in its presentation. So beautiful I was almost loathe to eat from it, each lacquer box was filled with a variety of colourful bite-sized morsels, including squid with beetroot sauce, fresh prawn, tofu, smoked duck, bamboo shoot, savoury mochi, cod, baby squid and strawberry with cream cheese.

The top notch food, wonderful ambience of the tatami room setting and excellent service makes this a must try if you are visiting Kyoto. Reservations recommended.

Taste: 4.5/5