Izusen

Izusen Review

Where better to try vegetarian cuisine than in the heart of one of northern Kyoto's biggest temple complexes? In the garden of Daiji-in, a subtemple of massive Daitoku-ji, soups and sauces bring out the flavors of fu and yuba, wheat gluten and soy milk skin, alongside seasonal vegetable dishes. The monastic shojin-ryori cuisine is presented in a series of red-lacquer bowls of diminishing sizes, one fitting inside another as the meal goes on. Low tables in the temple garden are perfect for soaking up the richness of the outdoors, and cheerful tatami rooms are great for inclement weather.