Kanga An - Kyoto

Caution is advised when dining at this restaurant. It is unclear if the food served may have caused illness. I have visited Kyoto as a vegan in the past with great experiences, so I was excited to dine at this temple again. Despite making a reservation through My Concierge Japan well in advance, my request for a strict vegan meal (no dairy, eggs, meat, fish) was not accommodated. The restaurant clarified that their Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, known as Shojin Ryori, is not actually vegan as commonly believed. Unfortunately, they could not cater to my dietary restrictions. This information was conveyed in an email response from My Concierge Japan. It is important to note that this restaurant is falsely advertised as vegan-friendly.

This Japanese Buddhist temple restaurant offers the very best in terms of service, quality, and presentation. The setting of the temple itself is incredibly beautiful, making for a unique dining experience. While not inexpensive (we chose the ¥10,000 Zhu Zhen meal, the second most expensive option), the price is justified by the high quality of the food. Reservations must be made through a Japanese friend as there is no English service available over the phone.

I have visited Kanga An many times and it is a must for me whenever I am in Kyoto. Located in a 17th century temple, this restaurant offers the best of fūcha ryōri in private rooms with views of a beautiful Japanese garden. The menu consists of elegantly presented dishes that resemble small jewels, including appetisers, vegan sashimi, sushi, tempura, goma dōfu, fake chestnuts, and vegan eel. Each dish is a delight for both the eyes and the taste buds. Kanga An is definitely the place to visit when in Kyoto.

Eating at Kanga An costs an arm and a leg but we can't keep ourselves from going back again and again anyway. Easily the most extravagant of the shojin ryori options in Kyoto it's also open at night, which is unusual for temple food which tends to be a lunch affair. The gardens are stunning and utterly unique, with lavish rock garden formations that are dramatically lit up at night: a brilliant view to accompany a magnificent meal. The decor is a little Chinese in feel very over the top compared to traditional Japanese tastes. Our room was punctuated by an over sized Western style black chandelier and the colour scheme features a lot of strong colours: red, black and gold. It's luxury meets stoicism like a runaway rogue monk and provides for an unexpected and yet entertaining cultural blend. The hybrid theme is continued by the inclusion of a Western style bar on the premises far from the usual temple setup but if you'd like to cap your night off with a whiskey, you've come to the right place. The food is as indulgent as temple food never gets. No austerity here, this is a feast and no less. The flavours are robust, presentation is ornate. Admittedly it feels a bit altered to suit modern sensibilities but when it looks and tastes like this, it's hard to really care. The previous reviewer mentions it's not too tasty unless she's in the habit of eating Big Macs every day this puzzles me to no end, but each to their own I guess!? Book in advance (we always order the most expensive one if you're going to do it, do it in style, right!? , take your credit card and try not to look too hard at the bill. You won't forget your meal at Kanga An in a hurry so if you think of it that way, it's worth every yen.

The best of Japanese Buddhist tempel eating great service, quality, presentation of the tempel is an incredibly beautiful environment for a restaurant it is not cheap (we have the ¥10.000 zhu zhen meal, the 2nd most expensive) but not crazy either for the quality they receive we had to book about a Japanese friend: no English on the phone