Junsei

While definitely catering to tourists, this place does a stellar job of producing a Kaiseki-like tofu dinner experience. The courses are reasonably priced. The service is attentive. The most outstanding aspect of the place to my mind is the exterior, garden and grounds. Very very beautiful.

Bring the new experience to me. Might be the best tofu cuisine, good price and perfect service. Please try it.

We had so much fun at this restaurant. The food was so delicious, varied and a unique experience for us. We also enjoyed some very delicious sake and the view to the garden was beautiful.

This restaurant is absolutely amazing. The food is very innovative, flavourful and healthy. The service is outstanding! I felt like I was being treated with a lot of respect. We were facing their beautiful traditional, Japanese garden with very calm and relaxing music playing in the background. 100% recommend to visit.

I love tofu and can make a decent Mapo tofu. This place Junsei, is on a whole different level when it comes to tofu. From the freshly made tofu skin made on your table to tofu custard dessert, This place is a must visit. You can select from a set meal raging from 3500Y to 4959Y. It will the healthiest and most unique tofu meal that you will ever have. And the service is impeccable. You will have a Makai bring your food to your table.

Very special experience for us. After visiting the Nanzen-ji nearby, this restaurant is the best place to chill out and have a tofu feast. We ordered two different sets and the portion was bigger than we expected. Although the food was delicious but we we were too full so we couldn’t finish all. It’s impressive that they made tofu in different ways. You can taste the original flavour of the tofu, very rich in soybean flavour. The simple ingredients of ginger, spring onion and dashi soy sauce elevated the flavour of the tofu. The veggies tempura and sashimi were delicious too. Great service and environment. You can enjoy the Japanese garden view while you are having the meal. Totally think the price was worth it for such a nice experience.

The food is great, but I am not a big fan of the plain pot of tofu. The garden and environment is awesome. I have to take one star away because the staff in the front is just so unhelpful. The staff in the restaurant is nice, but everyone could do with a smile. That would be appreciated. Wish they told me that I can choose between two options of pot. I didn’t know because I couldn’t read all Japanese so I ordered the plain pot of tofu that I don’t enjoy.

Undoubtedly the best restaurant I have been in Kyoto, and one of the best ever. The first tofu is sublime, and so many fantastic dishes. Not a vegetarian restaurant, but totally vegetarian friendly. The grounds are stunning too.

Kyoto, Higashiyama. December 2024. Junsei was a former medical school located next to Nanzenji. Some of the restored building are registered as tangible cultural property. Although the garden elements date back to its Edo roots most of it was renovated in the early 60's into a Kaiyu-style garden with a long walking path that allows you to admire the scenery before entering the restaurant. The specialty is a Kaiseki course of either Yudofu, Kyoto tofu boiled in a yuzu scented stock, or Yuba, where you are able to skim the yuba off the surface of simmering soymilk. The property and buildings are beautiful. Unfortunately, a meal here is not a quiet affair. They are a popular destination on a very busy road leading up to Nanzenji. There are tour groups and scores of hopeful walk-ins on a waitlist outside the main gate. You check-in with gatekeepers if you have a reservation and wait with the rest of the herd for your name to be called. Once inside the inner gate, it is stop-and-go with everyone wanting their special photo. Inside the restaurant there are several dining rooms - where you sit depends on whether you have a pre-ordered course with your reservation or are a walk-in. The food is very representative of Kyoto cuisine. The yuba was served in as an agemono dish and a simmering hot pot of soymilk from which you lifted a sheet of yuba from the surface. Naturally, all the vegetables used are grown in Kyoto. If you can get past the fact that it feels like a popular Disneyland restaurant, the meal is enjoyable and a worthwhile look at Kyoto Buddhist cuisine.

If you like tofu this is the place to go. The cup of soy milk is thick, creamy and sweet. The tofu in the hot pot dissolves in your mouth; I am not sure if they use any ingredients such as seaweed to thicken it into the cube. I also enjoyed the salad which had carrots, seaweed and a few other veggies held together by a soy mixture and it was the better of the two I had in Kyoto. The pudding was just awesome, it tasted like the cow milk version with perhaps a hint of vanilla, which is a first for me. Most animal products reproduced with plants are half as good. The small bowl of sashimi was excellent as well, but it's not the highlight of this restaurant. The rice had a little fish added and a side of pickles. The fish flavor was gentle leading way to the rice. I think the purple pickles were standard fair from Kyoto, though they sold them in the store by the street. They were stronger than I preferred for this rice.

Nice tofu kaiseki place near the Westin Miyako hotel. Follow the path through a pretty garden to the restaurant. More locals than tourists which was a good sign. Like most places, the menu has pictures . We went with the make your own tofu option. While our soy milk cooked, we feasted in the prettiest veggies I've ever eaten, fresh tempura, rice, pickles, and sesame tofu. I'm about 10 minutes the tofu was ready to eat- warm and creamy. Delish with a sprinkle of matcha salt or soy. Fun, filling, affordable. Beer and wine only.

Junsei was a little overrated. It was okay but compared to other places at the same price range, food and service were just mediocre. We spend 6xxx yen per person on food, drinks were extra of course. The soy bean appetizer (first course) was amazing! But another after that was disappointing, especially the fish, so bland and so dry. We went there for dinner after dark which was another big bummer cos one of the best part about Junsei was the view, but since it was too dark we didn't get to see any of that. The decor inside the restaurant was nothing special. We pretty just finished our food quickly and left.

Ok so it is slightly touristy I guess but my meal was very good and the atmosphere was lovely. I arrived at 1 with no reservation and they said only the higher end kaiseki meal 5,140 yen was available. They say me right away. By 2 the "weastern" room I was in was empty and I could sip tea and enjoy the garden all by myself. Being one block from the temple is clearly one of the main attractions.

Junsei is the longest established and most famous for "Yudofu"(Bean Curd Hot Pot;豆腐锅) restaurant at "Nanzenji" area in Kyoto. I was so excited two things. Firstly,I ate tasty arranging menu of Tofu,thick soy milk,"Dengaku"(skewered pieces of tofu baked and coated with miso), and "Yudofu".You probably notice the same tastes between soy milk and tofu. Then you recognize the special tofu is made from the soy milk as you drunk at first in the "Yudofu" course menu. Secondly,I watched the historical heritage which name is "Junsei Shoin" in this restaurant.This structure was used as medical school and cultural salon in Edo period.So that "Junsei Shoin" is registered tangible cultural properties in Japan.I took photos especially tea ceremony room. Let's try to sit under the eaves after your meal.Circuit style garden makes you calmly. You also select better "Otemae Tofu" set or "Yuba" course.You take good experience how to make Tofu or Yuba.

This was one of the highlights of our trip to Kyoto! The restaurant is in a beautiful and quiet section of the city, we recommend to walk there so you can experience the neighborhood. The food was amazing. Course after course came, way more than we could even get through. Everything was perfectly cooked, and the tofu was the best I've ever had. It's a must try if you're in Kyoto. Definitely make a reservation ahead of timer if you can. We got lucky and there was a table available when our hotel called over earlier that morning. But seems like most nights fill up well in advance.

Amazing tofu kaiseki restaurant - tofu as the primary dish (tofu really is special in Kyoto), accompanied by other seafood and meat dishes. This is the highlight of the meals we had in Kyoto. Try private room dining, it is worthy of the experience with a small fee (% of the meal).

Japanese style restaurant with wonderful garden at the entrance. You may seat in the Tatami in small tables while kimono dressed waitresses are serving and running around. It is truly Japanese meal style. There is a stove on the table to cook tofu. All plates have some sort of Tofu dish. I had boiled tofu, skewed tofu, sesame tofu. All my small dishes were wonderful. Good quality price relation.

This place is huge awesome and beautiful. The food was excellent. They have an English menu so just ask. Make sure to walk around the Gardens at some point either before or after you eat. If you bring your children, have them count the waterfalls and the orange fish to keep them occupied

Kyoto is known for their tofu. Junsei is a serene and pretty place with ponds, trees, and you know the landscape has been here for a long time. At dusk the green plants pop out vividly from behind the gray rocks and bark of the trees. Enjoy traditional style where you can enjoy the peacefulness of the meal, you will notice all the doors are closed to provide quietness when dining. For the food, ....you must have at least a BA degree in tofuology or have grown up eating tofu or it will be and experience of white blob dishes with small side dishes. But if you like tofu, after eating @ Junsei you will have a PhD in Tofu, tasting the different textures from liquid to silky smooth, to cubes of hot tofu bathed and heated in a hot bath only to be dressed with scallions and sauce that will make you an aficionado. In western cultures Tofu is said to take on the taste to the flavors you add but at Junsei the tofu has a distinct flavor only accented but the condiments or garnish. If you are staying at the Miyako Westin it is a short 10 minute walk and I swear you will enjoy the walk to and from that restaurant.