Restaurant in Kyoto, Japan
One Michelin star. Unusually broad kappo frame.
Kako Okamoto is a Michelin-starred kappo counter in Kyoto's Higashiyama Ward, known for its baked sesame tofu and a layered, citrus-brightened menu that reflects the chef's unusually wide culinary frame of reference. At ¥¥¥ it sits below the top kaiseki tier in price while delivering a genuine starred counter experience. Book well in advance — this is not a walk-in venue.
Kako Okamoto earns its Michelin star by doing something specific well: kappo cooking that draws on an unusually wide frame of reference, pairing the precision of Japanese technique with ingredient combinations shaped by the chef's time at Poland's ambassadorial residence. If you want a Kyoto meal that feels both grounded in tradition and quietly unexpected, this is worth the booking difficulty. If you want full kaiseki ceremony with lacquerware processions, look at Kyokaiseki Kichisen or Kikunoi Roan instead.
Picture a plate of baked sesame tofu arriving at the counter: pale, firm at the edges, with a faint warmth still coming off it. The rice alongside it has just left the pot. That combination — the restaurant's most talked-about dish — tells you what Kako Okamoto is about. Freshness timed to the moment, and flavour built in layers rather than announced on arrival.
Kako Okamoto is the original establishment in the Miyazawa chain of kappo restaurants. Kappo, for context, sits between the formality of kaiseki and the informality of izakaya dining: you eat at a counter, the chef works in front of you, and the menu is shaped by what arrived that morning and what the cook decides to do with it. It is an inherently seasonal format, and at Kako Okamoto that seasonality runs through every dish. Right now, as the calendar moves through its current season, expect citrus and tart fruit accents to appear across the menu, brightening heavier preparations without overwhelming them.
The chef's time at the Polish ambassador's residence in Kyoto is not a biographical footnote , it shows up in how dishes are layered. Japanese cooking tends to isolate flavour; here, ingredients are stacked, brightness added not just through dashi but through citrus, fruit reductions, and acidic counterpoints that feel more continental in logic even when the components are Japanese. The result is a menu that surprises without being confused about its identity.
Soba dishes are also part of the repertoire, built around seasonal ingredients. At a restaurant where the rice is timed to arrive at the table freshest after cooking, the soba carries the same philosophy: timing and sourcing as technique in themselves.
The Miyazawa kappo format tends to work better at lunch than many Kyoto restaurants of comparable standing. Kappo counters in Japan often run abbreviated lunch services at more accessible price points than dinner, and Kako Okamoto's ¥¥¥ pricing positions it below the ¥¥¥¥ tier of Gion Matayoshi and Isshisoden Nakamura at any time of day. If you are planning a Kyoto itinerary and trying to allocate spend sensibly, a lunch booking here can give you the Michelin-starred kappo experience while preserving budget for a more elaborate evening elsewhere.
Dinner at Kako Okamoto is the fuller expression of the kitchen. The layered, multi-ingredient approach described in the menu philosophy takes more time to develop across an evening service, and the counter dynamic at kappo restaurants is more engaged when the kitchen is not running against a lunch turnaround. For a special occasion or a first visit, dinner gives the chef more room. For a solo traveller or a couple building a multi-restaurant day through Higashiyama, lunch is the sharper value proposition.
The address in Higashiyama Ward is worth noting for logistics. The neighbourhood draws heavy daytime foot traffic from temple visitors, which means the walk from any of the major Higashiyama sights is short, but the area quietens noticeably by evening. A dinner booking here puts you in a calmer version of the same streets, which suits the counter-dining format well.
See the full comparison below. For the wider picture on eating in Kyoto, visit our full Kyoto restaurants guide. For where to stay, see our Kyoto hotels guide. For bars and drinks, our Kyoto bars guide covers the options. You can also explore Kyoto wineries and Kyoto experiences.
If you are travelling through the Kansai region and want to benchmark what a single Michelin star kappo represents against other Japanese cooking formats, HAJIME in Osaka offers a very different register at the leading of the price range. For counter-focused Japanese dining in Tokyo, Myojaku and Azabu Kadowaki are worth comparing against. Harutaka in Tokyo represents the premium end of counter omakase if you are calibrating expectations. Further out, akordu in Nara, Goh in Fukuoka, 1000 in Yokohama, and 6 in Okinawa each show what a single star means in different regional contexts across Japan.
Smart casual is the right call. Kappo restaurants occupy a middle register between the strict formality of kaiseki venues like Kyokaiseki Kichisen and casual neighbourhood dining. A clean, neat appearance is expected at any Michelin-starred counter in Kyoto, but there is no requirement for formal dress. Avoid heavily casual clothing. If you are uncertain, dressing as you would for a serious dinner reservation in any major city is the right benchmark.
At ¥¥¥, yes , for what you get. A Michelin-starred kappo counter in Higashiyama at this price tier sits below the ¥¥¥¥ outlay required at Gion Matayoshi or Isshisoden Nakamura. The cooking has a distinctive character, the signature baked sesame tofu is genuinely considered, and the chef's broader ingredient thinking gives the menu more range than you would expect at this price point. For a food-focused traveller who wants a starred Kyoto experience without committing to the highest tier of spend, this is one of the stronger arguments in the city.
Kappo counters are inherently small venues, and Kako Okamoto does not publish seat count information. In practical terms, counter-format restaurants in Kyoto at this level work leading for two people, sometimes four. Groups of six or more are likely to find this format limiting, and availability for larger parties is uncertain. If you are organising a group dinner in Kyoto, Kodaiji Jugyuan is worth considering as an alternative format. Contact the restaurant directly to confirm what can be accommodated before building plans around it.
Yes, with the right expectations. The counter setting and the chef's direct involvement in service make it personal in a way that larger kaiseki rooms are not. The layered, seasonal menu and the restaurant's Michelin recognition give it the weight a special occasion needs. Dinner is the better choice for a celebratory visit , the kitchen has more time and the neighbourhood is quieter in the evening. For a more elaborate ceremony around a special occasion, Kyokaiseki Kichisen at ¥¥¥¥ delivers more ritual formality if that is what the moment calls for.
The baked sesame tofu is the dish most associated with this kitchen , it is the signature preparation of the Miyazawa kappo lineage and worth prioritising. Rice is served freshest immediately after cooking, so time your appetite around it rather than treating it as an afterthought. The seasonal soba dishes built on current ingredients are also a strength of the kitchen's philosophy. Beyond that, the menu changes with what is available, and the point of kappo is to follow what the chef has decided to cook that day. The leading approach is to ask the chef directly on arrival rather than trying to navigate a fixed order.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Kako Okamoto | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Gion Sasaki | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| cenci | ¥¥¥ | — |
| Ifuki | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| Kyokaiseki Kichisen | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
| SEN | ¥¥¥¥ | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
A kappo counter in Kyoto at the ¥¥¥ price point typically calls for neat, understated clothing — nothing formal, but avoid overly casual attire. The counter setting at Higashiyama Ward places you close to the chef's work, so presentation matters. There is no dress code published in the venue record, but dressing as you would for a serious dinner rather than a casual izakaya is the right call.
At ¥¥¥ with a Michelin star (2024), Kako Okamoto justifies the spend if kappo-format dining interests you. The kitchen's frame of reference is broader than most Kyoto kappo counters, drawing on the chef's experience at a Polish ambassador's residence, which shows in the layering of citrus and fruit alongside traditional technique. If you want a more straightforward kaiseki progression, Kyokaiseki Kichisen is a higher-tier option — but for a single-star kappo at this price, the value holds.
Kappo counters in Japan are generally built for small parties: couples and groups of two to four are the format's natural fit. The address at 470-4 Tokiwacho, Higashiyama Ward does not indicate private dining room capacity in the available data, so larger groups should confirm directly before booking. For groups of six or more, a private-room kaiseki venue will likely serve you better.
Yes, with caveats. The Michelin 1-star recognition and the counter format create a focused, attentive meal that works well for a dinner for two or a small celebration. The dishes — baked sesame tofu, citrus-layered courses, seasonal soba — have enough specificity to feel considered rather than generic. If you want a grander, more ceremonial occasion, Kyokaiseki Kichisen operates at a higher tier; Kako Okamoto suits a celebratory dinner that feels intimate rather than theatrical.
The baked sesame tofu is the dish most associated with the Miyazawa chain and is the clearest reason to book this counter specifically. The menu is chef-led and changes with the season, so ordering around it is not an option — the kitchen sets the progression. Soba dishes are prepared using seasonal ingredients and are worth noting as a departure point from standard kappo formats.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
