Taste Rakuza (味楽座), Japan

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Taste Rakuza is more of a gastropub than an izakaya or restaurant, and we only managed to stumble across it because we were lost in the basement level of Kyoto Tower Building.

The heat was really smashing us on this day and the strong air-con in the restaurant was just beckoning us to step in. Plus they had a glorious window display of imitation food models so even if the menu were to be in solid Japanese (which it was), we'd be able to just step outside and point (which we did).

Ah, tourists.

うまいもんや味楽座京都タワー店 Taste Rakuza, Kyoto, Japan - Japanese food window display

Not all of us were hungry so one orders the kushiage set (¥550). Skewers of quail eggs, prawn, pork cutlet, and other meats and vegetables, all coated in golden deep-fried breadcrumbs.

うまいもんや味楽座京都タワー店 Taste Rakuza, Kyoto, Japan - kushiage

I, on the other hand, am particularly hungry and go all out with the priciest item on the lunch menu (¥2500). It consists of some tsukemono (pickles), sashimi, mushimono (steamed dishes) and a DIY grill featuring slices of well marbled beef, eggplant, mushroom, pumpkin and pepper. It is a very satisfying feast!

うまいもんや味楽座京都タワー店 Taste Rakuza, Kyoto, Japan - grilled beef set

The others still haven't squashed their tempura cravings so go for the various sets -

Soba and tempura set (¥1000)

うまいもんや味楽座京都タワー店 Taste Rakuza, Kyoto, Japan - tempura and soba set

Udon and tempura don set (¥1200)

うまいもんや味楽座京都タワー店 Taste Rakuza, Kyoto, Japan - tempura and udon set

Tempura and sashimi set (¥1800)

うまいもんや味楽座京都タワー店 Taste Rakuza, Kyoto, Japan - tempura and sashimi set

All in all, the dishes were slightly similar to the Japanese offering in Australia but somewhat better in taste and value. It wasn't anything spectacular but it was definitely a fab feed.

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味楽座 (Taste Rakuza)
京都市下京区烏丸通七条下る東塩小路町７２１－１　京都タワービル地下１階
(Basement of Kyoto Tower Building)
Phone: +81 075 371 9417
Web: http://www.kintetsu-kankou.com/cgi-bin/list.cgi?shu=4

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