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Our multi-course meal at Monk Kyoto was one among our favorite meals in Japan (and the world).
Whereas the meals at Monk isn’t actually Japanese, the restaurant very a lot has a Japanese soul, and I can’t think about a spot like this in some other nation.
It’s a serene, intimate eating expertise (simply 14 visitors) with a chef who cares deeply about his creations. The dishes use native seasonal substances and are ready with love and fantastically offered.
Greens are the main target, easy however flavourful, with most issues cooked in a wood-fired oven, together with pizza, the star of the present.
Chef Imai and his restaurant had been featured on the Netflix TV present Chef’s Desk: Pizza, and since then, it has develop into extremely tough to attain a desk.
On this Monk Kyoto evaluate, I share get a reservation, what to anticipate, prices, and different helpful particulars.
Contents
Monk Opening Hours
The total Monk Restaurant expertise is simply obtainable from Tuesday to Friday.
They’re closed on Sunday and Monday, and the total menu is not obtainable on Saturday—as a substitute, there’s a extra informal a la carte menu (no pizza) run by employees members.
Additionally they often shut for a couple of weeks (examine the Monk web site or Instagram).
There are two seatings a day: on the counter at 5.30pm and eight.30pm and on the tables at 5pm and 8pm.
Easy methods to Get a Reservation for Monk Kyoto
Monk solely seats 14 individuals—6 on the counter and two tables of 4.
This, together with the restricted opening days, makes getting a desk extremely tough. Reservations ebook up in seconds after opening two months upfront at 12pm JST.
You may be unsuccessful in case you are not able to ebook earlier than the tables are launched and refresh the web page at precisely 12pm.
Even after observe runs, securing a desk took me 5 makes an attempt.
Making ready to Make a Reservation at Monk
Getting Monk Kyoto reservations takes work. Right here’s what it is advisable do earlier than your reserving date comes up.
Work Out Your Reserving Date and Time
Monk reservations are launched two months upfront, and you’ll solely have as many makes an attempt as you will have days in Kyoto.
So in case you are in Kyoto on 26, 27 and 28 November, you should have three makes an attempt on 26, 27 and 28 September.
If one among your days in Kyoto is a Saturday, Sunday or Monday, you’ll have even fewer choices.
Work out now when you’ll be able to ebook, and at all times attempt in your first evening in Kyoto to permit for extra makes an attempt.
You must also work out your native time at 12pm JST (and hope it’s not the nighttime).
Create a TableCheck Account
Monk makes use of TableCheck for bookings. When you have an account, it should prevent time as it should pre-fill your contact particulars.
A number of eating places we’ve got visited in Japan use it for bookings, so it’s helpful.
Observe Reserving
Just a few days earlier than your reserving date, go to the Monk TableCheck web page 10 minutes earlier than 12pm JST. Simply be sure the day 2 months later will not be a Saturday, Sunday or Monday.
You need to use Time and Date to see the time in Japan.
Comply with the steps under as in case you had been making a reserving, then cancel earlier than including your bank card.
It’s value doing a couple of observe runs.
Reserving a Desk at Monk on TableCheck
Right here’s make a reservation at Monk on TableCheck when you’ve reached your reserving date.
- Go to the Monk TableCheck web page – It’s finest to be prepared a minimum of 10 minutes earlier than 12pm JST.
- Fill within the prime of the shape – Variety of individuals, date, and time. Tick the field subsequent to “I verify I’ve learn the Message from Venue above”.
- Select class – Counter or desk seat. I like to recommend sitting on the counter to look at the cooks at work. You may’t select a desk for two individuals anyway.
- Ignore calendar for now – This can seemingly present no availability, so don’t fear about it.
- Choose Tasting Menu – Ensure the choose button is inexperienced. This additionally exhibits the present worth. You’ll pay on the day, however a maintain might be positioned in your bank card earlier than then.
- Fill in Query 1 – Put your dietary necessities right here (English is ok). Vegetarians could be catered for however vegan and gluten-free can’t. This can be a required discipline so write none in case you don’t have any.
- Tick Query 2 – Verify that you may’t take a taxi on to the restaurant (extra on entry under).
- Tick Query 3 – Verify you’ll be on time in your reservation. You too can make requests right here, however there isn’t a lot flexibility.
- Examine Visitor Particulars – This part ought to be pre-filled out of your TableCheck account along with your identify, telephone quantity, and electronic mail.
- Have your bank card particulars prepared – Ideally, have them prepared to repeat and paste. You may desire a bank card quite than a debit card as then the deposit might be placed on maintain quite than charged to your debit card and refunded after the meal. Simply be sure your card doesn’t cost worldwide charges. Some playing cards don’t work in Japan, so have backups.
- Regulate the time – When you’ve stuffed every part in, go to Time and Date (or comparable so long as it exhibits seconds) to examine the time in Japan (JST). I had this open on my telephone subsequent to me as I did the reserving on my laptop computer.
- Change your class quickly – In order for you a counter seat, change your choice to desk seat. You may then click on again to counter seat as quickly as bookings open. This can be a means of refreshing the web page with out shedding every part you’ve stuffed in.
- Ebook! – At precisely 11:59:59 JST, click on again to counter seat (or your most popular class) and immediately scroll down tremendous quick to click on Subsequent Step. You don’t need to click on on the provision within the calendar (which ought to present as a inexperienced circle) in case you have already chosen the date (you don’t have time to do that anyway!).
- Enter bank card particulars – On the following web page, you’ll be able to enter your bank card particulars to verify the reserving. Success! I imagine you will have 5 minutes to fill within the particulars earlier than shedding your spot.
- If there’s no availability – You had been too gradual (you solely have about 2 seconds to ebook!). Attempt refreshing the web page for five minutes by toggling between classes simply in case somebody didn’t full their reserving. This didn’t work for me, although. I used to be solely profitable on my fifth try, so attempt once more tomorrow!
Observe that in case you handle to make a reserving, it’s essential to cancel a minimum of a day upfront otherwise you’ll lose the total value of the meal.
The place is Monk Kyoto?
Monk Restaurant Kyoto is situated on one of many loveliest streets within the metropolis—the Thinker’s Path (Tetsugaku No Michi).
This pedestrian stone walkway runs subsequent to a canal lined with tons of of cherry timber that bloom in April. In late-November, it was nonetheless beautiful with some autumn color.
You may’t get a taxi on to Monk so it’s best to decide on a close-by temple that your taxi driver will seemingly know.
I like to recommend reserving the 5pm or 5.30pm sitting so you’ll be able to go to close by temples (most have a final entry of 4pm) after which stroll to Monk. At 5pm sundown it was beautiful and peaceable on the trail.
We ate at Monk after visiting Eikando (a 15-minute stroll away), which is gorgeous in autumn. Different wonderful choices are Nanzenji (a 20-minute stroll), Hōnenin (5 minutes), and Ginkakuji (10 minutes).
You may simply spend a day temple-hopping alongside the Thinker’s Path. See our information to the perfect Kyoto temples and what to do in Kyoto.
Monk’s tackle is 147 Jodoji Shimominamidacho, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto.
See Monk’s Google Maps location.
Can Monk Cater for Vegetarians and Vegans?
Monk can cater for vegetarians however not vegans (or gluten-free).
The day by day altering menu is vegetable-heavy, however they do serve meat and fish. We didn’t really feel like we missed out, however in case you sit on the counter, as we did, you will notice meat and fish being ready.
Monk Kyoto on Netflix
It’s properly value watching Episode 5 of Chef’s Desk: Pizza on Netflix earlier than you go to.
You’ll study extra about Chef Imai’s background—his discovery of wonderful pizza and determination to develop into a chef (which went in opposition to his household’s needs), his love for nature and recent produce, and the way he opened Monk.
Our Meal at Monk
The Ambiance
Monk is a small restaurant hidden away on the Thinker’s Path subsequent to a canal.
It’s a serene place with simply two tables and a counter. Music is light, lighting is low, and the 2 cooks cook dinner in silence with calm focus.
I extremely suggest sitting on the counter, the place you’ll be able to watch the cooks work and gaze into the wood-fired oven.
The straightforward kitchen is gorgeous with piles of vibrant greens and a single department of berries in opposition to black tiles. Rustic kitchen meets Zen temple.
Throughout our go to, all of the visitors had been foreigners and I think about that’s widespread lately. Sadly, Monk’s reputation has meant that locals are much less prepared to leap by the required hoops to get a desk.
The Meals
Monk is an omakase restaurant, which implies “I depart it as much as you” in Japanese. You don’t select from a menu however as a substitute eat regardless of the chef decides that day.
Monk’s menu adjustments day by day relying on which greens are in season within the close by village of Ohara, the place Chef Imai sources his produce (and forages for wild herbs).
The 8-course menu will at all times function a number of roast greens (plus some meat and fish for non-vegetarians) main in direction of a grand finale of pizza and eventually, dessert.
Every course is offered fantastically and defined to you (the employees speaks good English).
Whereas the standard is excessive, nothing feels pretentious. It’s easy substances, merely cooked, and so they style great.
Right here’s what we ate on our late November go to:
- Napa Cabbage Soup – Who knew cabbage may style so good? We additionally beloved the autumn leaf ornament and the addictive pizza bread (topped with grated parmesan).
- Carrot and Mozzarella – The primary carrots of the season served roasted with a neighborhood, amazingly creamy mozzarella and a scrumptious peppery pesto produced from a neighborhood leafy inexperienced known as shungiku.
- Shiitake Mushrooms and Daikon – We had roasted mushrooms as a substitute of yellowtail sashimi served with a daikon salad and tangy wasabi and yuzu dressing.
- Sunchoke and Beetroot – Tasty roast sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) and beetroot on a sunchoke purée.
- Roast Greens – A platter of greens merely roasted with salt and olive oil together with candy potatoes, broccoli, daikon, and peanuts of their shells (so good!).
- Roast Cauliflower – We had this as a substitute of mackerel served with buttery spinach.
- Pizza! – That is the spotlight. One couple shares a pizza, however you’ll be able to select half and half toppings (from six decisions). We went for Margherita (perfection) and Shungiku inexperienced pesto (great). Some individuals couldn’t end their pizza and had been capable of take it house. Simon may have eaten one other; it was that good (and we’ve spent a number of time in Italy).
- Citrus Granita – A light-weight, refreshing finish to our meal.
Our meal lasted just below two hours and it was a wonderfully paced, stress-free expertise. We felt full however not over-stuffed.
The Drinks
The drinks menu at Monk is lovingly curated and provides to the expertise.
We began with one among their seasonal home made liqueurs (in addition they have home made tender drinks)—a scrumptious quince brandy with soda.
We additionally beloved the Italian pink wine that they had obtainable by glass. We particularly loved the earthy Trinchero Racines Rosso from Piemonte.
With dessert, we selected their home made vodka with kinmokusei flowers. It had been infusing for a yr in an enormous jar that they introduced out—we may see the tiny orange flowers inside.
How A lot Does a Meal at Monk Value?
The 8-course tasting menu at Monk prices 15,400 yen ($96) per individual together with tax.
Liquers and glasses of wine had been 1100 yen ($7) and beer was 935 yen ($6).
Our whole invoice for 2 was 37,235 yen ($231) with 5 drinks. It was by far our most costly meal in Japan, nevertheless it was value it.
Bank cards are accepted at Monk.
Who’s Monk For?
I like to recommend visiting Monk in case you:
- Are searching for a singular eating expertise.
- Admire delicate flavours.
- Love pizza and greens.
- Have a minimum of a couple of days in Kyoto (to maximise your probability of getting a reservation).
- Don’t thoughts being very ready to get a reservation.
Who Is Monk Not For?
I don’t suggest Monk in case you are:
- Vegan, gluten-free, or have a dairy allergy.
- On a decent finances.
- Searching for a standard Japanese meal—attempt kaiseki as a substitute (or shojin ryori for vegetarians).
- Searching for a loud, vigorous eating expertise.
- In a big group (I believe you’ll wrestle to ebook for greater than 4 individuals).
- With younger kids.
Is Monk Value It?
Dinner at Monk restaurant in Kyoto was undoubtedly value it for us. Sure, it’s costly, however you’d pay way more for such an intimate expertise within the US or UK.
We beloved the tranquil environment, the apparent care Chef Imai has for what he does, and the scrumptious but easy meals. It was one among our favorite meals wherever.
For those who can handle to get an elusive reservation (ideally a counter seat), Monk is properly value visiting.
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