Oyone

Oyone’s hamo kaiseki invites diners to follow the fish through a succession of dishes rather than savour it in just one form. The meal begins with seasonal hassun and a clear soup of botan-eel and water shield, then moves on to hamo otoshi, hamo grilled with sansho leaves, tempura and hamo skin with summer melon in a sesame-vinegar dressing. Seasonal rice and red miso soup with hamo somen noodles lead into dessert. For anyone keen to experience the fish prepared in different ways, the kaiseki is a generous option.

One diner recalled how the portions and textures varied from dish to dish, with the dessert making a final impression. Another enjoyed the hamo kaiseki from its beautifully arranged hassun, describing the dinner as a taste of Kyoto in summer. Hamo is available as a broad kaiseki meal, or as the focus of a shabu-shabu or charcoal-grilled course.

The hamo shabu-shabu course features finely scored hamo dipped into a broth made from the fish’s bones, accompanied by Kyoto vegetables, yuba and Kyoto tofu. Finish with rice porridge or hamo nyumen. For the charcoal-grilled course, diners cook the fish on a grill provided at the table, making the grilling part of the meal. This course pairs the hamo with summer vegetables and seasonal rice, and ends with miso soup with hamo somen.

Fish beyond hamo can leave a lasting impression, too. One visitor singled out the firm, springy texture and sweetness of akou sashimi, grilled amadai guji with crisp scales, and carefully grilled seasonal conger eel. On another evening, a diner enjoyed vegetable tempura and rolled omelette with hot sake, noting the well-paced service. The seasonal kaiseki suits a leisurely meal, while the counter offers another way to spend an evening over sake and individual dishes.

Menu information lists the hamo kaiseki as a seasonal offering from mid-5 to mid-9. One option, priced at 15,000 yen, can be ordered on the day for one person; another, at 18,000 yen, is available for two people or more, also with same-day ordering. The shabu-shabu and charcoal-grilled courses are listed as reservation-only for two or more, so check ahead if you have a particular preparation in mind.