Japan has a wide variety of dishes and it’s very interesting to see how it changes from season to season, from area to area. If you’ve traveled to many cities and have been to different prefectures from North of Japan to South of Japan, I believe you'll have noticed that in each area, each city has several dishes or products specific to that zone that they are very proud of and can be found in almost every menu in local restaurants or souvenirs.

In Kyoto, they put a lot of accent on flavors that are natural but contain ingredients of high-quality.

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Shoraian and delicious boiled Tofu

Kyoto is well-known for a wide selection of tofu (you can find grilled tofu, cold tofu, fried tofu, etc.) and a place I didn’t miss when I visited Kyoto was Shoraian, a beautiful restaurant that specializes in Kyoto Cuisine. Not only does it serve delicious and traditional dishes and Japanese beverages (sake and shochu included), but also has a beautiful view and is located about 726 meters from Arashiyama.

However, before going, make sure you make a reservation in advance to be sure you get a table and make sure you order the boiled tofu, famous in Kyoto (you won’t regret it!).

Website: Shoraian

Another restaurant that specializes in Kyoto cuisine is:

Hyotei Main Branch-Sakyo

A restaurant with many years of history behind it, Hyoutei has become famous overseas as well. For the traditional Japanese course cuisine (Kaiseki), here is a must-go place and I assure you you'll have a great experience and have a taste of not only Kyoto cuisine but also Japanese culture as the restaurant’s design is Japanese-inspired and surrounds you with a peaceful atmosphere combined with the smell of tatami and the traditional dishes’ aesthetics.

Website: Hyoutei

Now, you can’t leave Kyoto without buying some omiyage (souvenirs) for you, your family or friends.

Yatsuhashi （八橋）are Japanese sweets famous in Kyoto and one of the most popular souvenirs to buy. Yatsuhashi come in two forms: baked (made of glutinous rice flour, sugar, and cinnamon) or raw, which have the texture of mochi, soft with many flavors available (the most popular is, however, red bean paste).

If you go to Kyoto, you should try Kyoto cuisine and buy some Yatsuhashi for omiyage.