Gion Nanba

This was a pleasant way to finish eating out in Kyoto. Gion Nanba is another Michelin 1 star. According to the Michelin Guide Chef Osamu Nanba serves fresh seasonal dishes. I can't argue with that. This is the first restaurant we've been too where we've had to remove our shoes. We were offered a private tatami room but we said we'd prefer to sit at the counter where the action happens. The counter seating was had the sunken floor to get your feet and legs under the counter which was kind of cool. Chef Osamu ran the proceedings but a woman, Ohnishi Kazuyo, oversaw everything from a customer service angle. She dug out a dictionary of Japanese food in English that was bookmarked in a number of places with yellow post-it notes to explain to us foreigners what we were eating. She was have a good time looking after us. The chef had to remind her once or twice of other things she had to do other than keep us entertained. Another older lady was our waitress and she'd get down on her knees to serve our food which was our first experience in the traditional Japanese way of service.
They have a website here.