Kyoto
Sushi Hayashi
鮓はやし
Using seasonal delicacies from across Japan, Sushi Hayashi’s omakase brings together the best of Edomae and Kyoto-style sushi. Building on his 25-year experience including a year working abroad, owner chef Yoshio Hayashi entertains guests from all over the world with traditional local specialties like steamed sushi. Awarded a Michelin star in 2023 for its superb quality and service, a visit here is exceptional every time.
Opened in 2019, Sushi Hayashi is located in Goshokita, a district just north of the Imperial Palace. Near the Kamo River and Shimogamo Shrine, the neighborhood is lush in greenery and perfect for walks. It’s also a wonderful area to explore the city’s history and culture with Ginkakuji Temple to the east and Nishijin to the west.
Inside the restaurant, the clay walls and wooden features create an inviting ambiance where the guests can relax and unwind. With only 8 seats at the counter, enjoy the thoughtful service of the chef and his wife. The restaurant is open for both lunch and dinner.
Curious about different traditions and cultures, Hayashi has built a unique culinary resume. He trained not only at top sushi restaurants but in traditional Japanese and Italian cuisines. He also worked at a five-star hotel in Switzerland where he served sushi to guests from all over the world.
“While many of the nigiri dishes are prepared using Edomae-style, I’d like to serve local specialties like saba zushi (pressed mackerel sushi) and mushi zushi (steamed sushi). I’d like the guests to experience Kyoto’s culture,” he says.
Sushi Hayashi also offers a selection of fine Swiss wines that you won't find anywhere else. Thanks to the relationships he built while working at Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Hayashi has access to some of the most exclusive Swiss vintages that are rarely exported outside the country.
CUISINE
The best of Edomae and Kyoto-style sushi
From botan shrimp in early summer and tuna in the fall, Sushi Hayashi’s omakase menu offers guests a chance to savor the best of Japan’s seasonal flavors. The dishes are served on different kinds of traditional crockery ranging from Imari, Shimizu and Bizen ware.
Boiled octopus is soft and tender, gently simmered with dashi, sake and soy sauce. Delivered by a fishmonger from Mie Prefecture, the meat is fresh and packed with umami. Botan shrimp is served together with a generous serving of sea urchin. The shrimp is lightly grilled, giving it a smoky flavor. Drizzled with Tosa soy sauce and grated ginger, the rich flavors melt together in your mouth.
Sweet seabream is grilled to perfection with the skin just lightly browned and the flesh sweet and moist. The fish is lightly salted and served with grated daikon radish.
Densuke conger eel is carefully boned and blanched, drizzled with citrus ponzu sauce and garnished with chives and black shichimi. A special knife is used to finely cut the bones and slice the meat around the skin for a soft and fluffy texture.
Presented on a beautiful piece of Oribe-style tray, the sushi courses feature the best catches from across Japan. The rice is seasoned using chidori vinegar to give it a soft flavor to bring out the natural umami of the topping.
Sayori, or Japanese halfbeak, is a beautiful slender fish. First salted to deepen its flavor, the filet is cut into a thin slice and pressed onto the rice with a piece of kinome leaf hidden underneath. Gizzard shad, a popular Edomae sushi topping, is seasoned with salt and vinegar.
Japanese tiger prawn is boiled just the right amount for the perfect texture and vibrant color. The otoro tuna comes from a fish caught off the coast of Shiogama. The buttery fat melts in your mouth, unleashing great aroma and sweetness.
INGREDIENTA
Most of the fresh seafood is ordered daily from Maruyata, a well-known fish store in the Nishiki Market in downtown Kyoto. Their selection of seasonal catches from seabream, octopus and shellfish is of the highest quality. The tuna comes from a specialty store in Nagoya. The chef likes the soft flavor of smaller 150-kg catches. The condiments and herbs come from a local greengrocer.
The drinks menu offers a wide range of choices including Japanese beer, sake and wine, allowing guests to choose to their liking. Most of the wines come from France and Switzerland. You can order some by the glass, so please ask for the chef’s recommendations.
CHEF
Yoshio Hayashi
He went on to expand his culinary expertise by working as a head chef at a traditional Japanese restaurant as well as an Italian restaurant in Pontocho. He also worked at a sushi restaurant in Gion before taking over Daitokuji Ichima after his father in law.
Almost a decade later, he came across a life-changing opportunity. He was invited to be the sushi chef at Beau Rivage Palace, a five-star hotel in Switzerland. Not wanting to give up his dream of working abroad, he took the job and worked in Lausanne for a year to make sushi for international guests.
After returning to Japan, he was asked to help with the launch of Sushi Wakon in Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto where he worked for the next three years. In 2019, he opened Sushi Hayashi to share his long-established craft with his own guests. Recognized for its excellent cuisine, the restaurant received a Michelin star in 2023.
VISION
Even as a 25-year veteran, Hayashi says his goal is to continue improving his skills. He remains keen to work abroad through collaboration with chefs, restaurants and events overseas. “I hope that my skills will help me succeed as a world class chef,” he says.
Course
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
Kyoto
Sushi Hayashi
鮓はやし
- GENRE
- Sushi, Demachiyanagi
- ADDRESS
-
1F, 〒602-0825 Kyoto, Kamigyo Ward, Omotecho, 31-1
- OPEN
- Lunch:12PM-1:30PM (Last entry), Dinner: 6PM-6:30PM last entry
- CLOSED
- Wednesday and Thursday
- URL
- NA
- PHONE
- NA
