[ 4 mins walk from Gionshijo Station ] ■NOTICE■JPNEAZY concierge fee is NOT the meal’s fee discounted. Noguchi Tsunagu is a Japanese restaurant in Kyoto. This Japanese restaurant takes an unconventional approach towards the traditional soup dish, transforming Osaka's celebrated Niku-jiru (meat soup) into an innovative kudzu sauce. This transformation is quintessential Kyoto-style, meticulously infused with the flavors of local ingredients and enhanced with the tantalizing spiciness of sansho pepper, leaving an undeniable impression on those who dine. This culinary treasure trove starts its gastronomic journey with a customary five-course meal. However, what sets Noguchi Tsunagu apart is the opportunity it offers to its discerning guests to customize and enrich their dining experience. Guests can enhance their meal by selecting from the restaurant's impressive collection of à la carte dishes, each created with precision and finesse. It is in this realm of curation, where diners can truly experience the fusion of Western and Chinese influences within the restaurant's menu and envelop themselves in the myriads of flavors on offer. Signature creations such as the refined duck prosciutto, the bold curry, and the delicately balanced spring rolls are some notable mentions from this menu. These innovative dishes, although divergent from traditional Japanese cuisine, succeed in adding a certain element of surprise and variety to the overall dining journey. Each dish is not just a course on the menu, but rather a story that unfolds the culinary artistry and passion that represents the ethos of Noguchi Tsunagu. However, the true essence of Noguchi Tsunagu lies not just within its dishes but in its underlying culinary philosophy. It represents a unique nexus where the cherished traditions and imaginative reinventions of Kyoto cuisine come together. This restaurant, far from being conventional, strives to bridge the gastronomic past and future, maintaining respect for Kyoto's rich culinary traditions while consciously embracing and integrating new ideas, ingredients, and flavors. Through this dichotomy of traditional and contemporary, Noguchi Tsunagu provides a dining experience that is akin to a journey through time — one that seamlessly connects the historical roots of Kyoto cuisine to its unforeseen yet promising evolution. Each dish, novel in its creation, pays respect to this historical culinary journey, reinterpreting the rich heritage to adapt to and inspire future gustatory delights. With Noguchi Tsunagu, dining becomes more than just a meal, blossoming into a historically rich, creatively innovative, and subtly nuanced gastronomic narrative that continues to reaffirm its position within the evolving local culinary scene.