[Mishima-Tei]

After living in Kyoto for about three years, I recently visited Mishima-tei, a well-known and long-established sukiyaki restaurant in Teramachi Kyogoku shopping district, for the first time.

Mishima-tei was founded in Teramachi Sanjo, Kyoto, in 1873 by Kenkichi Mishima, the founder of Mishima-tei, who studied beef hot pot in Nagasaki with his wife. Mishima-tei is located on the corner of Teramachi-dori and Sanjo-dori, in a traditional Kyoto-style machiya, with showcases of beef on the eaves. Upon entering the restaurant, a staircase appears directly ahead, and shoes are removed before proceeding to the second floor. The parapet, ceiling, and latticework inside remain just as they were when the restaurant was founded in the Meiji period. Passing through the sukiya-style architecture and admiring the historic interior, the way leads to a private room. When I called to make a reservation, there was a vacancy, so a private room was kindly arranged for us. There was an octagonal red table in the center of the tatami space, and when we opened the shoji (paper sliding door) and looked down outside, we could see people walking along the Teramachi Kyogoku shopping street. The interior of the restaurant is a complex structure, and I had no idea of its location, so it was a strange sensation to look out the window at the familiar scenery.

For the lunch course, you can choose from sukiyaki, oil roast, or mizutaki, but I had no hesitation in going with sukiyaki. The course included a small bowl of cooked food, beef, vegetables, egg, rice, shigureni, pickles, and fruit. The beef was served shortly after, along with a dish of udo and bamboo shoots with kinome — a refreshing combination that was reminiscent of a Japanese-style Genovese. We happened to visit at the perfect time, when udo, bamboo shoots, and kinome were in season, and found the texture and flavor of this dish just as delightful as the sukiyaki. A small cheer went up at the appearance of the beautifully marbled beef, and a nice aroma wafted through the air as we watched the sukiyaki being prepared in front of us by the waitress while we sipped our beer and enjoyed the kinome dressing.

Sukiyaki at Mishima-tei is different from the Kanto and Kansai styles, and is said to be a Mishima-tei original. After the sugar is evenly spread in a warmed pot and melted, the beef, carefully selected by Mishima-tei's own connoisseurs from all over the country, is cooked on both sides in a sauce that has been evolved by the fifth generation while preserving tradition, and served with a raw egg. Sugar, beef, and secret Wakashita become one, and the sukiyaki, completed in its best condition, is a luxurious and blissful experience to be enjoyed in the mouth. The only thing to do is sit back, eat, and enjoy. The sight of the mitsuba leaves tied on top of the beef in such a graceful manner reminded me of Kyoto in its meticulous workmanship.

The chopstick rest is an andon, the symbol of Mishima-tei. The details are subtle, but they reflect the glamorous atmosphere of the era when civilization was in full bloom. With the windows open, we ate delicious sukiyaki while feeling the wind blowing through the air, and enjoyed a refreshing melon for dessert. Every time I have passed by Mishima-tei since then, I look up and remember that sunny day in May when we all enjoyed sukiyaki together in that private room.

Sanjo Showroom
https://www.shokunin.com/en/showroom/sanjo.html
Mishima-tei
https://maps.app.goo.gl/wdKSr487NfQQPjZH9

Reference
https://www.mishima-tei.co.jp/aboutus/