After reading so many good reviews about 'Hale', we went searching for it, but failed to find the mythical door 9or any coridor) that people have described. The area is a very busy marketplace full of tiny shops, and it is hard to walk quickly through the crowds. I would not recommend trying to find this place if you are very hungry or pressed for time.
I spent a good chunk of time trying to locate Hale, in between tons of fish mongers and other little stalls; I only found it when I looked at the picture "clark" posted. When I did find it, I was the only gaijin in the place (not surprising, since it only has three tables). The lunch was pretty delicious. I got the 1900 yen set, which consisted of a donburi of simmered mushrooms and tofu over brown rice, lots of pickled vegetables, and a steamer filled with veggies served with a few different dipping options (salt, white sesame sauce, and ponzu). After lunch, I had a soymilk tea.
The place was lovely and quiet, with a traditional bathroom and tiny little garden. I loved finding such a healthy veg-filled lunch. Highly recommended.
We ate here once on a recent trip to Kyoto. Like other reviewers, we had a difficult time finding the restaurant. It didn't help that they were closed for a catering event on one of the days we went so I would recommend calling ahead. Note: there is no storefront. Instead look for a black glass door with Hale written on it in red lettering that that will then take you through a hallway to the actual restaurant itself.
We had their dinner course set, which consisted of a hearty 4-5 courses. It was a lot of food, even by Western standards. We had a hard time finishing it all and we've had some pretty lavish multi-course meals in the past! However, the food itself was very good with a focus on healthy dining featuring organic and primarily local produce.
However, the negative things I can say about the restaurant are the 1) table charge and 2) mandatory drink order. The table charge wasn't too surprising as we had read about it on other reviews here. However, the mandatory drink order seemed unwarranted. I normally like to take my meals with water but was told that I had to order a drink. This was in addition to the cost of the dinner course. It wasn't the money that bothered me, however, but the fact that I had to order something that I didn't want. I ended up ordering some soy milk and gave it to my wife. At least it was fresh.
Updated from previous review on Sunday February 24, 2013
Updated from previous review on Sunday February 24, 2013
Pros: good food, fresh produce, healthyThis place was difficult for us to find. We asked a woman at a candy store just on the corner of the street the restaurant turned out to be on, and she had no idea where the restaurant was. It wasn't until we asked the tea proprietor one store over (who has wonderful hojicha, by the way) until someone was able to point us to the restaurant, which is in a tiny alley.
Once we reached the restaurant, we heard what sounded like Shinto chanting. We were told that everything on the menu was vegan. Yay!
Only one of the lunch sets was available, so we ordered two of those. The lunch sets they normally have are priced at 1000, 1200, and 1900 yen. We ordered two of the 1900 yen sets. The only difference I gathered between the 1200 and 1900 yen sets was that the 1900 yen set had steamed vegetables. We weren't sure if steamed vegetables would be worth 700 yen, but we were curious. I'm glad we ordered them! There was a huge piece of carrot, potato, daikon, mushrooms, and some unidentifiable, pink and green vegetable. All were delicious, especially with the three sauces the sets came with. We were also presented with a hot pepper and yuzu (Japanese citrus) condiment that was really interesting and tasty.
FYI the bathroom was outside and it was a squatty potty.
They don't take credit cards.
Pros: ALL VEGAN, DeliciousThe food here was superb and the setting tranquil. A little too tranquil since we were the only customers on a Friday evening. Service was a little frosty, one dish was not vegetarian and the table charge (for an empty restaurant) seemed ridiculous. Otherwise recommended, if its open the day you go! Don't trust the listing, since it was closed on a Thursday when we first visited.
Wow... this restaurant is fantastic...!
It's not the easiest to find & the front door doesn't even look like food is being served anywhere near by, but when you get passed the initial confusion, this place really sets the bar high.
The setting is classy, very traditional yet modern decor & furniture with a Zen garden behind glass just outside. When entering, you are asked to take you're shoes off at first in Japanese, but then in clear English, before being seated in the cosy dining area.
The menu is very well written, with a clear English version available on request. The selection is incredible & it's well worth looking over the beverages options for some quirky ideas...!
When the food finally came, it was served on time & extremely fresh. The flavours were outstanding with what felt like morning-grown vegetables & delicious sauce accompaniments to match.
From start (on entering) to finish, it's difficult to fault this restaurant for both food quality & value for money.
This is a "hidden gem" & well worth the effort trying to find...!
We rang ahead to ensure this place was open and once arrived found the fod to be delicious and healthy,you are sitting virtually in the owners house so it is a very intimate setting but this does not feel strange.
We had the set meal which was 2400 yen and very worth the money will be going back again.
We enjoyed our meal here so much that we went back for a second dinner the night before leaving Kyoto. They offer a delicious vegan tasting menu as well as several great a la carte items like vegetable gyoza and fried tofu skin chips. They also have a delicious sake and beer selection. The location is great, right on the NIshiki market, with two small tables that seat six each, a view to a nice little garden, and a bar with the kitchen behind it. It seems to be run by a couple and they are both extremely nice and helpful. The food is great and it's easy to just nosh a bit or eat a huge meal and enjoy the high quality ingredients and preparation. I didn't have anything there that I didn't enjoy. Price was moderate, maybe a bit over 2000 per, including drinks.
Pros: location, quality ingredients, friendlyThis is the kind of real Japanese place where they have a lunch menu of two items: the lunch set and the special lunch set. I got the lunch set and it was special. Consisting of a rice bowl with a delicious mushroom and unidentified vege sauced topping with divine sides. The flavours were crisp and clear and worked together beautifully. The textures were fantastic. It was a divine meal that made me awesomely happy. If it hadn't been my last day I'd have gone back daily.
Pros: Excellent Food, Beautiful SettingFeb 2012: This outstanding vege. traditional Japanese rest was a delight for eyes and palate.
Run by some young Japanese, the decor and limited seating was cozy and pleasing. I got the full meal special, and everything was great (and often unfamiliar). Not inexpensive, about $40 for the full meal, it was by no means unreasonably priced for good Japanese food. Note: it's tricky to find - the doorway is small, so watch for it.
Had a wonderful set lunch there last October (2009) after failed attempt at dinner a few days prior. Inexplicably closed that night (had native speaker with me who found no posted explanation).
Tried to have dinner again tonight (a Thursday). Again inexplicably closed.
Pros: Good foodDinner set costs 2,400 yen, plus a compulsory drink, plus 250 yen table service! The place is nice and the food tastes really good, but I wouldn't repeat the experience. Besides, taking photographs is forbidden.
First of all, don't count on this place being open. I went by a few times when it should have been open and it wasn't.
I finally managed to have dinner. Note you have to order a drink, which sends the bill up by ~700 yen per person. Dinner was okay. Nothing spectacular and expensive for what it was.
This was the best food we had while we were in Japan. Its location is a bit "blink and you'll miss it", tucked away as it is in Nishiki Market, but once you find it, you won't forget it. It's quite small, but there is a large tatami area for a group of friends to sit and eat, plus a couple of tables at the back and a lunch bar. There's a small garden outside, which added to the atmosphere. We had very little Japanese and the staff had little English, but they were helpful and tried to explain all the dishes to us. We had one of the set menu lunches, which was three courses - a soup, a rice dish and a selection of pickles. It was great value for money, as the food was very filling. I would definitely recommend this place to people looking for tasty, filling vegan food.
Pros: excellent food, good value, friendly staffThis place was a bit hard to find within all the chaos of Fushimi Market. Once you find the small door, it's down a hallway. The cafe is very small, with community tables. You sit on the floor, with cushions. There is a small zen garden to view. The staff speaks very limited English, but does have an English menu. I had the lunch set. The food is simple, Japanese style, served all at once on a tray, with tea for about 10-12 US dollars. Nice feel to the place, and very quiet considering the location.
Pros: Vegan, Healthy, Nice Space
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