• 5
• Delicious zen vegan meals

Location:A five minute walk from Kurama train station (Eizan line); turn left at station exit, walk up street to the steps at the Kurama -dera temple entrance. As you climb the stone steps, the restaurant is on the right, just before the gate where admission tickets to temple grounds are sold. It has the traditional split curtain (noren ) and a price list in English is posted beside the door. Ambiance & menu: Rustic decor with a fire pit and kettle in the middle of the dining room, Western-style wooden tables & chairs, big windows. There is an English menu with choices of soba topped with mountain vegetables (cheapest) to multi course shojin ryori ($32)with soba, stuffed tofu, pickles , vegetable broth, mushrooms, chestnuts, Sesame tofu, tempura veg, sticky rice with mountain vegetables, etc. This was a feast --and while there are less expensive versions of the same meal with fewer dishes on the menu, I'm glad I ordered it. It was much better than the shojin ryori lunch I had in Arashiyama. I recommend visiting Kurama, a lovely mountain village and easy half day trip from Kyoto, the temple, and the restaurant .