[MICHELIN GUIDE JAPAN] NARA BIb Gourmand 22(1)

YAMAOKA PIZZA

  • 455 Onitoricho, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0237, Japan
  • ¥ · Pizza

MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

This restaurant on Mt. Ikomayama overlooks the city. The Italy-trained chef bakes pizzas with his own original take. The key to the taste is Ikoma spring water – the water’s sweetness and softness give the pizza real character. Made using less salt compared to the Italian recipe, the crust has a uniquely fluffy texture. The standard offering is margherita pizza made with vegetables from a local farm. Have your fill of Ikoma pizza you won’t find in Naples or Rome. It’s closed for the month of February.

Facilities & Services

  • Car park
  • Cash only
  • Great view

+81 743-77-0511

Sosakukushinomise Rindo

  • 224-1 Tsujimachi, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0212, Japan
  • ¥¥ · Kushiage

MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

Chef Ueda came up with creative skewers to make use of his experience in both Japanese and Western cuisine. The honekiri-treated hamo requiring very precise cuts is where his Japanese culinary skills shine. The croque monsieur is a French recipe. The menu starts with Western appetisers and incorporates surinagashi, gazpacho and other soups. The free-wheeling culinary ideas on display in the menu have you looking forward to what’s coming.

Facilities & Services

  • Air conditioning
  • American Express credit card
  • Car park
  • Counter dining
  • Credit card / Debit card accepted
  • Diners Club credit card
  • JCB
  • Mastercard credit card
  • Visa credit card

+81 743-84-6669

A VOTRE SANTE

  • 6-26 Shinasahigaoka, Ikoma, Nara, 630-0253, Japan
  • ¥¥ · French

MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

Chef Yaoki Tsujimura says that he wants to communicate the sights he saw in France. He recalls memories from training in southern France in the 1990s. Everything from gougère to bread and small confectionery is freshly baked. Dishes made using a generous amount of butter and garnished with sauce have a nostalgic French aroma to them. When you hear the word ‘santé, it means a fun time is about to begin.

Facilities & Services

  • Air conditioning
  • American Express credit card
  • Car park
  • Cash only – lunch
  • Diners Club credit card
  • JCB
  • Mastercard credit card
  • Visa credit card

+81 743-75-8123

Unagino Toyokawa

  • 3-3-12 Tomio Motomachi, Nara, Nara, 631-0078, Japan
  • ¥¥ · Unagi / Freshwater Eel

MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

The owner-chef apprenticed at an unagi restaurant in Osaka after becoming enamoured of the world of unagi artisans. He took the name of his teacher’s restaurant out of gratitude and grills plump ‘aote’ unagi, Kansai-style, over bincho charcoal. There is a saying that when it comes to learning unagi, skewering technique takes three years, dressing it takes eight years and grilling it takes a lifetime to master. As such, he has devoted himself to unagi.

Facilities & Services

  • Air conditioning
  • American Express credit card
  • Counter dining
  • Credit card / Debit card accepted
  • Diners Club credit card
  • JCB
  • Mastercard credit card
  • Visa credit card

+81 742-51-8171

Yakitori Fukuro

  • 2F, 2-6-47 Tomio Motomachi, Nara, Nara, 631-0078, Japan
  • ¥¥ · Yakitori

MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

Two brothers run this restaurant, the older handling the grilling and the younger, the preparations. Tender, fatty chicken is grilled over kishu-binchotan. The aim is to serve yakitori that can be enjoyed by anyone, so how the fat is trimmed is altered according to the customer’s preference. The chickens are slaughtered that morning, so the meat from organs like the liver and heart is fresh. The coordination between grilling and skewering is on point thanks to the brotherly bond.

Facilities & Services

  • Air conditioning
  • American Express credit card
  • Counter dining
  • Credit card / Debit card accepted
  • Diners Club credit card
  • JCB
  • Mastercard credit card
  • Visa credit card

+81 742-47-9889

French Izakaya Étonner

  • 2-5-25 Tomio Motomachi, Nara, Nara, 631-0078, Japan
  • ¥ · French

MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View

French Izakaya is a bright spot in Tomio where people can enjoy themselves in a more casual way than at a bistro. The idea is to make French cuisine feel more familiar, for which reason the chef serves various regional French dishes. Escargot is served not in the Burgundy-style but, surprisingly, in ‘Étonner’ style, with parsley butter and tomatoes. The liveliness of the space and the authenticity of the dishes make for a true French atmosphere.

Facilities & Services

  • Air conditioning
  • American Express credit card
  • Counter dining
  • Credit card / Debit card accepted
  • Diners Club credit card
  • JCB
  • Mastercard credit card
  • Visa credit card
+81 742-41-0189

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