Kaiseki at Kikunoi in Kyoto

[HungryNYCtraveler]

Hello,

 

My wife and I, plus another couple, will be traveling to Kyoto for vacation next March and we currently have a lunch reservation at Kikunoi (main restaurant).  Upon making the reservation our hotel concierge informed us that there are roughly seven different course options, three lunch prices and four dinner prices.  Can someone please help explain the difference between each of these options?  All we were told is the bowls and plates may be different plus the quality of the ingredients will vary.

 

We've been to many Michelin starred restaurants and are very comfortable with tasting menus. We have yet to experience a full kaiseki meal but have researched and understand the traditions and format associated with kaiseki.  We also understand that it's possible that many of the flavors may not always be pleasing to a Western palate, but are excited to experience those flavors.

 

So, I guess the question is should we consider doing one of the dinner courses to get a better experience or will the lunch course suffice? 

 

Any comments would be greatly appreciated.

[Shalmanese]

Choose the option that you're comfortable paying. Kaseki varies seasonally so there's no set menu. The higher priced menus will have more exotic ingredients and possibly more food.