Ganko Sanjo Honten

Great location, terrific variety of Japanese dishes, very reasonable prices, English menu with photos, superb service (servers in traditional dress). It would be difficult to find a better restaurant in Kyoto. Large with modern décor. Many tables available -- or eat at the sushi bar. Always busy, so plan accordingly. We were seated promptly, had a fabulous meal with many dishes and ate at a very leisurely pace. Lunch or dinner, one of the best bargains in Kyoto. Ganko can't be beat.

English menu available. The fatty tuna is the best sushi you will ever try. The tuna + tempura set? Mind-blowing.

This place is hard to miss on the large street. It's got a big window with lots of fake food displays that'll so anyone looking for a place to eat. Inside is also rather large so you shouldn't have trouble getting a table, though we did have to wait a bit. Once seated, they give you a plethora of a menus that's stored inside the table (there is a drawer). The service staff in nice, they only come big you once you ring the bell on the table. The food itself, I went for the sashimi which was quite nice. It had fresh shrimp, squid, salmon, conch, tuna and a few other things I'm not too familiar with. I had to get the portion for 2 as a meal, it came with approximately 14 pieces. All wrote fresh and tasty. Other food at the table was the individual shabu shabu (think meat cooked in your own at table in a broth). That contraption on its own is a sight. You got a flame underneath a wire basket holding up what looks like heavy duty coffee filter holding a broth. You look at it and only think, this can't be safe. But the filter does not leak or burn, the soup does not fall through, and the fire goes out on its own. All in all its a nice place. What's lacking is the Japanese small store feel like your going to a mom and pop shop, but you know that going in. The prices itself are reasonable, though the menu is so large that it repeats itself on multiple menus. Also look out for different price on the English and Japanese menu. I found one instance of that.