We have a hunch that this is the birth of a new star in Kyoto's cooking world.

"On-par with Ogata (Kyoto's most famous Japanese restaurant. Tabelog score of 4.62)"
"As soon as it opened, it was on the same level as Sottaku Tsukamoto (Tabelog score of 4.51), Takeyamachi Mita (Tabelog score of 4.42), and Ryori Kawaguchi (Tabelog score of 4.36)."
This restaurant boats a number of comment reviews like these, so its chef likely isn't your average cook.

Yoshiro Kiyama, 36 years old, is a young restaurant owner who has captured the interest of gourmands everywhere.
After training at "Wakuden," a famous restaurant known for putting out talented chefs, for 15 years, he opened his quiet restaurant "Kiyama" on the 1st floor of a condominium in Marutamachi, a luxury residential area next to Kyoto's city center.

I first visited "Kiyama" in September during the day, and I ended up opening a lot of the condominium's doors along the narrow approach (it's quite sprawling)....
When I found my way to a counter seat, my eyes met with the fabled chef Yoshiro Kiyama, who was explaining the dishes to other customers.
He looked scholarly with his thin stainless steel glasses, and I got a decidedly serious impression from him.

When I sat down, I was greeted with a bowl of hot water, and so began the day's "omakase course (10,000 yen, tax included)."
"This water was pumped from below the shop. To start, please enjoy a cup of it plain." When I asked about it, I was told that he proudly uses this groundwater in all of the restaurant's dishes.
"Is that so?" I said as I drank it down, and I was surprised by the soft, smooth flavor of the water.

◆Lunch Omakase Course, September 2017

1. Kuruma Prawn, Kaga Thick Cucumber, Octopus Egg, Sponge Gourd, Okra Tataki, Topped with Tosa Vinegar Gelatin
   Served on a taro leaf atop an iced glass plate.
   The delicately sweet kuruma prawn was absolutely exquisite.
   The crunchy texture of the Kaga thick cucumber and sponge gourd were interesting.
   The Tosa vinegar gelatin had a light ginger fragrance that whets your appetite.

1. Gingko Fish and Swordtip Squid Sashimi
   The fattiness of the gingko fish speaks volumes for the quality of the ingredients here.
   The swordtip squid was rested for several days, giving it a pleasant stickiness.

Around when we finished our second course, Kiyama began his "dashi-making" performance at the center of the counter.
The arabushi, karebushi, and katsuobushi that he pulled out from the case were all impressively large and stunning.
He had us start off by trying each of the 3 types plain, shaved fresh before our eyes.

After that, he put all 3 types of flaked bonito into a konbu kelp broth that had been chilling in the refrigerator for 2 days, then strained it.
The glittering golden broth looked almost like the contents of an expensive bottle of champagne.

The finished broth is quickly taken to the kitchen, where it's used to finish the 3rd course.

1. Tofu Skin, Winter Melon, Shiitake Mushroom, and Chrysanthemum Soup
   The long-awaited soup made its debut. The chrysanthemum flowers scattered throughout the bowl were stunningly beautiful.
   The soup, made by adding some brine, pepper, and light soy sauce to the golden broth prepared at the counter, had a delicate flavor that slowly spread a deep umami across my taste buds.
   The texture and flavor of the tofu skin was like that of a manju bun, and it seemed to me to be the star of the dish.
   This dish was highly refined in both appearance and flavor.

1. Inro-Yaki Unagi
   This dish was the one that impressed me the most.
   The eel used in this dish had just moments before been swimming in well-water, then quickly cleaned of impurities, cut into pieces, and grilled over charcoal.
   When you bite into the fragrant, crispy skin, your mouth is quickly filled with juices from the meat.
   Delicious!!

1. Plum Vinegar-Dressed Salad with Edible Chrysanthemum, Maitake Mushroom, Sweet Potato, Dadacha-Mame, and Wheat Gluten
   This was a simple dish, but you could really get a sense of Kiyama's skill through it.
   There are 5 different base ingredients in the salad, and each one is not masked, but works with the others in an exquisite combination.
   The sweet potato's sweetness made for a great overall accent flavor.

1. Kisu, Matsutake Mushroom, and Fig Tempura
   I was surprised by the quality of the thick piece of kisu.
   The ripe fig tempura was also a fun new thing to try.

1. Fried Pike, Grilled Eggplant, and Manganji Togarashi
   The fried pike was extremely fragrant.
   The grilled eggplant, soaked in the lightly flavored broth, smelled and tasted of autumn.

The rice course has you choose your preferred version from 3 options. This time, we were able to try a bit of each option.

8-1. Egg and Uni Bowl
The egg was exquisitely soft, to the point that its flavor possibly surpasses that from even specialty shops.
The uni's sweetness is a lovely accent.

8-2. Small Ayu Ochazuke
The broth's umami is bold and delicious.
It pairs excellently with the light flavor of the sweet stewed ayu.

8-3. White Rice
The rice was topped with a generous helping of bonito flakes.
There's no way to go wrong with this.

1. Melon Sherbet
   The sherbet is made with grated frozen melon.
   Its refreshing sweetness is the perfect follow-up to a meal.

1. Lily Bulb Tea Cloth

Finally, Kiyama made us some green tea, and thus ended our course meal.

At a glance Kiyama seemed clever and level-headed, but his demeanor is actually surprisingly gentle and kind.
The way he uploads photos and posts on social media, common among young chefs nowadays, is sure to be popular with the next generation of gourmands.

The quality of the dishes that Kiyama puts out with his 5 apprentices is far beyond that of a "newcomer."
Kiyama honed his craft for 15 years, culminating in his stint as head chef of "Wakuden Kyoto," and he now shows that his skills are not just for show.

Now I just have to hope that this 10,000 yen lunch, an absolute steal for the quality, doesn't go up in price!
It's not hard to imagine that soon enough this restaurant's seats will be reserved far in advance, considering how much attention it's getting from gourmands from across Japan.
I highly recommend visiting as soon as possible if you're interested in eating here.