If you’re looking for cutting edge Asian cuisine, you might want to drive past Kyoto, located across from Liberty Heights Fresh. But, if traditional Japanese fare and astonishingly friendly service is your thing, then Kyoto has all the right stuff. Kick off your meal with fresher-than-fresh saba – delicious mackerel served sashimi-style before moving on to, perhaps, Kyoto’s justifiably renowned tempura. Ebi (shrimp) tempura comes massively piled onto a plate, and although it looks impossible to finish, you’re going to savor every single bite. Steer the kids towards the breaded-and-fried pork tonkatsu; they’ll love it. Osamu Tada’s lovely restaurant oozes serenity and calm, from the manicured gardens and outside patio to the lengthy granite sushi bar and private rice paper and wood-trimmed booths Kimono-clad servers seem to float on air through the Kyoto dining rooms, always at your table exactly when you need them. Kyoto is quite popular, and deservedly so: It’s smart to make advance reservations.
