Taka-An

Executive Chef Shinichirō Takagi 

Born and raised in the city of Kanazawa in the Ishikawa region, Chef Takagi trained at the renowned kaiseki restaurant Kyoto Kitcho. In 1996, he returned home to earn his family restaurant, Zeniya, two Michelin stars – an accolade it still holds today. At Taka-An, his gastronomic artistry has reached its fullest expression yet. 

Local flavours  

Honouring Koetsu’s legacy, Chef Takagi selects ingredients as an artist selects a palette, then prepares them with meticulous precision to serve dishes that transform Kyoto’s seasonal produce into works of gastronomic art. 

Omakase dining traditions  

Chef Takagi’s creativity means that when dining at Taka-an, no two meals are ever the same. The restaurant follows Japan’s omakase dining tradition, whereby the chef channels his or her artistic flair and refined understanding of ingredients to create a specially tailored meal for each and every guest.

On November 6, crab fishing is permitted once more and to make the most of this seasonal specialty, Taka-an will offer a 9-course Crab Kaiseki menu, which showcases the snow crab for a true taste of winter.

With a focus on sourcing the freshest ingredients, we carefully select the best catch the day from five famous fishing ports including Tango in the Kyoto Prefecture and Sanin in the Hyogo Prefecture. The crab is then carefully cooked using methods that maximise the natural flavour – such as roasting and steaming. Guests are also invited to try female snow crab – a delicacy renowned for its excellent flavour. 

To add to the theatre, the restaurant’s chefs will prepare crab and the 9 kaiseki dishes in front of the guests. Baked in front of the customer using Bincho charcoal, the roasted crab can be prepared to the customer's taste, with the concentrated heat condensing the flavour, removing moisture and leaving behind plenty of fragrance. Other dishes include steam crab, with a rich crab miso, and crab rice cooked with the stock of crab shells.