Owner-chef Koichi Maekawa’s goal is to present a ‘ryoriya’ (‘cookery’) that reflects his taste and personality, unfettered by established practice. He strives for originality while leaving core tenets of Kyoto cooking intact. In a witty touch that can’t help but make you smile, fried shrimp-shaped and -patterned yam in tomato sauce is dressed with sakura shrimps. The eatery, with its triangular ceiling reminiscent of a houseboat, is wrapped in an amusing air.