Hitoiki

Hitoiki’s signature “Blissful White” is made with tofu and rich soy milk from Kuzawaya, a long-established Kyoto tofu maker. In the morning, it’s served with homemade cream cheese; at lunchtime, two kinds of white miso give it a different character. The dish changes with the time of day, so there’s a choice to make even if you’re coming specifically for the tofu. One breakfast guest noted the novelty of eating it with a spoon from a wine glass. The morning-only version pairs it with cream cheese rather than the white miso served at lunch. Breakfast also includes a set with a shio-koji omelette made with Kujo green onion aromatic oil and homemade cream cheese, accompanied by fermented garlic toast. Coffee or 60ml of white wine can be added.

For lunch or a more leisurely meal, consider the Hitoiki “Shiro” Fermentation & Aging Course. It brings together small servings of tofu, homemade cream cheese, aged sea bream, Omi beef and seasonal vegetables, followed by the signature fermented garlic toast. Orders are accepted until 15時, and both advance and same-day reservations are welcome. The course with risotto ends with a seasonal version and requires an advance reservation. Guests who have tried the course have praised the aroma of the sea bream, smoked to order, and the chicken-miso risotto, describing it as both rich and gentle in flavour. À la carte choices include sea bream aged for 3–4 days and briefly smoked to order, served with herb sauce, and a cream cheese risotto with 4 kinds of mushrooms.

A white-wine tasting lets you try small pours of 3 styles—Crisp, Aromatic and Rounded—and find a favourite to pair with your meal. For a non-alcoholic option, there’s fermented lemon soda made with shio koji. Hitoiki opens at 9時, so breakfast offers another way to enjoy the restaurant, with an omelette set or the morning version of “Blissful White”.