Here's why you should consider staying at this affordably luxurious local hotel during your next trip to the cultural heart of Japan
By Mavis Teo
Photos: Celestine Gion Kyoto
3. Delectable cuisine
While in Japan, you must eat Japanese cuisine – one of the most beautiful culinary art forms in the world. The in-house restaurant at The Celestine Kyoto Gion is Yasaka Endo, an offshoot of Tempura Yasaka Endo. Besides dinner, it also offers a dazzling selection of savoury and sweet options for breakfast. You can certainly expect tempura for breakfast as Yasaka Endo is one of Kyoto’s best tempura restaurants. I was delighted to see warabimochi, a mocha-like sweet made from bracken starch and coated with soy bean powder. Definitely reserve your place for dinner where you get to choose from tempura, sushi or shabu-shabu, served in a multi-course kaiseki ryori style. The multiple courses showcase seasonal produce from the region.