Il Ghiottone Ristorante 388-1 Yasakakamimachi Shimogawaradori Tonomae-sagaru Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto Japan Tel: +81 75 532 2550 www.ilghiottone.com

Next to the Yasaka Pagoda in Kyoto is a small and unassuming restaurant that is the epicentre of a culinary earthquake that has shaken Japan. Here, chef Yasuhiro Sasajima specialises in a unique form of Kyoto-Italian cuisine that utilises various fresh foods native to Kyoto to form modern Italian dishes with a twist. For example, his Salad Capriccioso comes with various fresh kyoyasai (traditional Kyoto vegetables, which include special varieties of burdock, aubergine and carrot) and his pasta is cooked in water to which kombu (kelp) has been added to provide umami and saltiness, giving the pasta a unique depth of flavour. A must try.