Dining at Badu, Kyoto Experience

Last November, I started a new job in Kyoto – quit the tea company and now work in real estate – if you are interested in buying property in Kyoto, Osaka, or Nagano, or need property management services, hit me up on LinkedIn and I can see what my current company can do for you.
I guess the job change was good timing because my current company has connections to various entities, such as certain fine dining restaurants in Kyoto. For our Christmas dinner, the management team dined at Badu, Kyoto – the sister restaurant of Monk. Naturally, I documented what I ate.

About Badu, Kyoto

From their website: Badu is the sister restaurant of Monk, located just off the philosopher’s path, tucked away on the east side of Kyoto under Mount Daimonji. In the spirit of Monk, Badu embraces seasonal ingredients from our farm and other local farmers, cooked over charcoal fire. Offering a different experience from the courses and pizzas at Monk, Badu presents an à la carte menu or sharing omakase in an izakaya-style setting. Our cellar full of wines, sakes, and more can be enjoyed in the standing tachinomi space.

The restaurant opened on March 1st 2025.
There are two sittings per day, 4 p.m and 7 p.m., and reservations start 2 months in advance, at 12:00 PM via their online system.

Our reservation was 4 p.m sitting. Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted with their seasonal display. As we went in mid-December, you could see autumn leaves, yuzu, and chestnuts at the entrance.

The menu

As mentioned above, Badu offers a seasonal menu alacarte and omakase. Some menu items may appear year-round but with a seasonal twist. Additionally, they do have daily specials. Our group went with the omakase option.

The first dish was a type of soup featuring red mustard leaves with yuzu. A light entree.

The next dish was an apple and pear dish with squash on the bottom.  All the flavours really blended well with each other.

After this was ponzu & tonyu kanpachi (Greater Amberjack) sashimi. Simple dish but good flavor.

While the dishes are small, with the many courses, a person like me can get filled up easily. However, since I was sharing each portion with a co-worker, it helped manage that. However, if you’re someone who has a bigger appetite than me you may need to pre-eat a bit or eat something later.

Next was beetroot on ricotta served with sourdough bread. Beetroot dishes are still fairly uncommon to find in Japan, so I always enjoy a place that serves them.

Next was hakusai (napa cabbage) with rocket. I can’t remember the sauce used, but it was really tasty!This was followed by tofu and smoked tofu cream. Although they are both tofu, the texture and taste difference was remarkable.  Mixing them together didn’t feel like a double tofu dish.

After this, we were presented with sawara ( Japanese Spanish Mackerel) chijime spinach. The fish was very tender.

After this they offered some additional options: lamb or beef. My coworker & I went with the lamb, which came from Hokkaido, again very tender.

Next were chicken wings, sweet yet slightly spicy.

Lastly, before dessert was zosui (Japanese rice soup) with mushrooms. A light final fish and a good palette cleanser.

For dessert, we could choose between semifreddo or rice pudding. I went with the rice pudding, which had both mandarin and fig inside. Balanced sweetness and also very delicate. Many reviews mention it, and I can see why. Definitely recommend it!

Drinks

I forgot to take a photo of their drinks menu, but they offer a range of drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. I tried their blackberry and quince liquors, but what really left an impression on me was their fig leaf (non-alcoholic) option. It tasted exactly like figs!

The interior

Badu has both a counter and a table sitting. As a group, we sat at the counter.  From the counter, you can see the open kitchen and the ingredients they use.  Although it is a restaurant, the walls still give off a machiya vibe. The restaurant is dimly lit, giving it a nice atmospheric mood.

Final Comments

Although I hadn’t dined at Monk yet, I did enjoy my experience at Badu. All dishes were simple yet flavourful. For me, the portions were fine, but I presume people who have larger appetites may feel they didn’t eat a lot, depending on what you order. Reservations are recommended as they do get a lot of bookings.
Also, the restaurant asks guests to remain quiet outside the venue as the vicinity is residential.