Keen to make itself part of guests’ everyday lives, this restaurant takes ordinary ingredients and elevates them through time and effort. Hassun platters and stewed items are meticulously prepared, pursuing deep, satisfying flavour. Each item is simple and modest, reflecting the chef’s humble demeanour. The restaurant’s name, ‘Kiko’, brings together the character ‘aoi’, from the Futaba Aoi crest of Kamigamo Shrine near Shichiku, with the character for ‘lake’ as in ‘Lake Biwa’. Rice, vegetables and sake are all sourced from the chef’s native Shiga, expounding the virtues of the Omi region.