![NEW FASHIONED Kyoto](https://cdn.magzter.com/1416371037/1681257826/articles/QiTbhkvUa1682419434226/NEW-FASHIONED-KYOTO.jpg)
Last time I checked, pizza wasn't part of a traditional kaiseki meal. And yet, as dinner at Monk crescendos with elegant wood-fired pies freighting fresh nori, the herbal mountain plant fukinoto and other seasonal Japanese ingredients, it feels like the most natural thing in the world.
News that Italy's most famous flatbread has infiltrated Japan's most traditional meal is shocking enough. That this is happening in the country's cultural ground zero is another level of scandalous again. But while the purists rage, others are excited about this new direction.
"Kyoto is the best place to open up a restaurant," says Yoshihiro Imai, Monk's chef-patron. A former pizza chef in Nagano, Imai relocated to Kyoto and opened Monk in 2015 where he serves highly seasonal, highly delicious modern kaiseki menus. "It has culture, it's close to nature and locals are interested in new things. I could see that there was a new wave being driven by people that came here from other parts of Japan and wanted to be part of it."
Although Kyoto is rich in culture, history and enlightenment - for more than a millennium, it was the Japanese capital - the city has always harboured a progressive bent. Kyoto bamboo helped Thomas Edison create the world's first light bulb. The Kyoto Electric Railway company operated Japan's first streetcar. Nintendo was born here. Tourists might flock to Kyoto for temples, tea ceremonies and cherry blossoms, but beyond the surface is a city that values the future as much as it does the past.
"Kyoto is dynamic, it's moving" says Zenbu Tours' Jane Lawson, a former cookbook publisher that moved to Kyoto in 2009 and now runs small group tours around Japan. "It's a city of contrasts but it's more obvious because there's this amazing ancient culture and traditional buildings and gardens. We're seeing a real effort to level up the experience and give visitors a deeper experience and understanding of Kyoto."
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من Gourmet Traveller.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2023 من Gourmet Traveller.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
![THE SMOKING CAMEL](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/AmGUafbll1716894717522/THE-SMOKING-CAMEL.jpg)
THE SMOKING CAMEL
Each month we explore the origins behind some of Australia's signature drinks and learn how to recreate them.
![MEET THE MAKER HELEN XU](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/j0zmfhCvE1716894641258/MEET-THE-MAKER-HELEN-XU.jpg)
MEET THE MAKER HELEN XU
As she swings open the doors to a new restaurant and hotel at her Yarra Valley vineyard, we check in with the Helen & Joey Estate winemaker to talk science, Sichuan and the wine brand she runs with husband Joey Zeng.
![Fuel to the fire](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/AekwgaL7B1716894529164/FUEL-TO-THE-FIRE.jpg)
Fuel to the fire
From chilli to wasabi, there's an art to pairing drinks with spicy foods. SAMANTHA PAYNE breaks it down.
![Sri Lankan hoppers](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/nO7llyKBJ1716894378638/SRI-LANKAN-HOPPERS.jpg)
Sri Lankan hoppers
Chef TRAVIN DE HOEDT of Sydney's Kurumba shares his family recipe for this South Asian staple.
![The art of...thoughtful feasting](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/sLG1oO0dT1716894264783/THE-ART-OFTHOUGHTFUL-FEASTING.jpg)
The art of...thoughtful feasting
It was a Moroccan tagine that taught ANNA HART to relax her ethics and eat, drink and be merry like a local.
![THE NEW COCKTAIL CAPITAL](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/MEQcHcxPm1716894162232/THE-NEW-COCKTAIL-CAPITAL.jpg)
THE NEW COCKTAIL CAPITAL
Mexico City is in its golden era of cocktail culture. Once home to a small handful of recognisable names, today the capital is heaving with globally renowned drinking destinations. And it's leading the charge for North America on awards lists such as World’s 50 Best (last year, Mexico City landed four bars on the list, compared to three in New York City).
![Golden age](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/jvjXASItr1716893963723/GOLDEN-AGE.jpg)
Golden age
Time travel may not be possible but JOANNA HUNKIN discovers the next best thing when she pairs the Eastern & Oriental Express with a journey through Veuve Clicquot's private cellar.
![48 HOURS IN PHUKET](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/PuIJ03gE_1716893817860/48-HOURS-IN-PHUKET.jpg)
48 HOURS IN PHUKET
Beyond beaches and resorts, Thailand's biggest island is a treasure trove of culinary gems. DANI VALENT gets the inside scoop from restaurateur Merica Charungvat.
![LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/GJM60E6Aa1716893728070/LOVE-IN-A-COLD-CLIMATE.jpg)
LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE
Fireplaces, slowness and country scenes. Holidaying hits differently in winter
![What is curry?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/8160/1712874/KGwaABLBN1716893349602/WHAT-IS-CURRY.jpg)
What is curry?
Cuisine or construct? RUSHANI EPA retraces the history of the saucy, spicy dish across the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora.