KIHARU Brasserie, the restaurant at Cross Hotel Kyoto near Kawaramachi Sanjo, is introducing a new seasonal menu, "KIHARU de Autumn 2026," on weekends and public holidays starting Saturday, September 19, 2026. Led by Head Chef Yoshitaka Sugawara, the menu pairs autumn ingredients such as mushrooms and sweet potato with sustainable seafood and local produce. Reservations are open now.
This autumn's lineup at KIHARU opens with a delicately plated, colorful appetizer, followed by dishes designed to satisfy the appetite of the season — from sausages seared to a fragrant crust to fresh pasta whose textured surface holds the sauce well. Main dishes come with autumn-inspired garnishes such as shiitake stuffed with duxelles, sautéed maitake mushroom, taro confit, and black radish, each prepared with a method suited to the ingredient to draw out its character in Chef Sugawara's signature style. All seafood served at lunchtime is sustainable seafood. Alongside new dishes such as "Red Sea Bream and Clam Cotriade," the popular "Lobster Vapeur" from the summer menu also returns, rounding out an autumn menu built around seasonal flavor.
"KIHARU de Autumn 2026" Overview
Serving period: Saturday, September 19, 2026 – Sunday, December 13, 2026 (Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays only; some dates excluded)
Hours: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Last Order 3:00 PM)
Price: Pasta Set ¥2,800 / Casual Lunch Course ¥3,800 / Sustainable Seafood Course ¥5,800, and more (prices include tax and service charge)
Reservations: Official website: https://www.crosshotel.com/kyoto/ / TEL: 075-231-8832 (restaurant direct line)
Main Dishes
New main dishes built around local ingredients and sustainable seafood are joining the lineup. "Kyoto Chicken Thigh and Kyotamba Highland Pork Sausage" pairs a sausage blended with pistachio and foie gras with chicken grilled to a fragrant finish, both served in a red wine sauce that draws out the meat's umami — a recommended dish that lets guests enjoy two preparations on a single plate this autumn.
Menu examples:
- Hokkaido Beef Fillet with Bordelaise Sauce — ¥2,500
- Red Sea Bream and Clam Cotriade — ¥2,300, and more
Pasta
Three pasta dishes celebrate the flavors of autumn. "Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Salmon Cream Pasta" pairs the natural sweetness of the vegetables with a creamy sauce infused with seafood umami. "Fresh Pasta with Mushroom and Salsiccia" features salsiccia blended with herbs that stirs the appetite. And "Lobster Bisque Tomato Cream Pasta" combines a rich lobster bisque with the pleasant acidity of tomato, finished with the light aroma of chrysanthemum greens and the texture of root vegetable chips.
Sweet Potato and Pumpkin Salmon Cream Pasta — ¥2,300, and more
Dessert
This autumn's seasonal dessert is "Nougat Glacé." Italian meringue blended with honey and nuts forms the nougat glacé, paired with cardamom-scented chestnuts and a red currant sauce. Sansho pepper cigarette, caramelized nuts, and fresh orange flesh layer additional flavors and textures.
Nougat Glacé — ¥900
Head Chef Yoshitaka Sugawara
Born in Hokkaido, Sugawara has worked as a French chef across Hokkaido as well as in Awaji Island and the Nasu Highlands. He served at Cross Hotel Sapporo's "hache" and Cross Hotel Osaka's "TERRACE & DINING ZERO" before becoming head chef of "KIHARU Brasserie" at Cross Hotel Kyoto. He holds the Vegetable Sommelier Professional qualification certified by the Japan Vegetable Sommelier Association and brings deep knowledge not only of vegetables but also of meat and seafood dishes. Drawing on experience working with local ingredients across the country, he is known for creative, inspiration-driven arrangements. His beautiful use of color and delicate plating captivate guests even before the first bite.
About Sustainable Seafood
Menus marked with these labels include ASC-certified farmed seafood and MSC-certified wild seafood. "Sustainable seafood" refers to seafood produced under international certification (MSC and ASC) by fisheries and aquaculture operations that consider marine resources and the environment. MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certifies sustainably managed fisheries as well as the seafood supply chain from catch onward, while ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) certifies farms that raise seafood responsibly with attention to social and environmental factors, as well as the processing and distribution chain for farmed seafood.
