Carter and I planned our Kyoto 2024 trip around our reservation to the Noma Kyoto popup, the same year in a row, the storied restaurant packed up from Copenhagen and relocated to the Ace Hotel in Kyoto, which is a wonderful place to stay. I secured four spots, but alas, two friends could not make it; however, we learned that Carter’s good friend Matt would be in Kyoto with his mom at the same time, so problem solved, and fortune smiled upon them, as nearly 6 months before, the tickets for the entire run were sold out within less than five minutes!
Noma published a special book in advance detailing the pop-up format, meal, and things to do in and around Kyoto. It’s an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
The Arrival & Restaurant
We were greeted by the same staff from Copenhagen with a high degree of personalization. I was impressed that they knew we were coming and were repeat customers (see, I said it was worth a revisit). It was fun to have the same staff members provide us with an exceptional level of hospitality.
The Menu & Meal
I really love how Noma embraces the seasons, culture, and food in such a way as to blend in with nature seemingly and its surroundings. Dining at Noma feels like getting hugged by Mother Nature.
