Yoshikawa is a ryokan-restaurant hybrid operating from an old inn a short walk south-east of Nijo Castle. The counter seats in the ground-floor tempura bar face an open kitchen where seasonal ingredients -- wild vegetables, shrimp, whitefish -- are fried individually in very light sesame oil and served immediately. The technique is the traditional Kyoto style, lighter and less assertive than the Tokyo variant.
Upstairs, private tatami rooms serve full kaiseki menus; the counter is more informal and better value. Book ahead for either.