Oku

Lacquerware brand Oku launched in 2006 with a range of voluptuous designs that fuse traditional artistry with modern tastes and techniques. The brand was the brainchild of Hisato Nakahigashi, who is proprietor of Miyamasou, a celebrated ryokan that lies just north of Kyoto. His bulbous dishes were designed to emphasise the sensuality of dining, and you can judge the success for yourself in this townhouse-turned-elegant cafe. Opened in 2008, it loads Naka-higashi’s lacquerware with his trademark mountain herb cuisine and some of the best desserts that you’ll find anywhere in Kyoto. If you like the designs, you can buy them on your way out, so that you can take a taste of Oku home.