The freedom of Kyoto: Why Aussie chef Shannon Bennett can’t stay away from this Japanese gem

Shannon Bennett carries the air of a man who’s lived several chef lives in one — the virtuoso talent behind Melbourne’s Vue de Monde, the headline magnet, the escape artist who ducked the Victorian capital’s glare in 2019 for Byron Bay and something resembling clarity.

At 50 Bennett is now “older”, looser at the edges, sharper where it counts. He’s also not done — set to open The Belongil, a landmark coastal dining precinct in Byron Bay which covers four culinary offers as well as Blind Tiger (a members-only club crafted using ancient Japanese temple timbers).

Here, the father of six recalls travelling to Japan’s Kyoto for the first time in 2011 — an ancient city that stole his heart and a destination he loves to revisit time and again.

“Kyoto has always fascinated me because of the intersection between the old and new. It’s how the old has been preserved so beautifully that appeals to me.

You get a sense of the past in Kyoto the moment you arrive. It’s very rare to get that in cities, but it’s what Japan does well. I admire this in how they preserve their food culture; from the ingredients they choose, to respect for tradition, but the culture is always about finding new ways to continue telling that story and it’s inspired my own journey in food too.

Read the latest edition of ROAM by The Nightly here

I arrived in Kyoto for a few days in 2011 to film a TV commercial for Nespresso. I had just moved my Vue De Monde restaurant to the Rialto building at the time. I went back again in 2017 to film another advertisement with Nespresso ambassador Tetsuya Wakuda, which took place in Tokyo.

I later took my Vue de Monde kitchen team back to Kyoto with me; and have always kept notes on the cities I visit. Kyoto is one that you always want to share with others.

I filmed the first ad in Kyoto near an espresso shop that had just opened. I stayed at the Park Hyatt Kyoto; which to this day remains one of my favourite hotels in the world.

It’s the fusion of the old and the new I fell in love with immediately. I love the architecture and how it’s sympathetic to its natural environment; how it blends in beautifully with its landscape — it’s tastefully done, and the hotel is comfortable to stay at.

If you’ve never been to Kyoto, the old town can be quite hectic during the day with tourists. I love the fact that when you stay in a hotel like the Park Hyatt the old town stops after dark and you literally have it to yourself. It’s a chance to explore beautiful restaurants and experience the city as locals who live here do.

One of my favourite restaurants is three Michelin star spot called Kikanoi — it sits on the river in the old town. My head chef Cory Campbell and I had one of the best dining experiences in April last year.

You are served by incredible geishas, and the head chef himself. Everything is pristine, quiet and calm, and the food is phenomenal. They serve a very small river fish and it’s prepared like tempura; and one of the best pieces of fish that I’ve eaten in tempura format. It was stunning.

I returned to Kyoto with my two eldest children and we stayed at The Park Hyatt. My daughter had just turned 18 and I took her for her first cocktail at the Kohaku bar within the hotel.

We could see Kiyomizudera Temple in the near distance as the sun was going down — at that moment it felt really good to be alive. You could see out onto the old cobblestone streets and we were both in awe of this temple.

We had this tiny bar to ourselves, and life couldn’t have got better. It’s a moment I will always cherish.

We also enjoyed the simple rituals of teahouses in Kyoto. One is part of Sanso Kyoyamato, a historic kaiseki restaurant, and another is Koro‑an, a 100‑year-old tearoom used for more casual tea ceremony experiences.

I’m a spiritual person in certain aspects of my life and I feel travel to places like Kyoto allows me to feel free. Kyoto epitomises the idea of both the beauty of travel and adventure.

As a foreigner, you’re so disconnected when you arrive, and everyone is in a hurry to connect to Kyoto in such a short amount of time, it almost feels disrespectful in many ways, because Japanese culture is all about patience, learning and observing.

But it’s about taking it in at a slower pace. As tourists we arrive wanting to absorb as much as knowledge of the local culture as we can.

Particularly as a chef, I love to see how food plays such a crucial role in what they do in Kyoto. It’s only when here I can learn how to be calm and not get ahead of myself.

Back at The Belongil, we’ve used timbers that date back to ancient temples in Japan — they can be traced to 300 years. It’s definitely a nod to my time spent in this part of the world.”belongilgroup.com