Sukiyaki, Gion, Kyoto

After a long day strolling around the Gion district, my sister and I settled down at the Doishibadukehompo (土井志ば漬本舗京都駅ポルタ店) restaurant for some sukiyaki. This restaurant has three floors. The first floor is a pickle store selling all sorts of Japanese pickles. The second and third floors are for dining.

Sukiyaki is a popular Japanese hot pot dish. It usually consists of thin slices of beef, tofu, mushrooms, scallion, vegetables, and jelly noodles. Before writing about sukiyaki, I didn’t know that one was supposed to beat the egg and dip the cooked food into the raw egg. My sister, who studied the Japanese language and some of its culture, told me to crack the egg into the pot. So I took her word and did exactly that. Regardless, it was a good meal. The sukiyaki cost 1450yen per set.

Doshibadukehompo is located along Shijo Dori right next to Noen Coffee shop. The map below shows the location of the Noen Coffee shop.

Tofu Manju, Kyoto

There is a little steam bun stand next to Okutan iKyomizu (one of the oldest tofu restaurants in Kyoto) right on the top of Ninenzaka, on the way to the Kiyomizu temple.

The steam bun has a sweet stuffing of okara (soy pulp). The bun is delicately soft and fluffy. Complimentary tea is given with each order. The perfect snack on a cold day. Benches are available where one can sit and people-watch while enjoying the steam bun and tea.

Kagizen Yoshifusa, Gion, Kyoto

image via http://www.kagizen.co.jp/en/store/

Kagizen Yoshifusa is a long-established sweet shop making Kyogashi (Kyoto sweets) in Kyoto. The interior is furnished with old-style furniture and wood panels –
very vintage. All confectioneries are beautifully handcrafted.

There is also a cafe at the Gion branch offering a simple menu consisting of Matcha, mochi, Japanese cake, and their house specialty, “Kuzukiri,” which are noodles made from kudzu starch served with brown sugar syrup.