Ramen Mugyu Vol. 2

Tucked away in a small alley is a simple, no-frills ramen restaurant. The automated kiosk has four language options – English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The staff was friendly.

The restaurant uses chicken broth as its soup base. There are three soup choices – shoyu, plain chicken broth, and a thick white broth. We ordered the thick white broth ramen, plain chicken soup ramen, and gyoza. Both noodles were delicious and packed with umami. The thinly sliced chashu (pork slices) were lean and flavorful, one of the best I’ve had. The gyozas had a crispy crust with a juicy meat filling.

A very satisfying meal. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Ramen Mugyu Vol. 2 Karasuma Takoyakushi

Website: https://www.instagram.com/ramenmugiyuvol.2/
http://ramen-mugyu.com/shop/vol2/

Telephone: 075-221-2588

Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays, 11:00 a.m. – 23:30 p.m., closed on Sundays

Address: 298-13 Ichirenshacho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, 604-8146, Japan

Funatsuru, Kyoto style French restaurant

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Funatsuru is a Kyoto-style French restaurant set along the Kamo River with views of the Higashiyama mountains and nearly 150 years of history. The building itself was built almost 100 years ago. You can read about the history of this restaurant here.

I made a reservation for a window seat. When making the reservation, the staff could not guarantee a window seat for me but will try their best. We were fortunate on the day of our arrival that we were given a window seat. The view was beautiful – The river, mountain, and sky. The staff who greeted us was graceful and pleasant. She could speak decent English.

There are two different lunch courses. One is for ¥ 3,000, including an hors d’oeuvre, soup, main dish, dessert, bread, coffee, or black tea. The other is for ¥ 4,500, including an hors d’oeuvre, soup, a fish dish, a meat dish, dessert, bread, coffee, or black tea. We decided on the ¥ 4,500 lunch course.

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The course started with a turkey mushroom pâté followed by a soup. The soup was interesting. It tasted like a saltish and mild cafe latte with cocoa nibs. The waitress did describe that it was some kind of coffee soup.

Next, we had the flounder wrapped in pie pastry. I love this dish! The flavors in this dish were mind-blowing. The fish was cooked to perfection. The buttery, flaky crust accentuated the natural flavor of the fish. The tomato-based sauce further boosts the already delicious flavor of the pie. Even now, I can remember the flavor. A very memorable dish!

We had the duck with apple and root vegetable sauce next and a white chocolate cream cheesecake.

I really enjoyed the food. Each one was delectable and beautifully presented. I would recommend this restaurant for the food. However, it was noisy in the restaurant, probably the noisiest restaurant I have been to in Japan. Most of the customers were rich middle-aged women, and they were loud. I did not enjoy that. Lucky for us, we got there around 1 PM, and the noise began to subside half an hour later as some were finished with lunch and left. The last order for lunch at the restaurant is 2PM.

Funatsuru

Website: https://www.funatsuru.com/en/restaurant/

Opening hours: 12 PM to 22:00 PM (closed on Tuesdays)

Telephone: +81 75-351-8541

Address: 180 Minoyacho, Kiyamachidouri Matsubara-Agaru, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto

Yasube, Okonomiyaki, Pontocho

Yasube is a family-run restaurant in Pontocho serving Okonomiyaki. There are many variations of Okonomiyaki on the menu, with different ingredients you can add to your Okonomiyaki. I would say that the prices are very reasonable, and it is one of the cheaper places to eat in Pontocho. The son speaks good English, and there are English menus available.

We had the yaki-udon with pork and kimchi (¥ 950) and pork and seafood combo with egg okonomiyaki (¥ 950). It was served on the hot plate that was on the table. I liked that we could put the sauce and toppings on the okonomiyaki. I have had okonomiyaki, and sometimes the sauce was too much for me. This would be the best one of the okonomiyaki I have had both in Kyoto and Osaka. I think the minced pork made a big difference. In the previous okonomiyaki, I had added pork slices instead of minced pork. The minced pork made the okonomiyaki less dry and gave it a savory sweetness.

Yasube

Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday, 12:00 PM to 19:30 PM; Thursday to Saturday, 16:30 PM to 23:30 PM, Sunday, 15:00 PM to 22:30 PM

Telephone number: +81 75-221-2613

Address: 142 Umenokichō (Pontochōdōri), Nakagyō-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 604-8012, Japan

Gion Karyo, Kyoto

Set in an old Kyoto house, Gion Karyo is a kaiseki restaurant located in the heart of Gion. It is a great kaiseki place for people who are not as familiar with Japanese cuisine or not adventurous (like myself). The food served at Gion Karyo is nothing bizarre or unique to the taste buds. If you have any food restrictions or allergies, you can inform them in advance, and they will prepare your food accordingly. The staff speaks sufficient English, and there are English menus available.

The interior decorations were simple, with not much ambiance.

I made reservations in advance. When you are presented to your seat, a menu will be ready on the table. The price for the lunch course is ¥ 5000.

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The dishes were beautifully presented. However, for me, it lacked taste. Most of the dishes tasted similar and were a bit bland. There was no wow factor for me.

The highlight for me was the dessert and coffee. I had some matcha arrowroot dessert accompanied with ice cream and caramel cake. My brother had the Crème brûlée. The matcha arrowroot dessert tasted like matcha jelly with evaporated milk and soybean flour – very fragrant.

Overall, the food was basic and average, especially for the price. But it is definitely a foreigner-friendly restaurant.

Gion Karyo

Website: http://www.karyo-kyoto.jp/gion/

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 11:30 Am to 8 PM

Telephone: +81 75-532-0025

Address: 605-0074 Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Gionmachi Minamigawa, 東山区祇園町南側570-235

Gontaro, Kyoto

Gontaro is a famous udon noodle restaurant in Kyoto. There are three branches in Kyoto. I went to the main branch located downtown on Fuyacho Dori, between Nishiki market and Shijo Dori.

The restaurant had a Kyoto machiya-style exterior with a stone path leading to an automatic sliding shoji door. The interior is decorated in Sukiya-zukuri architectural style, common in many Japanese tea houses, creating a tranquil ambiance. There was only one waitress dressed in Kimono. She did not speak much English, but she could understand some of the things I said. She was nice and had a smile on her face the whole time.

The restaurant offers a variety of Soba and Udon noodles with some side dishes. The prices are reasonable. There is also an English menu available.

As I was craving fish, I ordered the Nishin udon (¥ 1200), a Kyoto specialty. It is a piece of dried herring placed on top of the udon. At the time, I did not know it was dried herring. On the menu, it stated sweet stewed herring. The soup was delicious, but I did not like the herring. It was dry and chewy. I guess I was not used to eating dried fish.

This is a good place for Soba and Udon noodles if you are in the area.

Gontaro

Website: http://gontaro.co.jp/english/kyoto/index.html

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday except for Wednesday 11:00 AM to 21:00 PM

Telephone: +81 75-221-5810

Address: 604-8053 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, 麸屋町通四条上ル

Kichi Kichi, Kyoto’s famous Omu Rice

Located in one of the alleyways in Pontocho, a small and cozy restaurant was established in 1978, serving one of Kyoto’s best Omu rice. It took us a while to find the restaurant, even with the help of google maps. We went back and forth along Pontocho main street, trying to find the right alleyway. Finally, we got to the restaurant around 6:15 PM, and customers were already waiting outside the restaurant. The restaurant has 8 counter seats and a table accommodating about 5 people.

I read about this place’s popularity, so I made a reservation in advance. You can make reservations 6 weeks in advance on their website. I emailed them to make a reservation because the date I wanted to make was unavailable on their website. I recommend making a reservation, especially for the counter seat, where you can watch the magic happen.

Besides their famous Omu rice, Kichi Kichi also serves salad, soup, beef stew, casseroled chicken leg, and croquette. Since we were there for the Omu rice, we ordered a potage soup of the day (¥ 650) and salad (¥1500). The Omu rice comes in standard (¥ 2700) and half-size (¥ 1450). I ordered the standard, which was a little bit much for me. However, I think half-size would be sufficient for the ladies.

The potage soup of the day was creamy corn soup. It was creamy and light with a lovely smokey bacon flavor. The salad was lovely, not the usual western salad. It had assorted vegetables drizzled with a light citrusy dressing. I love the array of colors of the ingredients.

Chef Yukimura Motokichi puts on quite a spectacular show for his customers. He knows people will be filming him making his famous Omu rice. So he will position himself where you can take pictures or film him. He definitely has skills! The way he tossed the rice up in the air and how he made his omelet in the perfect shape every time. Motokichi makes it look so easy.
To make the Omu rice, Motokichi first prepares the fried rice. Then, he adds chicken, onions, mushrooms, green soybeans, and beef bouillion sauce to the rice. Once the rice is cooked, it is placed in an ellipse mold on a plate. He subsequently prepares the omelet, which is then placed on the rice. Motokichi makes a slit down the middle of the omelet, and the egg wraps around the rice so elegantly. To complete the Omu rice, Motokichi adds beef bouillion sauce. He does different tricks with the omelet. For the second Omu rice dish, he threw the omelet up in the air, and it landed on the rice, covering it perfectly; pretty impressive!

The omelet was smooth and fluffy. It was delicious and eaten with chicken fried rice. Compared to other Omu rice prices, the prices here are higher, but I feel it’s worth it. It is one of the best ones I’ve had.

I highly recommend this restaurant. You will definitely have a great time and an enjoyable meal.

Kichi Kichi Omurice

Website: http://kichi2.net/

Opening hours: Lunch ( Weekends and national holidays 12:00 PM to 14:00 PM), Dinner ( Monday to Sunday 17:00 PM to 21:00 PM)

Telephone: +81 75-211-1484

Address: 604-8017 Kyoto Prefecture, Kyoto, Nakagyo Ward, 材木町185-4

Kishin Kitchen, an intimate culinary experience in Kyoto

I got to know about Kishin Kitchen as I searched through google for a place to have breakfast. This place was on the list, and the reviews were positive. As my brother will be accompanying me on this trip, which is his first trip to Japan, I thought it would be nice to try a Japanese-style breakfast.

Kishin Kitchen is attached to the Hana-Touro Hotel in Gion. The interior gave me the impression of a dining and kitchen area in a house. It had a warm and homey feel. The staff was welcoming and friendly. Two of them spoke good English.

The restaurant offers its signature breakfast for ¥ 2,500. The breakfast includes a starter, white rice, and a choice of soup. The meals were prepared by a young chef. He gave an explanation of each dish after it was served.

We had kumiage-yuba, a cold soy skin dish, as a starter. The texture was delicate with a refined taste. It tastes like cold soy milk with a hint of saltiness. I, however, was not too fond of the texture.

Before serving the rice and soup, we were asked to choose one out of five handmade bowls by different Japanese artists for the rice. They first served us about a tablespoon of ‘almost’ cooked rice to taste. One of the staff explained that the rice has a different flavor and taste before it is completely cooked. It had a stickier texture. The rice was cooked in a donabe, which is a special Japanese ceramic pot. We were then each served a small portion of rice. You can ask for refills.

The white Miso soup was one of the best I’ve had. The soup had a rich milky pork stock with a subtle Miso taste, garnished with thinly sliced scallions and a small dollop of mustard.

After everyone finished their rice and soup, they served us some scorched rice with a pinch of salt to taste. It was fragrant and delicious, kind of like salty rice crackers.

We were served pickles, Charcoal-grilled Maruboshi Sardine, rice, and soup. The sardines were a little salty, which went great with the rice.

There weren’t many customers when we were there, but I do recommend making a reservation. You are asked to choose a time slot when you make a reservation. Five different time slots are available each day; each time slot is an hour and 20 minutes. So do be punctual, we were 10 minutes late, and the other customers had to wait for us before they began serving the meal.

Though the meal was simple, I had a very memorable and intimate dining experience here. This was probably the first time that I paid attention to every bite, savoring every subtle flavor of the food. Every aspect, from service to ingredients to food preparation, was done with care. I look forward to my next visit. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to taste high-quality local Kyoto cuisine.

Kishin Kitchen

Website: https://www.kishin.world/

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 7:30 AM – 12 AM

Telephone: +81 75-525-8500

Address: 555-2 Komatsuchō, Higashiyama-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 605-0811, Japan

Sushitetsu, Pontocho

Sushitetsu is located on the first floor of the building next to the Pontocho kaburenjo theater. It was recommended by the receptionist in the hotel my brother and I was staying at. She said that both locals and foreigners dine there, and the price is reasonable. After splashing quite a bit on more expensive meals the past two days, I look forward to somewhere more low-key and inexpensive.

There are both counter and horigotatsu seating. In addition, there are English menus with pictures. The menu has a variety of la carte sushi, sushi rolls, assorted sashimi, tempura, cooked dishes, salads, and soup. The sushi chef takes your orders and makes the sushi in front of you. It is an enjoyable experience watching your food being prepared and served in front of you. The chef hands off each sushi right after it is prepared on bamboo leaves.

Each sushi dish (2 pieces) is ¥ 216, and the rolls are ¥ 540. We got the California roll, tamage (egg), ebi (shrimp), aburi nigiri (broiled salmon), uni (sea urchin), kanimi (crab meat), shimaji-nigiri (yellow jack), Iwashi (sardine), maguro (tuna), and salmon. The sushi was delicious, and the ingredients were fresh.

When we got our first batch of sushi, we looked for the wasabi and could not find any. Then when my brother ate his first piece of sushi, he noticed the wasabi between the topping and the rice. So all we had to do was dip the sushi in the soy sauce. Surprisingly each sushi had a sufficient amount of wasabi, at least for us.

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Do take note that this restaurant allows smoking inside. I hate the smell of cigarette smoke, especially if the smoke is wafting toward me. This happened as I was enjoying the sushi. A customer next to me was smoking. As much as I would like to stay longer and order more sushi, I left right after finishing the remaining food.

All in all, this is a great sushi place with excellent value for money.

Sushitetsu

Website: https://sushitetsu.owst.jp/

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday, 12:00PM to 11:30PM

Address: 〒604-8002 Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Nakagyō-ku, Ishiyachō (Kiyamachidori), 先斗町通三条下る石屋町123

Musoshin ramen, Kyoto

Musoshin is just a stone’s throw away from Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple Kenninji. Like most ramen restaurants, it’s not very big. It has seating for 12.

This is my first encounter with average service in Kyoto. The atmosphere was cold and dull, and the staff was expressionless half the time. The guy who greeted me though was helpful; he helped me with ordering the ramen from the ticket machine.

I had the musoshin ramen with egg (¥ 830). The soup is thicker and creamier than any ramen soup I have had. It is almost like the consistency of a stew. Their website states that the musoshin soup is creamy and thick because of the different vegetables used and dissolving in the process creating this thick broth. I am not sure if I liked the thick consistency. The noodles didn’t seem like it was cooked thoroughly, and the egg was cold.

I honestly did not enjoy the ramen. However, it’s subjective. Many of the reviews online for this place were positive. So give it a try if you are in the neighborhood.

Musoshin

Website: http://www.washoku.com/zsr/musoshin/index_jp.html

Opening hours: Monday to Sunday ( 11:15 AM – 11:00 PM)

Telephone:+81 75-551-0345

Address: Japan, 〒605-0933 京都府京都市Higashiyama-ku, Komatsuchō, 東山区大和大路四条下ル小松町558-2

Café Blue Fir Tree, Kyoto

I stumbled upon this café as I searched for a place to have breakfast near the vicinity of my hotel. The café is located in one of the alleyways in the Gion district. They are famous for their thick, fluffy hotcakes.

The interior has a rustic feel with a laid-back and cozy atmosphere. There was two lady staff. I was the first customer that morning. The younger one greeted me and showed me to a counter seat at the end of the counter. After I sat down, I realized I had forgotten my purse. I excused myself and ran back to the hotel to get it. When I got back, there were 3 customers seated at the very end of the counter. I asked if I could sit in the middle of the counter, but for some reason, the younger staff insisted that I sit at the end of the counter. I was not too happy about that. There wasn’t anyone else in the café.

Initially, I wanted to order the hot cake, but as I was going to meet someone later, I did not have much time. The hotcake takes 20 minutes to cook. Instead, I ordered french toast (¥500) with earl grey tea (¥300). There is also savory french toast available.
The french toast came in a hot cast iron pan, lightly coated with powdered sugar and a dollop of cream. The french toast was fluffy, moist, and slightly crusty on the outside. It was lovely! I would definitely come back for more.

*The picture on the right is the hot cake. The customer next to me ordered it.

Café Blue Fir Tree

Website: http://www.cafebluefirtree.com/

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 AM to 7PM

Telephone: +81 75-541-1183

Address: Japan, 〒605-0802 Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Higashiyama-ku, Yamatochō, 大和大路通四条下ル大和町6-1, モア祇園 1F