Category: 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 is counter and horigotatsu seating. In addition, there are English menus with pictures. The menu has a variety of a 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 dish had sufficient 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 from Kyoto’s oldest Zen temple, Kenninji. Like most ramen restaurants, it’s not very big, but 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 order 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 my hotel. The café is located in one of the alleyways in the Gion district. It is famous for its thick, fluffy hotcakes.

The interior has a rustic feel with a laid-back and cozy atmosphere. There were 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 hot cake takes 20 minutes to cook. Instead, I ordered French toast (¥500) with Earl Grey tea (¥300). Savory French toast is also available.
The French toast came in a hot cast iron pan, lightly coated with powdered sugar and a dollop of cream. It 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

Menya Takakura Nijo, Kyoto

Menya Takakura Nijo is a ramen restaurant off the beaten path in Kyoto. It is less than a 10-minute walk from the Karasuma Oike subway station. It is a cozy little eatery with 9 counter seats. Orders and payments are made through a ticket machine and are only available in Japanese. The staff is friendly; they will help translate. The inside is warm and clean, with atmospheric jazz lounge music playing in the background—a very common music genre played in many of the restaurants in Kyoto.

 

I ordered the ramen with egg for ¥ 800. Before preparing the noodles, you are given a choice of either regular or whole wheat noodles. Both pork pieces and leek were grilled over a small charcoal grill. The pork was flavorful with a distinctive smokey flavor. The soup was a combination of tonkatsu and fish broth. It was thin and intense with a tinge of sourness.

The ramen was good, but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea because of its unique flavor. My brother, who was with me, absolutely loved the ramen! He said it was one of his best meals in Kyoto.

If you are looking for a less touristy and more local place, this would be a good place.

 

Menya Takakura Nijo

Website: http://www.takakura-nijo.jp/

Opening hours: Weekdays 11:00AM – 10:00 PM, Weekends 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Telephone: +81 75-255-9575

Address: 64-1 Kannoncho, Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan

Itoh Dining by Nobu, Hakone

 

Itoh Dining is a Teppanyaki restaurant in Gora, Hakone. The restaurant’s website states that it is in collaboration with chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, a Japanese celebrity chef and restaurateur.

From the reviews I read about the restaurant, it seemed like a popular one. I wanted a counter seat, so I made reservations two weeks before. Upon entering, I was greeted with a warm welcome by a lady staff member. The same lady also served my food and introduced each dish to me.

The only downside was that the room was smokey from the cooking. I’m unsure if it was usually like that or if the ventilation system was not working well that day.

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There are lunch and dinner sets and a la carte available. I decided on the Kuroge Wagyu Steak Lunch for ¥ 3,780, including tax. The set includes a soup, seasonal salad, A4 Kuroge Wagyu Steak, bread or rice, pasta, dessert, and coffee. For those unfamiliar with the Wagyu beef, A4 is the highest grade, with A5 being the highest.

My meal started off with a mushroom soup followed by a seasonal salad with sweet potato. Next was the much anticipated Kuroge beef. Sitting at the counter, I watched the chef prepare the dish on the iron plate. The young chef smeared the steak on both sides, then took it to the non-heated area of the iron plate, cut it into cubes, and placed it back onto the heated area to further cook the beef, as I requested my steak to be well done. The meat was served nestled in black pepper sauce and garnished with thin garlic chips, accompanied by a bowl of rice (rice or bread). I now understand the hype about Wagyu beef. The beef was juicy, tender, and melted in your mouth! There is no other beef like it! The garlic chips added a nice pungent and nutty flavor to the meat.

Next, I was served pasta with leek, beansprout, and tiny cubes of beef cooked on an iron plate. The taste kind of reminds me of Aglio e Olio. Lastly, I had matcha pudding for dessert, followed by a cup of Earl Grey tea.

If you are in the area, this restaurant is definitely worth visiting!

 

Itoh Dining by Nobu

Website: http://itoh-dining.co.jp/hakone/index.html

Opening hours: 11:30AM – 15:00PM (Lunch), 17:00PM- 21:30PM (Dinner)

Telephone:+81 460-83-8209

Address: 1300-64 Gōra, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa-ken 250-0408, Japan

Bakery & Table, Hakone

 

Lake Ashi
Bakery & Table

Bakery & Table is a cafe/ restaurant situated along the shores of the beautiful Lake Ashi. The ground floor is the take-out bakery. There are varieties of bread and cakes, jams, dips, sauces, and drinks. There are also chairs and tables both inside and outside available. The first floor is the cafe, where one can order drinks such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages. The restaurant is located on the second floor. You can order fancy sandwiches, crepes, beef dishes, and desserts here.

All three floors offer a beautiful view of the lake. In addition, there building has an elevator, which is excellent for people with luggage.

First floor bakery
3rd floor restaurant

I arrived at the lake around 2 pm and decided to have lunch, then head to the hotel. I thought I’d have coffee and a simple sandwich at the cafe. When I got to the cafe, it was packed. So I made my way up to the restaurant and plenty of seats were available. I was able to get a counter seat facing the lake. The view was stunning!

 

I ordered the beef tendon and seasonal vegetable baked curry rice with cheese topping (¥ 2,600). It was my first time tasting Japanese curry in Japan, and I have to say, this dish blew me away. It was absolutely delicious! The curry had a lovely aroma. It tastes kind of like an English stew with curry. It was creamy, buttery, cheesy, and savory. I liked that this dish had a variety of vegetables, which is hard to come by in Japan. There was shitake mushroom, avocado, broccoli, carrot, and capsicum, and  The portion was quite big; I savored every bite.

 

 

 

 

 

Bakery & Table

Website: http://www.bthjapan.com/hakone.php

Opening hours: 8:30 am to 6 pm

Telephone: +81 460-85-1530

Address: Japan, 〒250-0522 Kanagawa-ken, Ashigarashimo-gun, Hakone-machi, 箱根町Motohakone, Goten−9−1

Katsukura, Kyoto

Katsura is a restaurant specializing in tonkatsu.  There are multiple branches in Kyoto. I went to the Shijo Teramachi branch. There is counter seating on the top floor and table seating on the lower floor.

Katsukura prides itself on using high-quality pork and ingredients.

There are three categories of zen sets (Sangen pork tonkatsu, tonkatsu, and assorted) and an a la carte option on the menu. All pork zen sets come in 3 sizes (80g, 120g, and 160g), and each zen set comes with barley rice and miso soup.

There are 3 pots of sauce on each table. I was given a bowl of white sesame seeds, which I had to grind with the given wooden pestle before adding the desired sauce, and an information sheet of each sauce. One pot contains the yuzu (citrus) dressing for the shredded cabbage, and the other two pots contain two kinds of tonkatsu sauce, one milder and the other stronger.

I ordered the Sangen pork premium loin cutlet zen-set. It cost 1,300 yen for the 80g cutlet. The pork was crispy and fluffy on the outside and succulent on the inside. The pork itself had a natural sweetness to it, and it did not have the so-called “pork” taste. The tonkatsu sauce accentuated the taste of the pork, giving it a lovely, sweet flavor. It was delicious! The 80g size was perfect for me.

The shredded cabbage with the yuzu dressing was refreshing and perfect for the deep-fried dish.

The rice, cabbage, and soup are unlimited, so you can ask for as many refills.

If you are looking for a good Tonkatsu place with good quality pork in Kyoto, I highly recommend this place.

 

 

Katsukura Shijo Teramachi

Website: http://www.katsukura.jp/

Opening hours: 11am to 10pm (Monday to Sunday)

Telephone: +81 75-221-5261

Address: 604-8042 Kyōto-fu, Kyōto-shi, Nakagyō-ku, Higashidaimonjichō, 寺町通四条上ル

Zen Cafe, Kyoto

I was looking for a cafe near my hotel in the Gion district to have Japanese dessert and tea. I was browsing through Google Maps, and this cafe caught my eye. The cafe is under the long-running confectionery shop “Kagizen Yoshimura,” established during the Edo period. I missed the chance to try the dessert at the Kagizen main store the last time I was in Kyoto. I’m not about to miss that chance again. The café was located just behind my hotel (Kyoto Granbell Hotel). From the pictures, the atmosphere looked serene, an ideal place to relax.

The cafe is located in a modern minimalist building in one of the alleyways in Gion. The interior was modernly decorated with some Japanese touches. There is a small Japanese garden inside the cafe, with counter-seats available facing the garden. There are two spaces with shelves stocked with books for those who want to have some alone time to read and enjoy the food. There is also a semi-private space that can accommodate 4 people.

It’s a good place to have a break from the crowd. Definitely what I needed after spending days with crowds of people.

I ordered the café’s signature dessert, “Kuzu Mochi,” and hojicha (1200 yen). Kuzumochi is a mochi made from arrowroot powder. The staff was warm and friendly. There is an English menu available with pictures of each dessert. The menu is limited; it only had 4 types of desserts available. Apparently, the confectioneries on the menu change according to the season.

The Kuzu Mochi is served with kinako (soybean flour) and kuromitsu  (black sugar syrup). I like that the black sugar syrup and soybean flour came separately, allowing me to add them to my liking. The mochi was soft with a jelly-like texture. The sweetness of the syrup and the subtle nutty flavor of the soybean flour complemented the mochi well. The hojicha and mochi were a great pairing.

I would recommend this cafe to enjoy good Japanese confectionery and for those who need some ‘zen.’ 🙂

 

Zen Cafe

Website: http://www.kagizen.co.jp/store/#zenCafe

Opening hours: 11am to 6pm (except Monday, if Monday is a national holiday, the store will be closed the following day)

Telephone: +81(0)75-533-8686

Address: 570-210 Gion-machi Minami-gawa Hana-machi, Higashi-yama-ku, Kyoto

Arabica, Arashiyama

Arabica has been dubbed one of the best coffee shops in Kyoto. I visited their Arashiyama store. This is a hipster coffee shop on the banks of the Hozu-gawa River. The only available seating in the store is a cubicle which can accommodate 4 adults but with a charge of 1000yen/ 30mins. There are seats outside the store where you can enjoy the view of the river. It’s a great place to get a pick-me-up while exploring the area. I would recommend going early in the morning as there are fewer people. I got there around 9am.

I got myself a medium-sized cappuccino for 500 yen. There are 3 sizes available – small, medium, and large. The coffee was smooth, creamy, and milky, different from the ones bought at more popular chain stores such as Starbucks, Tully’s, and Costa. I really liked it!

 


Open from 8AM to 6PM

*On a side note, I recommend that anyone visiting Kyoto visit Arashiyama. It’s a really beautiful and serene place. Do go early to avoid crowds of tourists. I also recommend exploring sites that are further away from the more popular destinations, such as the bamboo forest and the Tenryu ji temple.  My brother and I visited the Gio-ji temple, which was a 30min walk from the randen arashiyama station. We took the richshaw from the bamboo forest to the temple and then returned to the station. There was hardly anyone there. It was perfect! I was able to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the temple without the interference of a crowd. The walk back to the station was peaceful also.

Here are some pictures that were taken during my trip 🙂

My first meal in Kyoto

image via google maps
image via google maps

My first meal in Kyoto was dinner at this small, homey Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancake) restaurant on Sanjo-jingu-Michi (Okonomiyaki Bonbori).

. The owners were a lovely elderly couple.  The menu was simple, with a variety of Okonomiyaki, noodles, and stir-fried dishes. There is no English menu available. Luckily, my sister could read and speak Japanese.

My sister and I were tired after a day of traveling, so we did not order too much. We ordered a stir-fried vegetable, fried kimchi udon noodles, and a seafood Okonomiyaki. The fried kimchi udon noodle was better than I expected.  It is a mixture of sweet, salty, and sour (from the kimchi).  The pork slices in the fried udon were incredibly tender and savory; they had absorbed all the different flavors.

It was our first time having Okonomiyaki. It was intriguing watching the man make it. We were full of anticipation. When the Okonomiyaki was placed in front of us, we were like two children who could not wait to dig into a bowl of cookies. 🙂

I could only taste the sweetness of the Okonomiyaki sauce on my first bite, but as I ate, the other flavors (the vegetables, egg, shrimp, and squid) began to present themselves. It was a savory pancake indeed and also very filling!

This is an excellent place to eat if you are in the area and looking for something less commercial.

 

Okonomiyaki Bonbori (permanently closed)