We arrived in Kyoto on Monday evening after taking the Shinkansen high-speed train from Tokyo. Kyoto was incredible and I described all the beautiful sights and activities in my post on its temples, etc. This post is all about the FOOD. Kyoto is known as a “foodie” city and its reputation did not disappoint.
Our first night we discovered that the hotel included in our package deal was very far from the center of town – about 30 minutes by car! The room was also minuscule, with the bed again against the wall and almost no room at the end to walk around it. We made the most of our first night be first researching and booking a new hotel in the city center for the next 2 nights, and then finding somewhere nearby for dinner. Sean found a local tempura restaurant on a side street behind our hotel and we decided that sounded good. We walked in and saw this menu on the wall, a space with tables to sit about 10 people and another 4 at the bar. An older couple was in the kitchen (well, they were staring at us as we walked in) and a young boy (presumably the grandson) was working the cash register and drinks.
We knew about 4-5 common words in each language between us but we took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer. we couldn’t read the menu but luckily for us, another couple’s food arrived and we were able to point to it for our order.
What arrived before us can only be described as perfection. Fabulously fresh, crunchy and light shrimp and vegetable tempura. cold cooked cabbage, Japanese pickles, rice, clear soup with yuzu and green tea. Holy deliciousness.
The sweet owners made as much conversation with us as they could and we repeated “Arriegato Goizimas” (thank you) over and over. The grandfather motioned with his hands at Sean at one point and it took me a few seconds to figure out what he was trying to convey. He was complimenting Sean on his chopstick skills!! This made Sean’s night! He was also commented on them while we were in Vietnam. People try to pretend they haven’t seen my poor attempts to eat with them – LOL!
We may have been out in the ‘burbs of Kyoto but I can’t think of a better way we could’ve spent our first evening. Having this truly local experience is a memory to last forever.
Breakfast each morning in Japan was of convenience for us. We didn’t spend a lot of time researching places and therefore I don’t think we had truly “authentic” food. However, lots of Japanese people were eating this more “Western-style” breakfast. And hey, when you’re on-the-go, a breakfast of yogurt and granola, tea and an attempt at Croque Monsieur is more than adequate.
After we checked in to our new hotel in the city center (which was much more comfortable in size at about 250 square feet), we headed out for lunch. Ramen was on our mind – it was a cool, cloudy day and we knew there would be plenty of options. We found a small place off the main road and had to ask for help using the machines to order. We took a seat at the U-shaped bar surrounding the kitchen and were presented with steaming bowls of the most delectable chicken noodle soup I’ve ever tasted. Wowza. Sean’s jammy eggs were amazing and that broth – fatty, rich, warming, savory, juicy and completely satisfying. 
That evening we had a food tour. It was a very small group – me, Sean, our guide and another couple from San Francisco. Perks to traveling in the off-season! We started with the Kyoto version of okonomiyaki which was an egg omelette wrapped around a variety of ingredients and finished with sweet and sticky sauces. Very unique.
After a walk along the river, we popped into a standing bar that was hopping with a happy hour-type crowd. We had hot and cold sake, amberjack fish head, a meat and vegetable stew, tofu, and cold cooked burdock root salad (which I loved). Everything was very good.
After the standing bar, we walked through Nishiki Market, Kyoto’s food and shopping market, to try takoyaki – fried octopus balls. It’s chopped octopus, ginger, scallions, etc. mixed in a dough and then fried. Also topped with sticky sweet sauce, and Japanese mayonnaise. Again, really unique. Not the biggest fan, but it was a lot of fun to watch them make them by turning the balls in the frying pan.
Our final stop, which I could never find again because we walked down so many dark side streets and narrow alleys to get there, was a traditional Japanese restaurant with a room in the back where customers sat on the floor at low tables.
We all ordered sake and beer, and waited eagerly for the food to arrive. Our guide ordered us tempura yams, a grated tofu salad, marinated chicken thighs, this incredible fried rice with Japanese pickles (below), and grilled udon noodles with cabbage pork, and octopus (2nd below). All were tremendous!!
The next morning was another starchy and delicious breakfast as a nearby cafe.
We snacked on Macha soft serve ice cream outside one of the temples and it was delicious! I could easily eat it every day!
We were coasting down a hill on a way to a local Japanese Rock Garden when we saw a revolving sushi restaurant and decided to get lunch.
You sit at a booth and there are two levels of conveyor belts that go by – one with all the offerings and another that zips out special orders. You make the special orders via a touch screen above your booth.
Plates were all 100 yen (about $1) and most came with 2 pieces of nigiri. You put the empty plate into a dispenser at your table that calculates the number of plates to tally your bill. Amazing! There was also a hot water tap and matcha powder to make your own tea.
This sushi – for 50 cents a piece – was easily better than 90% of the sushi I’ve ever eaten in the U.S. This was such a fabulous, fun and unique experience.
After we were done exploring temples and we’d returned our bicycles, we headed over to Nishiki Market for some shopping and browsing. Food and gift stalls were everywhere – this beautiful uni caught my eye. We bought green tea, plum wine, chopsticks with our names engraved in Japanese and a small, lovely fabric painting of Japanese maple trees.
Earlier, we’d passed by a standing bar similar to the one we’d been to on our tour the night before and decided to pop in. Their sake selection was incredible and we tried our first ever aged sake – 10 years. They brought a box and we selected our cups, and they then poured out of the huge bottle.
Sean promptly spilled his giant cup before taking even one sip. He was mortified and felt so bad. It was truly amazing sake, too. 🙁
We tried a different aged sake next but that first one was the best – rich, smooth and complex.
We had tofu skin which I LOVED, marinated mushrooms, and dried meats that we grilled over a tiny flame at our table.
We headed back to the hotel to recharge and ventured out a little later for a bit more food – this time at a gyoza restaurant. We sat at the bar and watched the busy kitchen prepare the heavenly pouches. We tried a few kinds and loved the ones pictured below the best – cilantro-pork gyoza. Such a different flavor combination with the seasoned pork and the punchy, bright cilantro leaves with scallions on top. Yum!
And that’s it for Kyoto. I’d say we did pretty darn good all around – from food to temples to markets to custom tours to shopping. We loved this city!