Aside from numerous tourist spots, Kyoto also boasts of countless food places with ultimately good food! In this blog post, I’ll share with you 3 restaurants we’ve visited and loved during our stay in Kyoto.

First stop, Omurahouse!

Omurahouse

Specialty: Omurice
Location: 7 min walk to Kinkaku-ji Temple
Price Range: 730-1200 JPY

Since Omurahouse is near Kinkaku-ji Temple (aka the Golden Pavillion Temple) we had our brunch here before going to Kinkakuji.

They have big servings of omurice with different twists and flavors. Not to mention, their menu is super cute too!

We’ve tried the Seafood Omurice (890 JPY) which has shrimps, squids, fish strips, scallops, some mushrooms, and is paired with cream sauce. The seafood omurice is quite nice because you don’t know what you’ll expect in every bite.

We also had the Chicken Omurice (730 JPY) which is a more traditional omelette rice – just chicken strips, rice, and tomato sauce.

Of course, we had to try the house special – Mentaiko Omurice (890 JPY) which is actually made of fish roe. This one’s very tasty! If you look closely, you’ll see the tiny fish eggs which pop in the mouth when eaten.

Now let’s have some ramen at Ginjo Ramen Kubota!

Ginjo Ramen Kubota

Specialty: Ramen and Tsukemen
Location: 11 min walk to Kyoto Tower
Price Range: 680-1000 JPY

Ginjo Ramen Kubota is a very small ramen place having just 11 seats, and is located near the Kyoto Tower.

Since the place is really tight, the kitchen is located in front of the customer seats so you’ll have the chance to see how your ramen is cooked and prepared.

We tried their Torisyoyu Ramen (680 JPY) which reminded me of Tsuta because of its clear broth and very calming taste. It’s chicken-soy sauce based and is a safe option if you are not into spicy food.

The Miso Tsukemen (~900 JPY depending on size), their best seller, is actually what most people are lining up for. The noodles are prepared on the spot and are perfectly pulled. I never thought I’d compliment some noodles by being absolutely beautiful.

Their Nikumiso Ramen (750 JPY) is the bomb – it will literally make your taste buds explode with its magical flavors. It’s miso based and topped with ground pork. It’s overwhelming at first but you’ll eventually find yourself wanting more.

Ginjo Ramen Kubota is a must-try ramen place in Kyoto. If you’re up for the challenge, do try their Nikumiso Ramen – I swear you won’t regret.

Last but not the least, a hidden gem in Kyoto that’s worth the detour, Adachi!

Adachi

Specialty: Katsu
Location: Far from tourist spots / landmarks but worth the visit (near Nijo Park and Kyoto Municipal Nijo JHS)
Price Range: 1750-2000 JPY

Adachi is a family restaurant in a residential area in Kyoto. We just looked it up in tripadvisor since it’s near the hotel we’re staying. It’s ranked #1 of 246 Restaurants in Kamigyo area so we decided to give it a go.

We ordered their dinner set meals which includes the main dish, unlimited rice, various side dishes, and house tea. Their Chicken Katsu, which was evenly crispy, tender and juicy – is one of Adachi’s specialties.

Their Prawn Tempura is the best prawn tempura I’ve had in my life. It’s really sooo good. Maybe because the prawns are unquestionably fresh, or because the way the prawns were cooked was on point, or everything was just right, I don’t know.

Their Mackerel on the other hand is out of this world. I never liked mackerel the way I do now. Adachi is truly a hidden gem in Kyoto. It may be far from all the tourist spots but I promise you, the detour will be absolutely worth it. I can say that Adachi served the best dishes we had in Japan.

That’s it for now, my Japan travel/food backlog is still long enough so stay tuned for new posts in the coming weeks!