Summer is blinkin hot in Kyoto, so this time of year we need meals that not only nourish but also cool. Cold noodles; soba, udon and somen are a staple. In addition to ice and cold, the Japanese like summer dishes to be quite salty and sometimes to include some kind of bitter taste. I developed this beautiful and tasty…
Archive for the ‘noodles (麺類)’ Category
Cold Summer Noodles: Tsunamichi’s Zaru Udon, Zaru Soba
When my mother first introduced me to cold pasta with pesto as a tasty antidote to the summertime heat, it was an epiphany to me. It is the first food I remember that was meant to not only give sustenance but also to cool. Tabbouleh was probably next. Japanese cold zaru soba and zaru udon is another wonderful summer dish…
Kyoto Mountain Ramen Joint: Wild Boar ‘Inoshishi’ Ramen
Meet lumberjack ramen! In the North Mountains above Kyoto, in a village called Keihoku-cho, there is a ramen shop that specializes in wild boar ramen. I passed by this shop some years ago and really wanted to try the ramen but as luck would have it, it was closed that day. Well, today, I finally got to try wild boar…
Kifune Kawadoko at Kibune Chaya
Kifune Kawadoko at Kibunejaya 貴船の川床 貴船茶屋

This morning, once again, Tanigawa-san from Kichisen called and asked me to accompany him on a little culinary adventure up to Kibune. Kibune is a village in a mountain gorge in the north mountains above Kyoto, it is a top foodie (and date) spot, especially in the sweltering Kyoto summer. In Kibune…




