Kyoto Foodie: Where and what to eat in Kyoto

Doyo Ushinohi: Unagi Eel Day, July 24th うなぎ土用丑の日

Unagi, or freshwater eel, is a very popular food in contemporary Japan and there is a dedicated ‘Eel Day’ in mid-summer (this year July 24th) on which most Japanese eat unagi.

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Takashimaya Department Store Food Court: Ika Meshi (squid stuffed with rice)

Well, once again the department store food court turns up some yummies! Paku and I bought this, I think it was from a demise (出店) from Ishikawa Prefecture, it is called ika meshi. Ika means ’squid’ and meshi is one of several ways to say [...]

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Train Food and Seasonal Everything in Japan: Sakura Onigiri, Nanohana Tempura Onigiri (さくらおにぎり・菜の花天婦羅おにぎり)

Just before catching a bullet back to Kyoto, I ducked into the omiyage/gourmet food court at Shinagawa Shinkansen Station (in Tokyo) to get some omiyage for Paku and some ‘bento’ for my two and a half hour train ride back to ‘old’ Japan.

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Buri-zanmai: Buri Sashimi and Shiso Donburi (ぶり刺身丼)

Buri-zanmai Series (Part 3): Winter is the time for buri, or yellowtail. The meat is laden with oil and rich flavor. Here we make a quick and simple rice dish, Buri Sashimi and Shiso Donburi.
Buri Sashimi and Shiso Donburi:
Donburi is a popular ‘rice bowl’ dish in Japan. Here we [...]

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homecooking: Tako Meshi (Octopus Rice) タコ飯

Tako-meshi is a quick and tasty rice dish that combines octopus and rice with the flavors of ginger and shiso.
If you have always wanted to try an octopus dish, but couldn’t quite muster the courage for raw, fermented, etc this might be just the dish to try!

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Tsunamichi: Country Style Teuchi (Handmade) Soba and Udon in Kyoto (綱道: 手打ちそば、手打ちうどん、うんどん)

The island of Shikoku is Udon country. And 27 years ago, a man from Shikoku quit his job as a salary man and started Tsunamichi with the intent of making the best damn handmade noodles in Kyoto.

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Toriyasu: Kyoto-style Chicken Donburi Shop (とり安 丼・鳥料理)

Toriyasu serves several donburi (ricebowl) dishes that are unbeatable. This tiny and charming restaurant with about 50 years of history is an offshoot of the 120 year old poulterer just next door.
Toriyasu serves three classic donburi dishes and the most famous of which is karaagedon.

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home cooking: uni-ikura donburi on soba-gohan (うにいくら丼、そばごはん編)

This is a rendition of the ever popular Uni-Ikura Donburi, here we serve it on soba-gohan (rice with soba kernels).

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home cooking: Wagyu Roast Beef with Onion Shoyu Sauce Donburi (和牛ローストビーフ玉ねぎ醤油ソース丼)

Wagyu Roast Beef Donburi is a recent invention of Paku and it kicks!
This novel donburi features fine wagyu (Japanese beef) roast beef, on a bed mugi genmai gohan (barley brown rice) and fresh mizuna and topped off with a shoyu based onion sauce.

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Owariya — 540 Year Old Soba Restaurant 本家尾張屋

Owariya, a purveyor to the Imperial Household, has a history that goes back over five hundred and forty years. It is the oldest noodle shop in Kyoto.
Over the centuries, Owariya has served emperors and shoguns as well as the monks of many of the temples of Kyoto.
Owariya is [...]

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