Comments on: Kyoto Nishijin Shinise: Tawaraya Meibutsu Udon

By: Nils von Barth

Nils von Barth — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:58:27 +0000

Thanks for the tip – just dropped by today! It was nice enough, but it’s not worth a trip.

The udon was ok, but felt gimmicky and not terribly special (it doesn’t hold a candle to Tsunamichi 綱道 by Karasuma-Kitaoji, say).

Taking your suggestion that the noodles alone were a bit small, I got a set – the fat nihon udon plus a donburi – in this case with kitsune don (since tofu is a big thing around Kitano Tenmangū), which was quite good, and meant the meal was filling (also included hiyayakko (cold tofu)).

The machiya is very nicely restored though, and the floor is very nice, as is the display by the entrance. There’s also a small pottery store. That said, the seating is Western (chairs at tables), not on tatami – the building and side rooms are nice, but the actual dining is not a traditional feel by any means.

The other dishes looked tasty enough – the tempura udon (with normal udon) looked tasty, and there were several plates of sweets (kanmi).

In sum, it’s a nice place for a quick bite, and v. convenient for Kitano Tenmangū if you’re already in the area, but it’s not worth going out of your way for (neither for food nor decor), and there are lots of other options in the area – the north-south street on the east side of Kitano Tenmangū, Kamishichiken 上七軒 (one of Kyoto’s 5 Hanamichi = Geisha districts; the diagonal street just east of the shrine), and, a little south, the huge shopping arcade on Ichijo-dori 一条通商店街.

BTW, I visited in February – the main event of Kitano Tenmangū is the plum festival (Feb 25th – coincidentally (?) the day you posted this), which explains the plum blossoms (I believe) in the pot in the display area.

By: Peko Peko

Peko Peko — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:38:30 +0000

Wow, 3-4 lunches a day and multiple dinners sounds pretty luxurious! But I guess if you love real Japanese food, you don’t want to miss out.

By: FFichiban

FFichiban — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 09:13:42 +0000

Hee hee yeah my trips to Japan always somehow end up with 3-4 lunches a day and multiple dinners as well unless its a really big meal. Therefore I gain like 20kgs on each trip haha XD

By: Peko Peko

Peko Peko — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:34:18 +0000

Hello FFichiban, It was more substantial than I expected, however, if you are in need of a big meal, than I would not recommend Tawaraya’s Nihon Udon. Their other sets are the usual size though. If you are a traveling foodie, you can always lunch here, then get a bite or two at some snacky or wagashi place to keep you going until dinner.

By: FFichiban

FFichiban — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:37:17 +0000

Oh that is very interesting! I don’t think I could keep going on two strands of udon tho even if they are super thick hee hee but hmmm would very much like to check it out

By: Peko Peko

Peko Peko — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:08:58 +0000

Hello Marc, Well, from my experience Sanuki udon is rather hard (koshi ga aru). In Kyoto, noodles are generally soft. These monstrous noodles were quite mochi-like, I thought. So did my friend. (もちもちとした) So, I think they were unlike Sanuki style udon.

I think that you should definitely do your ‘No Recipes’ original version of monster udon!

By: Marc @ NoRecipes

Marc @ NoRecipes — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:55:03 +0000

That certainly is different… Is the texture like sanuki udon?