The Best Kyoto Eats

People first visit Japan for the sights, but they go back for the food. We were skeptical, but now we wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. It’s hard to beat the food in Japan. Even Japanese convenience stores, like Family Mart, outclass the Family Marts in other countries. In all seriousness, we preferred Kyoto to Tokyo and food is no exception to this. It was more affordable, traditional and just as delicious.

Welcome to our guide for local Kyoto eats. Enjoy. You’ll never think of Asian food the same way again. For example, I learned that I actually like ramen. It’s delicious! For the record, I had tried ramen several times before and it was ok, not really my thing. That said, I cleaned every single bowl I had while in Japan. The difference was incredible. I actually understand why people eat it now.

Ramen

Ramen Sen no Kaze Kyoto – This place claims to have the best ramen in the world and honestly they might be on to something. They definitely cook the best cuts of pork, hands down. It’s savory, salty and falls apart in the broth. My mouth is literally salivating just thinking about it.

Arrive early and plan on having an hour wait. This isn’t a big deal. The receptionist will take your name, number and then you’ll be free to wonder around the various shops or maybe grab a drink at one of the nearby standing bars.

Kyoto Gogya Ramen – Gogya’s claim to fame is “burnt ramen.” I don’t know why, but it’s delicious. You have to try it at least once. It’s a little bit more expensive than Sen no Kaze and there was no line when we went. That said, the ramen broth was just as good if not better than our bowls at Sen no Kaze.

Dumplings

Chao Choa Gyoza – If dumplings are your thing, this place is fantastic and won’t break your wallet. Come in, sit down, have a drink and eat your fill of all the dumplings you could possibly want. In addition to traditional pork, this place also serves some experimental flavors, such as ginger, wasabi and there’s even a chocolate option.

Sushi

Sushi no Musashi – This place offers delicious, affordable, conveyor belt sushi. Located in the basement mall of Kyoto Station, it’s also extremely convenient. While I’m sure it’s not the best sushi in Kyoto, it was the best option for us. Essentially, we eat a lot and wanted to fill full without breaking the bank. Plus, it was still better than any sushi we’ve had in Taiwan. It really is hard to go wrong in Japan. Be warned, this place gets quite crowded around dinnertime.

Kobe Beef

Reportedly the best in the world, we couldn’t leave Japan without trying Kobe Beef. You should know that this was our splurge night at the end of our vacation with extra unspent cash our pockets. No regrets, it was incredible.

We had our Kobe beef yakenida style, which means that we cooked it ourselves at our table. This by itself was magical. The beef is held over open flame for about 20 seconds and then is magically ready to eat. Everything was mouthwateringly good. Anyway, the point is that we can now officially say that we’ve tried the best beef in the world. Win!