Places to eat in Kyoto

What you see is what you get.
Or is it?

I’m at my favorite little udon place, less than a minute’s walk from where I’m staying.

I’ve been eating there quite regularly so much so that when I walk in this evening, chef points to me and tells a couple at the counter, “Very often come here. Five times already.”

A girl beside me at the counter doesn’t hear him and asks me what he said. So I repeat it. She draws away from me, making no effort to hide her shock and judgement.
“Why?”

As I slurp my udon, I think about her reaction. I could eat anywhere in Kyoto. In fact, I’ve tried other places but the food here is good so I’m unapologetic about coming back.

Chef welcomes me like I’m family.

“Dozo,” he says, when I slide open the wooden door and duck under the noren. When he sees that it’s me, he looks genuinely pleased.

”Welcome”, he says but stretches out the word so it sounds like “Welkaaaaaaam!”

He offers me a seat right in the middle of the counter so we can chat. While he heats me up a cup of genmaicha, he asks me how I’m doing and I ask him the same.

We talk through his translation device and Google Translate about the restaurant, where I’ve been, how long his day has been.

Today, a couple come in and ask him to take a photo of them eating at the counter.
”Of course, no problem!” he says.
He hands them back their phone and they tell him the photo looks great.
“I’m camera professional!” he says.
Then he cracks up. “Japanese joke!”

Chef comes in early to start making his dashi at 9:00 am. This is the stock he uses throughout the day for many of his dishes. Pork doesn’t feature on his menu – at all – which is a strange thing in this country.

His restaurant is on a small side street (very close to the Asada Building off of Hanamikoji-Dori St. (in case you’re hungry and want to get some food).

It’s not fancy but it’s never empty. When he puts a bowl of food down in front of you, you feel as though he sees you.

It’s not just what he serves but how he serves it.

There is hardly counter enough counter space around dinner time. He apologises and asks people to come back.

This is why I’ve eaten my way through his menu. It’s just nice to feel as though someone sees you.

What you get is far more than what you see.

A few days ago I stopped in front of a shop, called Grand Marble, in a touristy part of Gion. It’s a fancy shop. They sell something they refer to as ‘danish’ pastry.

Everything feels precious in this store. Each slice of this bread-like pastry is individually wrapped (well – everything in Japan is individually wrapped.)

But this is a tres chic pastry shop. It has the vibe of a fancy jewellery store.

Anyway – I buy a ‘Partagere’ box – 4 slices.

I’m excited to taste it. It has to be good because – well – all this fanciness is for a reason.

But when I do taste it, I’m underwhelmed at best. It’s similar to slightly chocolatey white bread.

It’s not sweet and that’s the best part.

Fancy dressed up dessert – but what you see is not really what you get.

All around Gion, girls are dressed in kimono which can be rented by weight.

Gion is known for geisha.

I was told the geisha come out at around 6:00- 7:00 pm. Have I ever seen a geisha or a maiko? I’ve no idea. When I think I’m looking at a maiko, the girl turns around and strikes a pose in her kimono so her friend can snap a photo of her.

I’ve seen professional photographers follow some of these maiko / geisha dressed girls around taking photos of them at shrines, temples and gardens. I can only assume these girls hire the photographers for personal photo shoots.

Geisha have taken on a kind of legendary status in and out of Japan. When I first arrived in Kyoto, I really wanted to see a geisha or a maiko.

A week ago, I couldn’t tell which girl was a real maiko and who wasn’t. A week has made a difference.

What I see is what I get. Sadly, no geisha.

I will leave you with a few night time photos of Gion. There is magic in some of these dark alleys.