ランチは10時から
"Let's go eat oyakodon," I suddenly thought and headed to Kyoto. It seems that there is a restaurant where you can have oyakodon for lunch only during the summer season. Moreover, this season seems to have just started from June 15th to September 15th. By the way, during the winter season, it becomes a sukiyaki specialty restaurant for dinner only. Although the reservation availability column on Tabelog says "reservation required," if you read carefully, in the remarks section below it says "Oyakodon is only available during the summer season (no reservations required)," so I set off to the restaurant with peace of mind. The nearest station is Gion-Shijo Station on the Keihan line. I walked from Hankyu's Kawaramachi Station. I crossed the Kamogawa River and strolled through the charming streets, finally arriving slightly after the opening time of 11 a.m. There is a large sign along the street, but the entrance to the building is through a narrow passage at the back. This structure is so Kyoto-esque. "Welcome~" greeted me as I entered. I took off my shoes and entered the restaurant. It seems like I could enter smoothly. It was a holiday that day. I was prepared to wait a bit, but this turned out to be lucky since there were already several customers. There were several spacious rooms with multiple tables arranged at intervals in each room. I had a room to myself. Most customers were dining alone or in pairs. Surprisingly, there were quite a few solo diners. However, as time passed, more couples started to arrive. I was glad I came early. The room I was seated in had a view of the courtyard garden. I could hear the sound of flowing water and the lush greenery glistening in the sunlight. It was truly elegant. The weather was clear, which was nice. Now, onto ordering. The menu was displayed at the entrance. There were only two items: "Oyakodon" (1,700 yen) and "Liver Bowl" (1,700 yen). Honestly, it was quite pricey. I was also interested in the "Liver Bowl," but I decided to go with the classic "Oyakodon." It was served about 30 minutes after ordering. I had to wait a bit, but it seemed they served in the order of arrival, so each dish must take time to prepare. In addition to the oyakodon, it came with chicken broth soup, oboro tofu, pickles, and spicy minced chicken. Quite a variety. I started with the "oboro tofu." It had a nice firm texture. I took a bite without adding anything, and it had a subtle soybean flavor that went down smoothly. The soy sauce was quite strong, so I had to be careful when adding it. After enjoying the appetizer, I finally dug into the "oyakodon." The chicken and other ingredients were cooked to perfection. Very simple yet delicious. The yolk part of the egg occasionally peeked out with a rich color. I took a bite with chopsticks... Oh, it's delicious! The chicken was tender and juicy, and the egg had a richness that matched the color of the yolk. The delicate taste of the broth allowed the flavors of the ingredients to shine through. I had never experienced such a strong and satisfying taste before. The rice was just the right texture, not too soft. It was nice to see a good amount of ingredients in the bowl. The side of "spicy minced chicken" was said to be "spicy" by the staff. When I tried it on its own, it indeed had a sharp spiciness from the sansho pepper. It lacked sweetness, so it served as a palate cleanser. However, I wasn't sure how to eat it correctly, so I added some to the remaining oyakodon. This turned out to be a great choice for me. The sweet and spicy flavors balanced out, enhancing the overall taste. If you want more kick, there are "black shichimi" and "powdered sansho pepper" on the table. As I was nearing the end, I had the "chicken broth soup." It was served in a small teacup. Despite not tasting salty at all, it had a rich flavor. The concentrated umami of the chicken was something unique to a "sukiyaki restaurant." Finished it all. It might be the best oyakodon I've ever had. It was incredibly delicious. The presence of the "spicy minced chicken" was quite significant. The ambiance was nice, and the restaurant was even better than I had expected. Since the serving period is limited this time, I decided to share this earlier to introduce it to everyone. I will attach a photo of the calendar for June and July that was posted on the restaurant's wall, so if you plan to visit, please use it as a reference.