<Introduction> On this day, I drove from Kasugai in Aichi Prefecture to Kyoto, planning to have another curry udon at Yamashina, only to find out that they were unexpectedly closed due to COVID-19. So, I skipped lunch and went about my business rounds. I ended up visiting Sanshiki, which is located very close to the hotel where I was staying. This place is well-known for its udon in Kyoto, and even has high ratings on Tabelog. Well, in Kyoto, due to the high number of visitors in tourist areas, even if the food is not that great, the ratings tend to be high, so I was curious to see how it would be this time. <Kashiwa Tempura Curry Udon> When I asked the staff (the owner's wife) for a recommendation among the curry udon options, she suggested the Kashiwa Tempura Curry Udon. So, without hesitation, I ordered the Kashiwa Tempura Curry Udon. At this restaurant, the udon noodles are not pre-boiled, so it takes some time for the dish to be served. However, when I visited, there were not many customers, so it came out faster than I expected. My first impression was that the udon noodles themselves were delicious. The owner is from Kagawa Prefecture, so I was expecting noodles with a stronger texture, but they were actually quite average, with a texture somewhere between Kyoto-style udon and Sanuki udon. What stood out the most was the exquisite aroma of high-quality wheat that spread in my mouth as soon as I took a bite. It was really delicious and suited my taste. The Kashiwa Tempura was highly recommended, and rightly so. It paired perfectly with the curry udon. There was some kind of red paste on the tempura, which turned out to be... plum paste! I couldn't quite imagine the combination of plum paste and curry udon, but it worked surprisingly well. The curry udon soup was slightly sweet and not spicy at all (unlike the curry udon at a famous udon restaurant nearby, which is quite spicy). Personally, I prefer a bit more spiciness, so I thought that maybe a bit more kick would be nice... but the plum paste provided a great flavor enhancement. <Conclusion> Although I only tried the curry udon this time, I definitely want to come back and try their regular udon as well. The udon noodles themselves were delicious, and I could enjoy the aroma of the homemade noodles made from wheat flour. Also, I highly recommend the Kashiwa Tempura with plum paste! It adds an extra depth of flavor to the curry soup. The owner couple here has a wonderful personality. The wife is from Nara Prefecture, and she is one of the best landladies I have met recently. I have noticed that restaurants with such kind landladies usually serve delicious food. I look forward to visiting this place many times in the future.

<Features> Just a 3-minute walk from Keihan Kiyomizu-Gojo Station, this popular udon restaurant in Kyoto is known for its authentic Sanuki udon. They have a Michelin award-winning experience. Opened in March 2014. <Menu> - Kashiwa Tempura Udon (770 yen) - Kashiwa Tempura Curry Udon (970 yen) - Chikuwa Tempura (180 yen) I found this restaurant when looking for a udon restaurant in Kyoto. The interior was full, but surprisingly easy to get a seat. While Sanuki udon is known for its firm texture, the udon here is a bit softer. The kashiwa tempura had a nice crispy texture and was delicious. When combined with the plum paste provided, it became refreshing towards the end. It was more filling than it looked when it was served, and I struggled towards the end (laughs). The atmosphere inside the restaurant was nice and cozy! Thank you for the meal.

A popular udon restaurant run by someone from Kagawa Prefecture, which received a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019. It is located near the station and faces a main street, making it easy to access, but there is usually a line. Around 12 pm on a weekday, the restaurant was full with one group waiting outside. We waited for about 10 minutes before being seated. It may be tough to wait during peak times in the summer or winter. [What we ate] Kashiwa Tempura Udon ¥770, Tamago Tempura ¥180. We were served within 5 minutes of being seated. The udon noodles were soft and thin, with almost no firmness. Is this how it's supposed to be...? I read other reviews and it seems like the lack of firmness is common. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't to my liking. (Sorry) If you go expecting "Sanuki Udon," you might be disappointed. But there's something about the atmosphere of the restaurant that's nice. As others have mentioned, it has a very friendly vibe. It's not a place to linger, but it's comfortable. Thank you for the meal!

The soy sauce udon noodles (large serving with 2 portions) with tempura egg, tempura fish cake, and mixed rice (small portion) give off a somewhat plain impression. However, they are incredibly delicious. The slightly sweet soy sauce has a nice aroma. Adding wasabi makes it even tastier. The soy sauce also goes well with the tempura egg and tempura fish cake.

It's hot, so I opted for zaru udon with a side of mixed rice. Even with a body feeling a bit of summer fatigue, it was delicious and went down smoothly. The slightly sweet dashi-flavored mixed rice was exquisite. A small serving, but it filled a tea cup lightly. The restaurant opened at 6 PM and customers started coming in one after another.

I stopped by in between visiting temples and shrines. It was a little after 11:00 on a Saturday. I was the first customer. It was a hot day, so I ordered the Kitsune Udon with cold broth. The noodles were slightly thin and delicious without any strong flavors. The portion size was quite generous. The second photo is the Ume and Tororo Bukkake Udon that my companion ordered.

[Location] 1 minute walk from Keihoku Kiyomizu Gojo [Time] Entered around 13:30 [Order] Cold Shijimi Tempura Udon with medium noodles (extra 70 yen) Noodles: The wheat-scented noodles had a slightly weak texture, more on the chewy side. Broth: The broth was average and slightly lukewarm. Tempura: The small-sized tempura consisted of 5 pieces, crispy and refreshing with plum paste on the side. I arrived around 13:30 for lunch and was seated immediately in the waiting area as the main dining area was full. I waited for about 10 minutes before being seated. The dishes arrived within 10 minutes. The chef was working alone in the kitchen. Since it was a hot day, I ordered cold noodles, but I found the noodles and broth to be a bit lukewarm, which was disappointing. I would like to revisit and try the hot noodles next time. There were many foreign customers at the restaurant, with English menus available. It was interesting to see many foreigners enjoying the udon. Thank you for the meal.

During the year it's delicious, but it's even more delicious in the summer. I like dipping udon noodles in broth with shichimi togarashi on top for a fragrant touch. The udon is so tasty that I could eat as many bowls as I want. Today, the shop's curtain was taken down at 19:10. About 50% of the customers were from overseas. The official languages inside the restaurant are English and Kyoto dialect.

I ordered the Kake Udon set. The broth was delicious and I was surprised by the first bite! The tempura was also incredibly tasty. I didn't order the Curry Udon because I was wearing white clothes, but I definitely want to try it next time.

I had warm Ebi-Ten Udon and Curry Udon. The tempura batter on the Ebi-Ten was quite thick, but the shrimp itself was firm. The broth was very flavorful, making me want to drink it all up like "I want to drink this when I have a hangover." It contained two Ebi-Ten and Kabocha-Ten as well. The Curry Udon had a light curry flavor that kept me interested until the end. You'll definitely crave for some white rice. The noodles didn't have the strong firmness of Sanuki Udon, but there was a lot of noodles and it was satisfying to eat. Each noodle had a different thickness, showing that they were hand-made.

The warm meat curry udon with chikuwa tempura was just right - not too heavy, not too light. The udon noodles were smooth and pleasant, with no noticeable flaws. The curry had a nice level of spiciness and the beef was tender without any unpleasant smell. My dining companion also enjoyed their bukkake chiku-tama kashiwa tempura (cold) and said it was delicious!

As we reach the final stretch of the GW in Kyoto, I noticed that this restaurant, which always has long lines, had no queue today so I decided to go in. The place was full, so I waited for a seat to open up while I placed an order for the kashiwa tempura and shrimp tempura cold udon. After about 15 minutes, a seat became available and I sat down just as my dish arrived. The udon was soft and the broth didn't have much flavor. Hmmm... I couldn't quite understand why this place is so popular. Disappointing...

Tempura Udon for 1,020 yen, with extra noodles for 140 yen. The noodles are thin with a slightly weak texture, lacking firmness and stickiness. They are smooth and have a decent mouthfeel. Personally, not my favorite, is this a common style in Kyoto? The noodles are thin and lack firmness. The portion size is quite generous. The dipping sauce is slightly sweet and delicious. The tempura is crispy and the shrimp is juicy and tasty. My companion had the Curry Udon, which had a flavorful broth. If you like this type of noodles, it's a great place to eat.

The location is close to Kiyomizu Temple, so there were many foreigners. The cost performance and service were good, and the food was delicious. I may not visit the restaurant just for it, but I will stop by again if I am in the area.

I had always wanted to try eating at this restaurant every time I passed by, and finally had the chance to visit Sanshikisan. I ordered the B set, which included warm meat udon and mixed rice. The udon had a great texture and the meat oil melted into the broth, making it delicious. I slurped up the udon quickly. Next time I come, I plan to try the curry udon that I debated on ordering until the end. Looking forward to it!

I found this highly rated restaurant near Shimizu Gojo Station while looking for lunch. I love Kagawa's strong wheat noodles, so I decided to try it out. I ordered the cold kitsune udon with a raw egg on top for 670 yen, and a tempura egg for 180 yen. The menu had an option for cold kitsune udon, so I chose that without hesitation. The delicious broth had a fragrant bonito flavor. The noodles were thin and had a good chewy texture. The tempura egg was perfectly half-cooked. I would prefer the broth to be a bit stronger and the noodles to be thicker and chewier. But I would definitely like to visit this place again when I'm in the area of Shimizu Gojo.

The udon noodles have a sticky, chewy, and fluffy texture that is enhanced by the perfect way they are chilled. This texture continues until the last bite. I recommend dipping about two-thirds of two udon noodles into the broth, enjoying the initial texture of the noodles themselves, and then savoring the broth and chewy texture as you chew. It is highly recommended. Amazing.

I had been curious about this restaurant for a while. I was able to get in after a short wait. The seating is limited, so it tends to get crowded at lunchtime. Looking at the menu, they also offer cold udon, which increased my expectations for Sanuki udon. I ordered the large serving of Chiku Tamaten Bukkake. It came with chikuwa tempura, soft-boiled egg tempura, grated daikon radish, green onions, chopped nori, and sesame as toppings. It was delicious. However, my first impression was that the noodles were thin and soft, not like Sanuki udon at all. The large serving with two portions was very voluminous, which is reminiscent of Kagawa, but I wonder about these noodles. They seemed different from both Sanuki udon and Kansai udon.

One of the things I wanted to eat in Kyoto was curry udon with a strong dashi flavor. The popular restaurant seemed busy, so I entered as soon as it opened. I ordered the shrimp tempura curry udon with a side of egg tempura. When the dish arrived, the curry had a nice aroma. With the first bite, I immediately tasted the deliciousness of the rich dashi. The udon had a perfect texture that paired well with the curry soup. Dipping the shrimp tempura in the curry soup was very tasty. The egg tempura, with its slightly runny yolk, also went well with the curry soup. Although soy sauce was provided, I did not use it. I also tried a bit of the chikuwa tempura that the person next to me ordered, and it was delicious. The fried tofu and Kujyo negi (not sure what kind of negi it is, lol) were great accents. While I came for the curry udon this time, I plan to try the regular udon next time.

After receiving the order, they mentioned that it would take a little while to boil the noodles, about 15 minutes. The noodles were soft and gentle, difficult to describe but they had a comforting texture. They paired perfectly with the kashiwa tempura. It was a truly satisfying experience. Thank you for the meal! ^-^

Toro-ro soy sauce udon: I like to add a splash of soy sauce once, then twice over the noodles. In the second half, I add toppings like green onions, tempura crumbs, and wasabi. The crispy texture of tempura, along with the aroma of green onions and wasabi, make it even more delicious. However, I can't help but think that maybe the plain soy sauce udon without any toppings is the best. This way, the delicious udon stands out.