The dipping sauce for the soba and the duck nanban sauce were delicious, as expected in the Kansai region! However, the thick noodles did not suit my taste. This is more of a personal preference and adjustment issue rather than a quality problem. I usually eat refreshing soba from Gunma Prefecture, so I couldn't really judge if it was good or bad. The staff were friendly and provided good service! The restaurant is located right in front of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and the building has a compact yet charming atmosphere, making it a recommended spot for tourists.

Conveniently located near the Kyoto Imperial Palace, this popular restaurant already had a line of customers waiting when it opened at 11:30. The service is quite slow and the side menu options are limited, so be aware of that. We arrived at 11am on a weekday and there were already two people ahead of us. We were seated right on time when the restaurant opened. We ordered the sudachi soba for ¥1000, but it took 30 minutes for it to be served. It may be tough if you're in a hurry. Also, they don't serve dishes at the same time even if you're dining with others. The first floor has large tables with narrow spacing, so it might be a bit uncomfortable to dine with acquaintances. However, the refreshing broth and nicely textured soba were delicious. The portion size is a bit small, so if you're looking to get full, even women might want to consider getting a large serving. The variety of side dishes is limited, so it's not really a place for trying a little bit of everything. Overall, it was a tasty meal.

Today, I visited "Teuchi Hanamomo" in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City. The location of the restaurant is on the south side of Kyoto Imperial Palace. As it is getting hot, I decided to try their sudachi soba. I had never tried sudachi soba before, so I was curious to taste it. It was a weekday afternoon, and although the restaurant is famous, I didn't have to wait long to get a seat. I was seated on the second floor at the counter, with a view of Kyoto Imperial Palace in front of me, which was the seat I wanted. The sudachi soba cost 1000 yen and was served in a glass bowl, looking very refreshing. The soba noodles were smooth and chewy, and the broth was elegant and matched well with the soba. I thought there would be a strong bitterness from the sudachi, but it wasn't too overpowering. Overall, it was delicious.

Once a month, I visit the temple town and on this day, I was in the mood for soba. Actually, I'm almost always in the mood for soba during lunchtime. The restaurant is located on Marutamachi Street with a view of the Imperial Palace greenery, making it a very nice spot. The place is small with limited seating, so there is often a wait. Even on this day, there were a few people ahead of me, but I got a seat inside in about 15 minutes. The first floor has large communal tables, so you may end up sharing a table. The second floor offers a nice view of the Imperial Palace greenery, but lately, I've been sticking to the first floor. I ordered grated soba and soba rice with grated daikon radish and white onion. The white onion looked beautiful. The menu occasionally changes with the seasons. Although the Sudachi soba is also good, I had it before, so I opted for the simple grated soba this time. It was delicious. The soba rice was also tasty. The soba broth served as a light soup was just right. There were many foreign visitors, maybe because soba is considered healthy. After eating, I visited the Shimogoryo Shrine in Teramachi and then went to fetch well water. This is a regular routine for me. Carrying the heavy 10-liter container is a challenge, but the well water is delicious. If you ever visit this area as a tourist, be sure to stop by Shimogoryo Shrine for a visit and try the well water. Don't forget to make an offering!

Located on the south side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, this shop is often seen with a line of people waiting outside. I had always wanted to visit, and finally went on a weekday before opening time, so I was the first one in. I ordered the "inaka soba" (countryside style soba). It arrived in about 5 minutes. The recommended way to eat it was with salt, so I sprinkled a bit on top. The soba had a firm texture and a strong buckwheat flavor that filled my mouth. It was really delicious with the salt bringing out the sweetness of the soba. For the second bite, I tried dipping it in the soba dipping sauce. The rich flavor of the broth mixed with the soba was also very tasty. When I had eaten about 80% of it, they brought me some soba-yu (hot water used to boil the soba) to mix with the remaining broth. It was a comforting taste that warmed my heart. I finished it all and it was a satisfying meal, although I wished there was a bit more to eat for the price.

I visited the restaurant for lunch on Friday, March 17, 2023. I have recently become a fan of soba noodles. The restaurant was almost full and very popular. I was seated at an available table and ordered zaru soba. It arrived in about 10 minutes. The soba noodles were beautiful and authentic, with a thin cut that I liked. The dipping sauce was a bit strong on the soy sauce side, similar to the flavor of Kanto region. The combination of wasabi and soba aroma was exquisite. The texture of the green onions was also good. I enjoyed eating it with a side of soba broth. Thank you for the meal.

I finally visited the popular restaurant Hanamomo in Kyoto, which I had been wanting to visit. I made a reservation at the Imperial Palace in the morning, and this was on my way back. There were already three groups waiting when I arrived. I was hungry, so I ordered soba and soba rice. The soba was elegant. In Niigata, where I live, different soba varieties are offered depending on the region, and each shop has its own unique characteristics. Perhaps because I'm used to eating unique soba, I felt a little unsatisfied.

HanamoMo in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto. I ordered countryside soba and negi soba. The negi soba was warm but the noodles were overcooked. However, the broth was delicious. The countryside soba was recommended to chew well because the noodles are thick, but it tasted powdery. Maybe I don't have a good palate for soba? The countryside soba is better with salt. This is just my personal evaluation.

The broth had a clean umami flavor, with a smooth and round mouthfeel that matched well with the chewy noodles, creating a refined Kyoto-style elegance. The subtle aroma of green onions intertwined perfectly, as I enjoyed my meal at Marutamachi Soba in Kyoto, overlooking the greenery of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. As a solo traveler, I was seated at a cozy counter seat by the window, where I enjoyed a bottle of beer and a side dish of wasabi stems pickled in soy sauce. I opted for the "Winter Season Soba" with generous amounts of chopped green onions and grated daikon radish on top of warm soba noodles. The broth was rich and flavorful, the noodles had a satisfying chewiness, and the green onion added a delightful touch. It was a unique and enjoyable dining experience, and I found myself savoring every last drop of the delicious broth while gazing at the Kyoto Imperial Palace outside the window. I look forward to exploring more soba restaurants in Kyoto in the future.

Visited for the New Year's Eve soba lunch! Had to write my name and wait in line, there were about 20 people in line, and I thought it wouldn't take too long, but it ended up taking 2 hours to get inside the restaurant. The line was moving slower than I expected, and I wished there were some updates on how long it would take. They were giving out warm tea and hand warmers outside the shop, which was a nice touch. Inside, I looked at the menu and placed my order. It took a bit of time for the order to come out, and I thought maybe they could be more efficient by taking orders from people at the front first. I ordered the country soba for ¥800. The soba had a rich flavor, and it was delicious when eaten with salt! The soba broth was slightly sweet, but it was also tasty. The portion was not large, so some men ordered two servings. I could hear chatter from the kitchen, and I was a bit bothered by the service. The soba was very tasty, but I didn't feel satisfied after waiting in line. It was a bit disappointing. If I go again next year, I would like to order takeout soba in advance, as they offer that option.

In Kyoto, a shop that is popular among those who want to eat hand-made soba. It was my first visit because it is not an area I usually visit for coverage, near Marutamachi and Kyoto Imperial Palace, but I have been curious about this shop for a while. As it is a hand-made soba shop, the recommended dish is cold soba, but on this day it was very cold so I had the "Kamo Nanban Soba". The hand-made soba noodles were thin, and the thickly sliced duck meat, along with the duck fat in the broth, brought out a delicious flavor. Duck meatballs and green onions were also served, making the Kamo Nanban soba rich in ingredients. There were also a few foreign customers, but many regulars as well. It is a soba shop that is gaining attention in Kyoto, and I enjoyed the recommended soba for this season.

A soba restaurant located along the Maruta-machi street in the Imperial Palace South area. I visited for lunch and ordered the seasonal soba, which was kikono soba (1200 yen). Soba in Kyoto or the Kansai region may not have the best noodles compared to the east, but the broth is incredibly delicious. In other words, cold soba is better in the east, but warm soba in the Kansai region is quite tasty. Additionally, the preparation of non-soba ingredients is meticulous and enhances the richness of the soba's flavor. Overall, I was able to enjoy a delicious soba meal.

★Ritsuchi Gosho Minami★ The food is incredibly delicious♡ Payment is cash only. I had the cold duck soba for 1,400 yen (tax included). The duck broth was warm, with plenty of sliced duck breast and a few pieces of duck meatballs. The soba noodles were thin at first, then thick country-style soba for the second serving at 600 yen (tax included) with salt on the side. You can eat the soba with just salt, which is also delicious. The soba water was also tasty♡ I arrived just after 11 am when they opened and was probably the third customer. By the time I left, there was already a line forming. The restaurant is a bit small, but they have excellent COVID-19 prevention measures in place. I would love to eat here again♡

Let's start from the Sakaimachi Omon gate of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Cross the signal at Marutamachi Yanagibamba and turn left. You will arrive at Hanamomo in about 2 minutes. On weekdays, there are not as many tourists as before, so you won't have to wait long to get in. Normally, I would have sake at Kumiage Yuba before dawn and have soba at Soba Mae, but on that day, I was feeling unwell due to a hangover, so I visited with a prayer for good Sudachi soba. The refreshing and elegant broth with Sudachi was a very nice accent, smoothly entering my body craving for hydration. The thin noodles felt gentle on my stomach. The menu here is simple, allowing you to enjoy the taste of the soba itself, so I recommend it. If you order the zaru soba, refills are available for an additional 600 yen. Many regular customers opt for the set with takikomi gohan.

After finishing class at university, I came to have lunch with my friends. I had always been curious about this restaurant because there is always a line of people outside and the delicious smell wafts out. The soba noodles were hand-made and had a soft and gentle flavor that is hard to describe.

It was a shop that always had a line even on regular days, so I was curious and decided to go. The shop had a calm atmosphere like an old folk house, so I was able to enjoy my soba in peace. There were different types of soba dishes available, and I found several dishes that caught my interest, so I hope to come back again in the future.