I had the Tempura set meal at Ujigawa Ryokan in Uji City. The Cha-soba made with Uji tea and Yuba tofu were delicious. I also enjoyed sprinkling matcha salt on the tempura. Perfect for matcha lovers! They accept PayPay. No parking available.

I ordered the Tempura Soba Set for 1700 yen. The tempura dipped in matcha salt was excellent! The best part was being able to enjoy my meal while gazing at Uji Bridge and the Uji River. It's a luxurious experience. This restaurant is located at the beginning of the path to Byodoin Temple. Definitely a must-visit when sightseeing in Uji.

I arrived in Uji around 11 o'clock and decided to eat lunch after visiting Byodoin Temple. I chose to eat at this place that seemed to be not too crowded. I had eaten here before when I visited Byodoin Temple. The noodles were green and resembled soba, but they lacked the unique flavor of soba that I was hoping for. I ordered the Tempura Soba Set for 1700 yen (including tax). It might be a bit pricey due to it being a tourist spot.

I went to Byodo-in Temple in Uji and was thinking of having soba for lunch. I decided to eat at a place called "Ujigawa" near the bridge over the Uji River. I ordered the tempura soba set. Although there was a second floor, I was seated on the first floor. I later found out that the second floor had a view of the Uji River, so I was a bit disappointed. The tempura was crispy and delicious, with mushrooms, shrimp, eggplant, green beans, and sesame tofu. The soba didn't have much of a tea flavor, which was a bit disappointing. The portion was just right as I was planning to have a matcha parfait afterwards. Overall, it was a satisfying meal!

I visited the restaurant around 3 PM on Saturday. There were a few foreigners there. The dining area was on the second floor accessed by an elevator, and it was a tatami room where we had to take off our shoes. The prices seemed a bit high for lunch, but the tea leaf tempura and sesame tofu were delicious and worth the price. It's a quaint dining spot where you can eat while overlooking the river.

On the second day of my Kyoto trip, I visited the national treasure Byodoin Temple. After thoroughly exploring the temple, I enjoyed strolling down the Omotesando street. It was lunchtime, so I looked around to decide where to eat. I ended up choosing a restaurant located at the end of the street. The selection of dishes based on the menu photos and descriptions outside the store was crucial. Upon entering, I was directed to the third floor by an elevator. I took off my shoes and sat in the tatami room. There were table seats, counter seats, and tatami seats available, and I opted for the counter seat by the window. I ordered the herring soba (1,670 yen excluding tax), which came with yuba konjac, sesame tofu, and green tea inari sushi. The matcha soba had a beautiful green color. The herring on top of the soba was cooked tenderly, but the taste was different from what I remembered. The herring in herring soba I had tried before had a sweet and savory flavor. This herring, however, lacked that seasoning and tasted bland, with a slight fishy smell. It was disappointing. Looking up, I could see people crossing the bridge and trains passing by through the window, offering a pleasant view.

Along the Uji River, I was drawn in by a sign that said "Kyoto cuisine" and decided to enter. Despite it being lunchtime, there were few customers, but the view of the Uji River seemed nice, so I took the elevator to the 3rd floor. The spacious floor had many seats, with counter seats by the window. There were hardly any customers on the floor, just a few at the counter seats. I sat at the counter seat, enjoying the view of the Uji River while waiting for my food. However, the Uji River was undergoing embankment work, so the view was far from wonderful. I ordered the kaiseki lunch for 2500 yen. It was definitely several times more expensive than regular lunches, but I told myself that this was the price for Kyoto cuisine. Soon, the meal was served in a lacquered box with various dishes inside, making it visually appealing. The small dishes were well-seasoned and delicious. The sashimi was fresh and tasty. Next was tempura, which I was looking forward to, but it looked unimpressive and tasted cold, disappointing me. Considering the many chairs on the floor, they might be preparing tempura in advance for a large number of customers, but since there were few customers that day, why not serve it freshly made? Or maybe it was leftover from a previous group? The rice was dry and unappetizing. To make matters worse, the tea was weak and tasteless. Even when I asked for more tea, it took a long time to bring it, and it still lacked flavor. It was a disappointing lunch experience overall. When I got home and read other reviews, I realized that many were negative, and I regretted not checking on food review websites before going. Well, it's all part of the experience. I wanted to see the Byodoin Temple once, and now that I've seen it, I'm satisfied. I probably won't come back to Uji, so I doubt I'll revisit this restaurant either.

I had the tempura soba set meal at a Japanese restaurant along the Uji River. The colorful soba noodles were served with tea leaf tempura and matcha inari, making it a great deal. Enjoying the meal while watching the flow of the Uji River was very pleasant.

If you come to Uji, you must try the green tea soba! (laughs) I had the green tea soba and tempura set meal! It was very delicious!

"Nishin soba for 1700 yen"

Located at the entrance of the main approach to Byodoin Temple, by the banks of the Uji River, this ryokan offers a prime location with a four-story building. The lunch menu ranges from 1390 to 3700 yen, with seven options available. Reservations can also be made for a full course meal. On this particular day, the ryokan was almost fully booked, so we opted for the Tempura Soba priced at 1670 yen (excluding tax). The meal included Tempura (shrimp, eggplant, tea leaves), sesame tofu, yuba, konjac, and green tea Inari sushi. The soba noodles were made from green tea, offering a chewy texture with no distinct aroma. The tempura, likely pre-fried, lacked flavor. The sesame tofu and konjac were average, while the Inari sushi was dry. While the prices may be expected for a tourist spot, the overall taste was disappointing. Despite the attractive location, the dining experience fell short.

It is a shop located right after crossing the bridge from Keihan Uji Station and entering the approach to Byodoin Temple. The approach leading to Byodoin Temple is lined with many restaurants where you can have a meal. It was crowded on a holiday, and I got tired of looking for a restaurant, so I decided to stop by this one right near the approach. When I peeked inside from the approach, I thought it looked empty, but the restaurant is actually on the 3rd floor, not on the 1st floor. When I took the elevator to the 3rd floor, it was quite crowded. The tatami room was spacious, but the tables were placed quite close together. I was with small children, so I wish the restaurant had more space. I ordered the Tempura Soba, which was around 1600 yen. The side tofu was surprisingly delicious. The taste was typical Tempura Soba, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was mediocre, so I would rate it 2.9 stars!

When I went to Byodoin Temple in Uji, Kyoto for lunch, I was attracted by the advertisement saying that the 3rd floor offers a great view of the Uji River. However, in reality, the 3rd floor is a large banquet hall with seats facing the river lined up side by side. Therefore, the view from small group seats is not great. The food was like a bento box and not as good as expected for the price, with a typical touristy Kyoto cuisine feel. Maybe if you stay at the ryokan, you can enjoy more satisfying meals? The location is good for sightseeing as it is close to Byodoin Temple!

Unfortunately, it was raining but I was hungry so I went into Ujikawa-san, which looked empty. I was able to get a seat by the window. I ordered the herring soba and it arrived in less than 5 minutes. I wasn't expecting much, but the herring was delicious. The soba was just average. It's a bit pricey for a tourist spot, but I'm satisfied.

This is a shop located right by the river just after getting off at Uji Station. I was hesitant to go in because it seemed to cater to tourists, but decided to give it a try. Inside, there was a spacious tatami room where we had to take off our shoes before entering. We were seated by the window overlooking the river. I ordered the matcha soba and tempura rice bowl, as I was craving for soba. The place was quite busy that day, and the staff seemed to be rushing around. The food was light and delicious, with the tempura being crispy. The matcha flavor in the soba was not as strong as I expected, but it was still enjoyable.

Around 1:00 PM on January 31, 2015, I went on a day trip to Uji with my friend Tomocchi. We visited the repaired Byodo-in Temple and then got hungry. We decided to eat at a restaurant that had a sign saying you could have lunch while overlooking the Uji River. The prices were a bit high, but the service was friendly and the view was amazing, so it was worth it. I ordered tempura soba for 1670 yen (excluding tax), and Tomocchi ordered tempura and zaru soba for the same price. Both dishes came with sesame tofu, yuba konjac, and green tea inari sushi. The tempura was crispy and delicious, especially the sesame tofu. The green tea flavor in the soba was not very strong, but it was still tasty. The Uji River we could see from our dining spot was rough due to the rain the day before, with fast-flowing water. There were two crows perched on a nearby pine tree, watching us intently until we finished our meal. They were quite cute crows.