Near the third branch of Tenichi, there is a Chinese restaurant. The interior is quite stylish. I ordered the fried chicken lunch set for 990 yen. The lunch set comes with rice, soup, and almond jelly, and you can have unlimited refills of rice and soup. It's a great deal and the taste is delicious. Personally, I would be happy if the fried chicken was made with thigh meat instead of breast meat.

On Saturday, my husband and I went out for lunch. It only took us 34 minutes by car from our home, which is quite close. We arrived a little after 11 a.m. and were the first customers at the restaurant. This place used to be a favorite of ours when we lived within walking distance in Fushimi-ku. We used to visit for lunch and dinner frequently. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed down a few years after we moved to our current location. But now, we unexpectedly found out that it had quietly reopened in Higashiyama-ku. We couldn't wait to visit again. The restaurant had a more refined interior now, with cozy sofa seats on the second floor. We ordered the Sichuan-style Mapo Tofu lunch set and the Mapo Tofu Yakisoba set, just like we used to have 7 years ago. The dishes were slightly different in terms of presentation and price, but the taste was just as delicious as we remembered. We even had a chat with the owner-chef, who mentioned that some of their old customers from the Fushimi days had also visited. We'll definitely be coming back again!

I was finally able to visit this restaurant! This place used to be in Kuwa, Fushimi Ward, and I used to frequent it because I loved their mapo tofu and karaage. Unfortunately, they closed down during the pandemic. Since then, I have been trying mapo tofu from other places like mapo tofu specialty shops and local Chinese restaurants, but I couldn't find a place that I liked more than "Karin". When I passed by Kitashirakawa (Imadegawa Street) for work, I saw the sign for "Karin" and immediately stopped the car to search on Google and Tabelog. The menu and photos of karaage were just like the "Karin" in Fushimi. I was really curious, so I called the restaurant and they said, "The same person from Fushimi's Karin is running this place. We often get similar inquiries. We have a similar menu, so even though it may be far, please come visit." I wanted to go right away, but whenever I decided to go, there were events like the Kyoto Marathon or cherry blossom season, and all the nearby parking lots were full, or it was their regular holiday, so the timing never worked out until today. Of course, I ordered the mapo tofu lunch. It was delicious as always. However, it seemed a little less spicy compared to when it was in Fushimi. Also, the lunch set used to come with karaage, fried dumplings, and pickled vegetables, but now the karaage and fried dumplings are gone, and instead of pickled vegetables, they served meat miso. (I really like this meat miso and even order it for takeout.) I was a bit disappointed that the karaage was not included this time, so I deducted a few stars. Since it's quite far from my home now, I won't be able to visit as often as before, but I still want to come regularly. Thank you for reopening.

Today, at my wife's request, we went to this restaurant. We arrived just before 1:00 PM, and the restaurant was busy but we were seated at a table right away. I ordered the "Mapo Ramen Set" for 1,200 yen. The tray that was brought to us included mapo ramen, rice, meat miso, and soup. The rice and soup were free refills, and even dessert (almond jelly) was included. The ramen had mapo tofu soup with minced meat and finely chopped white leeks on top. I tried the soup first without mixing the minced meat, and it was light yet flavorful with a nice spicy kick. When I mixed in the minced meat and tried the soup again, the richness, umami, spiciness, and numbing sensation all stood out even more. The noodles were a mix of curly noodles with high water content, giving a firm yet chewy texture that soaked up the soup well. The accompanying meat miso had a hint of sweetness and sesame fragrance, and it was delicious when eaten with rice. After finishing the noodles, I got a refill of rice and poured the leftover mapo tofu on top, drizzled with chili oil to make my own delicious mapo rice bowl. It was so tasty that I finished it all in no time. When I finished the mapo ramen, I asked for the service drink for Instagram followers and ended up choosing a draft beer. The almond jelly dessert was subtly sweet with a milky flavor, and it was a great way to end the meal. The quality of the mapo tofu and meat miso was high, and with dessert included at this price point, I think it's a fantastic deal.

We visited the restaurant for lunch with our family. It is located on Imadegawa Street, west of Kyoto University. There is a coin parking lot next to it, which is convenient. The interior of the restaurant has table seating on the first floor and private rooms on the second floor, making it a safe and comfortable place to dine with small children. We chose a private room on the second floor. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is stylish and chic. We ordered the Mapo Yakisoba set for 1250 yen, which came with rice, soup, and almond jelly. They also provided children's plates and cups, which was a nice touch. Now, the Mapo Yakisoba, rice, and soup have arrived! The Mapo tofu flavor is outstanding, with a perfect balance of umami and spiciness. There is plenty of minced meat, giving it a satisfying texture. The crispy thin noodles complement the dish perfectly. It was delicious. The soup is a thick egg drop soup with a gentle flavor that is soothing. After finishing the noodles, we enjoyed mixing the rice with the Mapo tofu. It was also delicious. The almond jelly dessert is soft and refreshing. It was a very tasty meal. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

The restaurant was clean and the portion size and taste were both good.