I used to frequent Zack Balan during my student days in Kyoto, and I recently visited the restaurant after my daughter got into a university in Kyoto. It seems like the focus has shifted to music live performances, and the menu has become more limited. The restaurant felt quite different from my memories of it from the past, and I was disappointed.

While waiting for a check-up, I decided to have lunch somewhere and happened to come across Zack Baran offering a lunch menu! I went downstairs and entered the slightly dim restaurant, not remembering much about the atmosphere since my last visit at night. I was told to choose any seat I liked, so I picked a table towards the back. The menu offered two lunch options: one with rice as the main dish and the other with pasta. I chose the Napoletana pasta along with a salad and a drink (I went with cola). It all came to just 1000 yen. The salad was generous and fresh, and the Napoletana pasta had a strong, flavorful taste. I finished every last bite, wiping my mouth clean with satisfaction. To end the meal, I took a sip of my cola. It was a great lunch, especially since I got to see the owner too!

A colleague from work who quit ended up working as the manager at this restaurant. Going down to the basement, the atmosphere is quite calming. There are drums and a piano as well. This place must be a music lover's paradise. I visited for lunch as recommended.

Meat spa ¥920

The bill was 3500 yen, with no additional charges.

This bar, although a live house, serves delicious food. The sautéed avocado with butter sauce is excellent, reminiscent of foie gras.

Episode 15 is here. So, the SECOND HOUSE was a place I used to visit during my student days, about twice a year. And this Zack Baran is a monthly thing. It stays open until late at night, for some reason it was a calming place. Also, there was a girl who used to work at the now-closed Bikunia where I worked, and she also worked here. She would show up at Bikunia the next day after drinking late at Zack and say things like "bleh" while being late for work. (I wonder how M-chan, who is now a mother of two, is doing.) However, I didn't know back then that these two places were under the same management and were related. It was started by Mitsuo Ashitatsu in 1977. Three years later, they opened Second House, which mainly served cakes and spa treatments for lunch. So, Second House doesn't just mean they want customers to relax as if they were at home, it simply means it's their second store. But if you look into it, the subsequent developments were amazing. They opened other branches like the French restaurant will at Doshisha University's Kanbai Hall, and French o-mo-ya Nara-cho store. Second House also expanded with branches, now making an annual revenue of 1 billion yen. I didn't know that, Master! Even though I was a student, I thought it was just a friendly old man working as a hired store manager back then. He was quite the entrepreneur. But leaving that aside, let's revisit. It's been 22 years. As I walked east from the Kumano Shrine intersection, I saw that sign. Since my student days, whenever it got late at night, I would casually drop by Zack. It's a half-basement structure with a heavy iron door. Pushing it open reveals the old but woody interior. Right at the entrance is a jazz live stage and, when there's no live performance, jazz player videos are played. It was just past 6 pm, so I was the first customer. Definitely going to order the stir-fried fish cake I had in mind, but it wasn't on the menu today, so I settled for ham cutlet. For drinks, I went with a cocktail I used to drink a lot back then, a gin rickey. There was only one young male staff member. Maybe they'll get some help later. He efficiently made the gin rickey for me. Gin and tonic are good too, but I prefer the refreshing lime and slight bitterness of a gin rickey. The ham cutlet came with 4 pieces. It cost 650 yen. The menu here is usually geared towards groups of 3 or 4 students. Also, what made me chuckle was the "Spaghetti" written on the menu on their website. In Second House, it's definitely "Spaghetti." I had to take half of the ham cutlet home. But it was delicious, with a good seasoning for a snack. Hmm, what is it? Memories from the past are flooding back. I'm not a big jazz fan, but it's calming to listen to, so it's good as background music too. Of course, they play it here as well. Now, it's time to stop reminiscing and head back. Next time, I'll have the stir-fried fish cake and Zack rice. Satisfaction rating: 3.5, Nostalgia factor: 5, Willingness to revisit: 4, Toilet: Located at the back of the store, unisex Western-style toilet with no bidet. Watch out for the step.

I visited a jazz cafe called ZAC BARAN in Kyoto, which was featured in the magazine "Swing Journal." It is located near Heian Shrine, right across from YAMATOYA. The cafe is known for its weekend live performances and has a stage suitable for it. I ordered a junk food salad, which included pickled fish and potato chips. It was a delicious meal.

After enjoying a delicious Italian dinner at Osteria Conachinetta, we decided to check out a nearby jazz live venue for some more fun. The entertainment for the night was a few musicians and performers collaborating on music and dance. The performance itself wasn't anything extraordinary, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. We had a few glasses of Scotch whisky and snacked on three types of cheese and tomato slices. I'll make sure to check the schedule next time I visit, so I can catch a great live show.

This restaurant is located near my parents' house, and during my student days, my friends and I used to come here often. It is next to the Kyoto Handicraft Center, a souvenir department store for foreigners, so many foreigners also visit. The main dish is pasta, and all the menu items are quite hearty and delicious. I especially love the Umeboshi Spaghetti. The acidity of the pickled plum is just right, and the flavor is perfect. I highly recommend it during the summer when your appetite decreases. The restaurant is located underground (although some light comes in), so even during the day, you can experience the atmosphere of the night. The jazz music played here is quite good, and I discovered my favorite Wayne Shorter and Pat Metheny records here. The staff are friendly and the ambiance is great. However, the door of this restaurant is quite heavy and made of iron. I once unfortunately crushed my finger in it and it hurt like hell. Please be careful when entering the restaurant.

Second House is a Jazz dining bar famous for its pasta in Kyoto. It is open until 4 am, so it has always been crowded with foreigners late at night. However, recently it has become a place where you can enjoy food and drinks from early hours. The atmosphere and menu of the restaurant have remained largely unchanged for 30 years, and although bottle keep service is no longer available, all the dishes are delicious and highly recommended. Many students have spent their nights drinking at this place.

When I was a student, I used to think, "Let's go to ZAC because the conversation will be long." I usually ordered pasta and a drink. I often ordered spaghetti gratin as if it were a special dish. In the kitchen, a young man would swiftly prepare it, exuding a coolness that seemed like a model of "manly cooking." The menu also had ordinary izakaya dishes, and the lack of a pretentious, forced sophistication was refreshing. The jazz music playing in the background added to the adult atmosphere, creating a pleasant ambiance. The dimly lit, smoky interior often added to the charm of the place. The only downside was the chairs, which were uncomfortable for long stays, but their simplicity was probably a good thing.