The owner was very diligent. I made a reservation over the phone today. The owner and another person were running the business. Perhaps one of them was off today? They seemed very busy and I felt bad for dropping in unexpectedly. With only two people and 8 counter seats, serving dishes other than set courses takes time and there are gaps between courses. I thought maybe if they had more time, they could serve better dishes. The clam soup was good. The straw-grilled bonito was tastier with the condiments than the bonito itself. The charcoal-grilled softshell turtle was interesting to try, but not particularly delicious. I personally found the hot pot tastier. I don't remember the other dishes. The owner's character is good, and the overall impression of the restaurant is not bad, but I felt that there were some areas lacking attention to detail. It was disappointing to see a chipped teacup at this price range restaurant.

I often go to the delicious yakitori restaurant next to Manma-san, but tonight I went to Manma-san. You can enjoy delicious food in a nice atmosphere. They have even won Michelin stars. There are no bad choices, everything is delicious. The broth is also delicious.

A few days ago, we managed to book a reservation and go as a party of two. As mentioned in other reviews, the head chef's responses were gentle and polite, leaving a great impression. The restaurant only has a counter, but despite its small size, it didn't feel cramped because the back of the counter was made of glass. The food was delicately flavored and delicious from the start, with generous portions. We also ordered eel as an extra dish. The eel was crispy and well-cooked, although a bit small for my liking, but the other dishes were outstanding. The head chef's consideration was also very pleasant. I even thought about going to Kyoto just to visit this restaurant. We finished all the dishes... I highly recommend the shirasu bowl, especially. It has a perfect balance with the addition of sansho pepper and egg. Thank you very much!

I ordered a variety of dishes starting with the chef's choice and then ordering a la carte. I couldn't decide what to order because there were so many delicious options for the autumn appetite. Everything I ordered was delicious, but two dishes stood out the most: 1. Sashimi of shishamo: This was a surprising find on the sashimi menu. It's not a grilled dish, but raw. It seems to be a local specialty in Hokkaido, not commonly found elsewhere. The taste was unique to shishamo, with a slightly soft texture. It was a rare and precious dish. 2. Matsutake mushroom and wagyu beef hot pot shabu-shabu: The broth was unbelievably delicious. I could drink it all day. The matsutake mushrooms were from Gifu, tailored to the chef's training ground, and the wagyu beef (origin forgotten) seemed to be from the thigh meat. Both the aroma of the matsutake and the flavor of the meat were distinct and incredibly delicious. I wanted a bite of rice at the end, so I added a little bit of salmon roe. The restaurant had a great selection of sake, and I was extremely satisfied with my meal at "Manma." Thank you for the wonderful meal!

The food was delicious and the staff were all friendly and easy to talk to, making it a very enjoyable time. There was even a small fan in the restroom, showing their attention to detail and thoughtfulness beyond just the food. Truly deserving of their Michelin star.

We enjoyed the delicious food at a comfortable pace. It's not a set course menu, but rather a la carte recommendations based on how full you are. You can watch the chefs prepare the dishes while chatting with them. Both my wife and I were full in our yukatas and had a good laugh.

For lunch, I tried "Gion Manma" for the first time. It was nice to see the courtyard from the bright interior of the restaurant. I ordered the tea kaiseki set. The first course included rice, soup, and a side dish. The soup was conger eel somen noodles with Kamo eggplant. It was interesting to eat the rice in stages. I may have eaten quite a lot from the al dente [Nigiribana] to the end. The rice was soft, but this was not due to a mistake in water amount; they use 1.5 times the normal amount of water. It was informative to learn these kinds of trivia in a casual manner. I thought alcohol was served with the side dish, but it turns out you can drink it from the beginning. I was happy that the charcoal grill, a specialty of the restaurant, was available even during lunchtime. It was a luxury to watch the conger eel being prepared in front of me before grilling. There was no need to worry about cleaning the hot water pot at the end, as it was done with pickles. I was delighted to see plenty of my favorite dried fish. Even though it was hot outside, the staff escorted me to the corner in a Kyoto-like manner when I left, which was a bit embarrassing. Drink: Isoman (Shizuoka, Yaizu) Oolong tea. As it was lunchtime, I only took a sip of the sake, and it was a delicious and enjoyable lunch. Thank you for the meal.

The last visit was special and this time it was a great success, this is the usual "Gion Manma" restaurant. The previous customers were chatting happily, and we arrived a bit later to find the restaurant full. One of the charms here is the option to choose between course or individual dish orders. Even with individual orders, the first three dishes are predetermined. 1. Clam dashi with what seemed to be shirataki or konnyaku, with a hearty flavor. 2. Burdock, bracken fern, and butterbur shoot with sesame dressing. 3. Shark fin and shepherd's purse soup, a unique and delicious combination. Additional orders: 4. Sea bream sashimi, possibly from Akashi. I love white fish sashimi. 5. Grilled eel over charcoal, perfectly rare and delicious. 6. Semi-raw horse mackerel, a rare find and very tasty. 7. Steamed clams in sake, perfectly seasoned with a hint of saltiness. 8. Duck bacon, showcasing the sweet flavor of duck meat. 9. Rice with small dried fish and raw egg, a generous serving of dried fish with a raw egg on top, no soy sauce needed. Various drinks were also enjoyed, including bottled beer and local sake. The restaurant maintained its high standards despite receiving a Michelin star, which was impressive. I can't visit often, but when I'm in the area again, I will definitely return. Truly deserving of one Michelin star. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

Michelin Guide Kyoto 2022, 1-star restaurant. I made a lunch reservation over the phone and ordered the tea kaiseki. The restaurant is located on Rakuen Koji (between Hanamikoji and Sumiyoshicho streets). Nearby there are famous restaurants like "Niku Wasyoku Anzan," "Nininiki Main Store," and "Gion Hitsuji." The entrance is nice. Inside, there are 8 counter seats with an open kitchen. The owner greeted us with a modest "Let's start with the tea kaiseki" and "Thank you." The lunch tea kaiseki is priced at 5700 yen per person, including tax. The meal includes rice, soup, and assorted dishes served in a tray. The rice cooked in a clay pot is their specialty. The tray includes pickled vegetables, red miso soup, and assorted appetizers like sea bream roe, butterbur, firefly squid with ponzu jelly. We were instructed to start with one bite of the rice. It was soft and delicious. The rice is Yumepirika (from Yamagata Prefecture). The red miso soup was elegant with snap peas. The second course was cabbage and shark fin in broth. The grilled dish was white fish with oba leaves. The fried dish was sand beans, bean sprouts, and white fish. The meal ended with burnt rice and hot water in a container called "yutsubo." We had two servings, and it tasted just as expected, with small dried fish. The dessert was matcha and kinako mochi. It was my first tea kaiseki experience, and it was elegant. The owner's gentle demeanor and sincerity made the meal very enjoyable. It's a restaurant worth supporting, and I look forward to visiting again at night.

Newly opened restaurant in the Gion Kita area with 8 counter seats, but only 7 available tonight as I am dining alone. The large ventilation duct above the counter adds a unique touch to the atmosphere. The energetic young chefs, who trained at Takata Hachijo, serve generous portions at reasonable prices, leading to a full house. The second-in-command and two female staff members ensure smooth operations. I opted for the course menu, but the a la carte options are also impressive. You can order all 5 types of rice for the final course. Great experience overall!

Congratulations on receiving a Michelin star. It's a hidden gem that nobody wants to share, but how did Michelin find it? This Japanese restaurant with a convenient counter serves top-notch dishes with a great cost performance. The owner is friendly and the tasting menu is excellent. In addition to the tasting menu, they also offer a la carte options. The a la carte menu starts with a few chef's choices and then you can choose your own dishes. You'll be served dishes continuously from the counter kitchen, and before you know it, you've tried numerous dishes. The charcoal grill is right in front of the counter, so you can enjoy watching the cooking process up close. It's like a live show at the restaurant.

It was a quite chilly night. Heading in the opposite direction towards Gion, a small neon-lit street spreads out. It feels like Kabukicho in Shinjuku (laughs). After about a 5-minute walk down a narrow hidden street, I found Gion Mamama. The interior of the restaurant has a neat atmosphere with only counter seats. The items I ordered were: Tamba black beans, ikura (salmon roe) with nagaimo (Chinese yam) tofu, natural eel soup, dried bonito straw-grilled, Awaji onions, Lake Saroma oysters, cod milt ponzu, horse mackerel cream croquette, shirasu (whitebait) rice bowl, and katsuo (skipjack tuna) pickled rice bowl. Overall, the flavors were solid and delicious, but I felt less impressed given the price. The dishes were as expected from the menu, and they did not exceed my imagination. Considering there are many restaurants in Tokyo where you can have a meal of similar quality for about half the price, I wish they would put in a bit more effort. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the attentive service and dishes above standard. Thank you for the meal.

I want to eat delicious food in a calm restaurant, but I don't really like formal courses or tense atmospheres. This is a wonderful restaurant located on the north side of Gion district that I would recommend for such occasions. This time, I made a reservation for seats only as I wanted to enjoy individual dishes. First, three dishes were served as per the restaurant's selection, and then additional dishes could be ordered. Initial three dishes: 1. Zucchini with white miso 2. Pressed sushi of sea bream 3. Sesame tofu and water shield soup Additional dishes: - Shrimp salted fish roe - Soy sauce-marinated crab - Charcoal-grilled wild eel - Wild boar hamburger - Rolled omelette with dashi - Deep-fried Kamo eggplant - Oyster fry - Hida beef tea-soaked rice The drinks started with bottled beer and then three types of sake. Due to time constraints, it was a busy battle. You can communicate your preferences and they will accommodate accordingly. It is a place where you can eat what you like in a relaxed manner, making it highly recommended for those who don't like overly formal restaurants. The lovely interior with a courtyard view from the counter is also charming. If this restaurant were nearby, I would likely become a regular. The restaurant's name "Manma" comes from the concept of serving ingredients "as they are." I will definitely visit again. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

I tried the charcoal-grilled dishes because they looked good. The eel was amazing, the venison was delicious, the shiitake mushrooms were great, and the red clam was also tasty. The view of the backyard was nice. It's a small shop with only a counter, and the chef moves around freely while cooking. It was delicious! A great restaurant!

The other day at Gion Manma, I enjoyed the cozy charcoal-grilled dishes. The photo shows how delicious the shirako (milt) is when grilled over charcoal. The inside becomes creamy and rich, so tasty! The perfect amount of salt makes the hot sake go down smoothly. The dashimaki tamago with karasumi and katsuo straw-grilled are also delicious options. The highlight was the bear meat shabu-shabu, which was surprisingly flavorful without any gamey taste. Ordering a la carte and enjoying a little bit of everything with drinks is a great idea. The delicious food makes the drinks flow, but it's cold outside for smoking, so I'll have to stop soon. Just a little more to go this year, so tonight I'll enjoy some warm sake alone. Maybe I'll try grilling the fugu shirako over charcoal at the end of the year! It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

The a la carte menu starting from the first three dishes was excellent. It's perfect for going with friends. As always, the food was delicious. Thank you for a great time in Gion after the rain. It's this time of year, so there weren't many people and many shops were closed. Thank you very much. I support you.

It was my first time here, but the cost performance is amazing. I will definitely come back! Appetizer: Dried sea cucumber, steamed abalone, cucumber and white radish with sesame vinegar dressing, fresh ginger, two types of yuzu Second course: Aged lily root rice, steamed dish Soup: Eel in a box, egg and kudzu starch tofu, okra, yuzu Sashimi: Seabream from Maizuru, seared scallop with vinegar Grilled blackthroat seaperch from Goto Islands, onion from Awaji Island Chopstick rest: Boiled autumn leaves Grilled dish: Miso-pickled fish, fried real sansho pepper Fried dish: Gooey croquette, fried swordtip squid tempura, simmered baby corn Simmered dish: Eel from Awaji Island, aged potato with wasabi Meal: Fresh ginger rice, summer bear meat and water shield red soup, water pepper Dessert: Watermelon sherbet, domestic lemon Additional: Soft-cooked octopus from Akashi The beef stew for takeout was also delicious. Thank you very much for the meal.

It was very delicious! The owner was very friendly and it was a wonderful time! It was mentioned that they trained at the famous restaurant Takataya Hachijo in Gifu, and it showed. Every dish was excellent. The hotaruika (firefly squid) shabu-shabu was a new taste for me! I definitely want to visit this restaurant again. I will recommend it to everyone.

I had to come to Kyoto for work, and I also invited my partner to Kyoto, so I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day at a nice restaurant and made a reservation for the 10,000 yen course at this restaurant. From the phone reservation, they were very accommodating, asking about any food preferences, and my expectations were exceeded in the end. First of all, the ingredients were top-notch, using delicious ingredients from all over Japan, and the broth was well-balanced with a gentle saltiness, and the sashimi had a nice level of aging. I wonder where they source their ingredients from in Kansai. The way the ingredients were paired together showed the skill of someone who has been well-trained, as well as the excellent taste and sense of the head chef. The flavors and aromas were simply elegant♡ And oh, the service was delightful. If good service could be bought with money, I would want to buy it often, but this was truly exceptional. The efficient work, the explanation of the dishes, the pleasant conversation - everything was just right. I think this is what makes it worth the price. If I were to ask for something more, it would be more variety of sake. It would have been nice to enjoy more sake pairings. But honestly, it was my first time and I didn't have a sense of the price, so I was a bit nervous when ordering, haha. I gave this as a Valentine's Day gift to my partner, and they loved it so much, so I would like to make a reservation again when we come to Kyoto together. Thank you for the wonderful meal.

On my second visit, my favorite dishes with a rating of over 4.0 were a hit. The first three dishes were classics, and then we were free to order a la carte. They really consider the customers. I plan to visit frequently in the future. Thank you for the delicious meal.