On May 13, 2023, I visited "Shokudo Ebichan" in a narrow alley in Kawaramachi, Kyoto, for a private party, which was organized by a food blogger in Kyoto last November. It was my first visit in six months, and it was a delightful experience. The young chef, who used to resemble Kabuki actor Ichikawa Ebizo with his buzz cut, now had longer hair and a more refined look, asking to be called Danjuro after his stage name change. We were seated at the back of the counter in a U-shaped layout, and the menu for the evening included: - Chicken wing tempura - Shirasu (baby sardines) chawanmushi (savory egg custard) - Watercress and Fukuoka peanuts sprout ohitashi (boiled and seasoned dish) - Higo purple eggplant with sesame vinegar - Hair crab - Tuna tataki from Kochi - Rice with conger eel and seaweed - Asparagus tempura from Furano - Duck simmered noodles - Rolled omelet - Rice cooked with green peas We also had a drink menu with a variety of options, and we started with a toast with sparkling wine. The chicken wing tempura, a specialty from "Shokudo Ogawa," was a hit with its crispy skin and juicy meat. We enjoyed a variety of drinks, including highballs and various types of sake. The chef prepared the dishes with a live performance style, allowing us to take many photos and videos for Instagram. The highlight was the "Hair Crab Giri," where we each had a piece of Hokkaido crab meat wrapped in seaweed and dipped in crab vinegar. The watercress and peanut sprout ohitashi had a deep and gentle flavor, while the Higo purple eggplant with sesame vinegar was a delightful combination of flavors. The evening ended after 3 and a half hours of delicious food and great company. The cost performance of 14,000 yen per person in Kyoto was excellent, and we thoroughly enjoyed the tasty dishes and the fun atmosphere. Cheers to a wonderful dining experience!

Located right by Shijo Kawaramachi Station. This was my second visit to the restaurant. They have kept the classic menu by Ogawa-san while also adding some creative dishes, showing evolution. For the finale, I had a clay pot rice dish with shirasu (baby sardines), followed by Tamago Kake Gohan (raw egg over rice), Sakura shrimp butter rice, ikura (salmon roe) rice, and 5 servings of nori rolls. I was impressed by the variety and innovation.

2023.09.19 Kyoto Kawaramachi [Shokudo Ebichan] @shokudoebichan 225 Funatomachi, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture Closed on irregular days Business hours ⏰ 17:00-20:30 Located right by Kyoto Kawaramachi Station! First visit to Shokudo Ebichan ☺️ Thank you as always, @fumikonishijima! It was so much fun with @yamaben-sensei on this day □ - Chicken Karaage - Boiled water spinach - Tomato with white miso dressing - White fig with sesame vinegar - Winter melon and white clam - Steamed egg custard with mushroom paste - Small bowl of bonito pickled and sliced blackthroat seaperch - Duck breast - Gaspatcho crab somen - Rice cooked with whitebait and new ginkgo nuts The rice at the end was the most filling. First, I had it as it is, then added pepper and butter for the second serving, and had it with raw egg for the third. I had to give up on the fourth serving, but everyone else managed to eat it. My stomach was about to burst, haha. There were many dishes with a strong pepper flavor, which I personally really liked. Everything was incredibly delicious. I also had some delicious wine, so I left completely satisfied ☺️ Thank you for the feast. It was truly wonderful! #ShokudoEbichan #Ebichan #KyotoKawaramachiGourmet #KyotoGourmet #JapaneseCuisine #JapaneseRestaurant

Upon arriving at the restaurant five minutes before the 5:00 PM opening, I was surprised to see a fellow foodie, Mr. N, already there. Just as we were both taken aback by the coincidence, my friends arrived right at 5:00 PM. The restaurant, Ebichan, had a clean and well-maintained interior, with a self-service system for drinks like bottled beer, soft drinks, and tea. Customers even helped themselves to wine glasses and regular glasses from a nearby shelf, as it was a one-person operation. This created a sense of unity between customers and the staff. The food was not only delicious, as everyone had mentioned, but the efficiency and timing of the dishes were also excellent. The standout dish of the day was the thickly sliced grilled nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) bowl, with a perfectly balanced charred flavor that whetted our appetites. My first-time visiting friends also had a fantastic evening and are looking forward to the next visit.

This is my second visit to the restaurant owned by Ryujiro, who used to work at the cafeteria Ogawa. He runs the place by himself. It was a fun dining experience as customers helped out with serving drinks and we chatted with Ryujiro. Everything was delicious, but the bonito tataki, sesame eggplant, and carpaccio somen were especially tasty.

The long-awaited Ebichan. Similar to Contoir Fuu, they efficiently serve dishes by themselves. The focus is on appetizers, but there are many dishes so it ends up being quite a large meal overall. There are plenty of refreshing summer ingredients, and the tomato salad was surprisingly delicious.

In August, it was difficult to make a reservation in Kyoto for a budget of 15,000 yen. This was my 9th visit. We went with 4 people. Once again, we couldn't get a reservation at Yasuko's place, so this time we tried the nodoguro bowl instead. It was also delicious. Ebichan was working alone, so I helped with serving the drinks. The best part was the large portion of rice served in the clay pot at the end. Our guests were also satisfied, which made me happy. The dishes we had were: watercress, sakura shrimp and tomato salad, white sesame tofu, eggplant with sesame vinegar, and the nodoguro bowl.

In June, it was difficult to make a reservation in Kyoto, but we managed to visit the restaurant Ebichan, where we have been to a few times before. This time, there were four of us, with three people visiting for the first time. We connected with other groups through Instagram and even exchanged contacts. The atmosphere at Ebichan is really something special. We tried the nodoguro bowl this time, and it was delicious. We also had plenty of extra rice and left very satisfied. They have a great selection of not only sake but also wine. #EbichanRestaurant #KyotoCuisine #KyotoLunch #KyotoDinner #KyotoGourmet #Foodie #ConnectingWithFoodies #DeliciousFood #Foodstagram #GourmetStagram #KyotoFoodie #KyotoDate #JapaneseCuisine #FoodLovers #FoodReview #PopularRestaurantInKyoto

The evolved Ebichan had a perfect hairstyle! The laughter was non-stop at the exclusive Ebichan dining experience, but Ebichan still managed to focus on work. The vinegar rice topped with green seaweed and fatty throat fish was incredibly delicious, a dish that you would want to savor forever. Today's Handa noodles featured perfectly grilled duck loin with black pepper and Kujyo green onions, a powerful combination of duck broth and Kujyo green onions. The noodles had a great texture and were extremely tasty. The finale was the sweet corn rice, with a sweet corn flavor that made me go for three helpings despite being already full. It was a blissful and satisfying time with a full stomach.

The cost performance is amazing! The place is a bit far in Kyoto, but the food was really delicious!! From the beginning to the end, everything was delicious!! The atmosphere of enjoying with friends is great, and we were able to have fun without worrying about anything. "Shokudo Ebichan," which recently opened after separating from the most difficult-to-reserve dining room in Japan, "Shokudo Ogawa," is also not available for new reservations. I was invited for a private visit. Shokudo Ebichan is operated by the owner alone, so you have to make your own drinks in a self-service style! It might have been my first time experiencing self-service style!! Visited on May 29, 2023. [Omakase Course] - Crab - Fried chicken - Peanut and bean sprout ohitashi - Nasu eggplant ohitashi with sesame - Tomato with white miso - Bonito and tuna - Nodoguro rice bowl - Fried asparagus - Duck somen - Bean rice Starting with the specialty crab! The fried chicken and fried asparagus seem to inherit the DNA of Shokudo Ogawa, and they are consistently delicious!! What I particularly liked that day was the duck somen. The broth was rich and delicious, and I was incredibly impressed... The ultimate dish was the duck somen. I drank up all the broth^^; The cost performance of 12,000 yen per person for this content is amazing! If this place wasn't so difficult to reserve, it would be perfect... I was completely satisfied. Thank you for the feast! (●´ω`●)

"From Kyoto Kawaramachi Station, about a 3-minute walk is "Shokudo Ebichan". It was my first visit for a delicious and enjoyable private party. Today's menu included: Hair crab tempura, Watercress and bean sprout ohitashi, Cherry shrimp bonito tataki nodoguro bowl, and White asparagus tempura. Unfortunately, we ran out of time with 3 more dishes to go... reluctantly left for Kyoto Station."

Today, I visited Kyoto. About half a year ago, I had a great time at this restaurant. Since I couldn't make a reservation on my own, I asked a regular customer to host a private party for us (*≧∀≦*). We arrived at the restaurant at 5 pm. The restaurant is located about a 5-minute walk from Kyoto Kawaramachi Station, in a quiet alley opposite the dining room Ogawa. The interior of the restaurant consists of a counter in the shape of a "コ". On this day, we had a private party with 10 people. The course started all at once. Since it was just Ebi-chan running the show, drinks were half self-service and on request. We started with sparkling wine, then had highballs, and shared various types of sake (*^^)o∀*∀o(^^*). The highlight of the day was the Kegani Giri (*≧∀≦*), where the meat of five crabs was tightly packed into three shells! The gentleman next to me named it "Kegani Giri" because it looked like making onigiri. It was so good that I had to borrow the name (*≧艸≦). Once again, it was a very satisfying Ebi-chan theater experience (*´∀`)♪ Thank you for the meal. <Omakase Course> 10,000 yen including tax ◎ Chicken wing tempura ... Ebi-chan's specialty (*≧∀≦*) The crispy skin and juicy meat are irresistible (*´Д｀*). ○ Shirasu chawanmushi ... Shirasu-an on top of a plain chawanmushi. The saltiness of the shirasu is just right and delicious. ◎ Watercress and peanut sprout ohitashi ... The thick peanut sprouts, called peanut sprouts, are something I've never seen before. They are actually peanuts. And turning watercress into ohitashi is quite luxurious (*´∀`)♪ The cherry shrimp is a nice touch. ◎ Higo purple eggplant with sesame vinegar ... A very long and large Higo purple eggplant. Creamy sesame vinegar is poured on top. This sesame vinegar has a fluffy texture and is creamy and incredibly delicious (*≧∀≦*). ◎ Kegani ... This is the rumored Kegani Giri (*≧∀≦*). Although they also provided ginger vinegar, the miso was so delicious (*´Д｀*). ◎ Hatsu katsuo tataki ... The Hatsu katsuo from Kochi Prefecture has a moist flesh and plenty of umami! The condiments are finely chopped okra and myoga. It's also delicious with a little bit of karashi. ◎ Nodoguro and green rice ... The fatty nodoguro sandwiched between rice and green rice is doing a great job. This rice is so good, it goes well with sake and is incredibly irresistible (*≧艸≦). ◎ Asparagus tempura ... Asparagus from Furano, lightly coated in batter and deep-fried. They hand it to you wrapped in paper, and it's piping hot! It's soft and delicious (*´Д｀*). ◎ Duck nyumen ... Nyumen with thick noodles in a punchy dashi with plenty of Kujo negi and duck meat (*≧∀≦*) I even finished the dashi. ○ Dashimaki ... Dashimaki from Dining Ogawa. It's filled with plenty of dashi. ◎ Endo bean mixed rice ... The right amount of saltiness and the greenness of the beans make it feel like early summer. The slightly acidic pickled cucumbers are also delicious. <Drink> 4,000 yen including tax (equally divided among 10 people) - Sparkling wine ... Cremant (France) - Highball ... GLENMORANGIE (Scotland) - Sensuke Super dry Junmai Daiginjo (Izumi Brewery, Hyogo Higashinada) - Kamo Nishiki Nifuda Sake Junmai Daiginjo Soba Kumi Tanrei Fresh Namazake (Kamo Nishiki Sake Brewery, Niigata) - Maifu Yamahai Junmai (Oritone Sake Brewery, Gunma) - Amadare Ishi o Ugatsu Special Junmai Junsui Jusui Shikomi (Fukui Yahei Shoten, Shiga) - Koigataki Junmai Ginjo (Sasaki Sake Brewery, Kyoto) - Hioki Sakura Yamashitataru Special Junmai Namazake (Yamane Sake Brewery, Kurayoshi)

May 2023. I was invited to a private party and visited "Shokudo Ebichan" for the first time. We had a reservation from 5:00 pm, and when I saw the chopstick rests, they were Kinikuman characters, which got me very excited. We started with a toast with sake. [Course] 10,000 yen - Chicken wing tempura - Shirasu chawanmushi - Watercress and Fukuoka bean sprout salad - Higo purple eggplant with sesame vinegar - Snow crab - Kochi's first bonito sashimi - Rice with blackthroat seaperch and seaweed - Furano asparagus tempura - Duck simmered noodles - Rolled omelette - Edamame rice [Drinks] 4,000 yen per person (shared among 10 people) - Kleinknecht Crémant D'Alsace Brut - Haneya summer Junmai Ginjo (Toyama Fumikiku Shuzo) - Sensuke super dry Junmai Daiginjo (Hyogo Izumi Shuzo) - Kamo simmered noodles - Uzumaki stone drilling special Junmai Jumai (Shiga Fukui Yahei Shoten) - Koigataki Junmai Ginjo (Kyoto Sasaki Shuzo) - Hiozakura Yamashizuku special Junmai sake (Tottori Yamane Sake Brewery) The highlights for me were the chicken wing tempura, Higo purple eggplant with sesame vinegar, first bonito sashimi, and duck simmered noodles. Of course, the impressive snow crab and the soft rolled omelette were also delicious. Despite being short-staffed, the service was efficient, and the staff engaged in pleasant conversation, making the 3.5 hours very enjoyable. I tried a variety of sake for the first time and had a great time. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

I was invited to the Kyoto Foodie Friends meeting and visited from Nagoya. It's a casual restaurant with only a counter in a "Co" shape, and the owner is the chef, handling everything alone. The course menu (10,000 yen) included: - Chicken wing tempura - Shirasu (baby sardines) chawanmushi (savory egg custard) - Watercress and Fukuoka peanuts bean sprouts ohitashi (boiled dish) - Higo purple eggplant with sesame vinegar - Hair crab - Katsuo (bonito) tataki from Kochi - Rice with nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) and green seaweed - Tempura of Furano asparagus - Duck simmered noodles - Dashimaki tamago (rolled omelette) - Edamame rice All the dishes were delicious, especially the hair crab, rice with nodoguro and green seaweed, and duck simmered noodles were my favorites. The broth in the duck simmered noodles was subtly sweet with a hint of pepper, and the aftertaste was great, very delicious. I had sparkling wine, sake, shochu, etc., and the sake served in a cat-shaped tokkuri was cute. The bill was quite reasonable at 14,000 yen for a lot of drinks, with drinks costing only 4,000 yen. I think it's a great value for money. It was a very enjoyable gathering. Thanks to the organizer. Thank you for the meal.

I had been interested in Ebichan but couldn't make a reservation on my own, so I gave up. However, thanks to a reviewer I follow, I was lucky to be invited to a private party and was able to visit for the first time. The restaurant is located in a narrow alley between Kawaramachi Street and Kiyamachi Street, with many eateries nearby. The place has a super compact counter in a U-shape, and Ebichan runs the place alone, preparing dishes efficiently right in front of you without any pre-made dishes. The live cooking experience is enjoyable. I was captivated by the crispy and juicy chicken karaage at the beginning. The course dishes are simple with elegant flavors. It's not a casual dining place, more like a high-quality izakaya or kaiseki restaurant. The hair crab was delicious, but personally, I also loved the cress and Fukuoka peanuts sprout ohitashi, eggplant with sesame vinegar, and other delicately seasoned dishes. I was overwhelmed by everyone's gourmet level (laughs). I received various restaurant recommendations and had a great time. Thank you to the organizer. The menu included: - Course (10,000 yen): 1. Chicken wing karaage 2. Shirasu chawanmushi 3. Cress and Fukuoka peanuts sprout ohitashi 4. Higo purple eggplant with sesame vinegar 5. Hair crab 6. Kochi's first bonito tataki 7. Rice with throat blackthroat seaperch and Aosa seaweed 8. Asparagus tempura from Furano 9. Duck simmered noodles 10. Rolled omelet 11. Edamame rice - Drinks (4,000 yen): Sparkling wine: Cremant (France) Highball: GLENMORANGIE (Scotland) Sake: Sensuke ultra-dry junmai daiginjo (Izumi Shuzo, Hyogo Higashinada), Kamo Nishiki Nifuda sake junmai daiginjo Soba-kumi light and fresh namazake (Kamo Nishiki Shuzo, Niigata), Maikaze Yamahai junmai (Oritani Shuzo, Gunma), Amadare Ishi o Ugatsu special junmai tosuijikomi (Fukui Yahei Shoten, Shiga), Koi no Taki junmai ginjo (Sasaki Shuzo, Kyoto), Hiozakura Yamadrop special junmai nama-zake (Yamane Shuzojo, Kurayoshi).