☆彡Looking forward to seasonal ingredients, like a high-end Japanese restaurant. This is a place where only regular customers with reserved slots can make reservations, but I received a precious invitation and had a great time once again. This is a sake shop-owned standing bar, so you can serve yourself from the refrigerator at the same price as general retail, making it a happy place for sake drinkers. ○Seasonal Chef's Choice Course - Skin-on simmered small taro - Horse mackerel sashimi - Grilled sweetfish - Roast beef - Conger eel hot pot (with finishing noodles) Enjoy the summer bitterness of fresh sweetfish with beer, pair Japanese sake with a selection of seasonal horse mackerel sashimi, and feel the summer in Kyoto with the conger eel hot pot. The soft, flavorful conger eel melts in the broth, and the sweetness of the fatty meat blends with the broth, unique to the summer season. Even after drinking plenty of sake, the additional broth provided a sense of security. In addition to seasonal ingredients, the roast beef, which was gorgeously presented, was a first at Wakamatsu-ya Sake Shop and was incredibly delicious, disappearing quickly as everyone eagerly took a piece. Although wine is also available, the selection of sake here is truly outstanding! Even after enjoying plenty of drinks, the bill came to 13,000 yen per person, but every time I visit this place, I can't help but feel the excellence of the restaurant. Thank you for reading to the end. Your likes, saves, and follows are encouraging. If you like, please give a click (*･ω･)*_ _) I also have an Instagram account @ginjirou.star, so feel free to check it out. Thank you!

Nowadays, it is said that reservations are fully booked up to six months in advance. Thanks to my friends who made reservations a long time ago, I was able to visit the restaurant luckily. It started with sashimi of striped jack, which was rich in fat and had a strong flavor. Then came grilled Kyoto sweetfish with plenty of tadezu (a type of vinegar sauce) due to the large number of people. The vibrant green color was eye-catching. We enjoyed eating the crispy head. Sake went down smoothly. The rule seemed to be to take the sake you want from the refrigerated case and leave the empty bottles out for easy billing. Lastly, we had conger eel hot pot. The broth was indescribably deep in flavor. We finished by adding thin noodles to the pot. It was a memorable summer night in Kyoto.

I visited Wakamatsu-ya Sake Store, which is rumored to be difficult to make reservations at. I was very happy to be able to enjoy sake at the store price. I ended up drinking almost two liters that day, so my memory is a bit fuzzy...but I do remember that the food was delicious. The female owner was also very lovely. I look forward to my next visit!

☆彡This is a sake brewery-owned standing bar, so they offer alcohol at a low price while serving dishes that rival traditional Japanese restaurants, utilizing seasonal ingredients. They only have one seating per day for two groups, with reservations available for regular customers only. It's a hard-to-book place, but I was invited to a sake tasting event and it was a blast! We always start with beer and then move on to sake, and since it's a brewery-owned establishment, you can enjoy sake cheaper than anywhere else. They also have brands that are only available through local Kyoto suppliers. This time, we enjoyed horse mackerel, conger eel, sweetfish, and chestnut crab, perfect for early summer. The sake flowed more than usual, and it was an amazing event. ○ Seasonal Omakase Course - Horse mackerel sashimi - Grilled sweetfish - Chestnut crab - Conger eel hot pot ○ Haginotsuyu Junmai Daiginjo Namazake Etude ○ Asameki Junmai Ginjo ○ Koda Special Junmai Sake Yamada Nishiki 100% The combination of these "encounter ingredients" that are in season at the same time is amazing. The bitterness of the grilled sweetfish and the malt of the beer combine to create a sweet taste, which is a mysterious but perfect match. The conger eel hot pot made with whole eel at Wakamatsu-ya Sake Shop is delicious, with the rich flavor of the eel's head and liver blending into the gentle broth. The meaty and fatty eel during this season is just so delicious. Even after enjoying beer and sake so much, the bill was just a little over 10,000 yen per person, which is very reasonable. There's no way to visit this place without being taken by a regular customer with a reservation slot, but no matter when you go, they welcome you with the best ingredients and a standing bar that rivals traditional Japanese restaurants. Thank you for reading until the end! --------------------------------- Thank you for reading until the end. Your likes, saves, and follows are encouraging. If you like, please give it a click. I also have an Instagram account @ginjirou.star, so feel free to check it out. Thank you!

It's been several months since I last visited the Wakamatsu-ke Hotel in Nijokarasuma, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto. It seems they are fully booked for the rest of the year. Luckily, I was able to come and enjoy hamo hotpot in the summer. The sashimi of shimaji and the salt-grilled ayu were excellent choices for pairing with sake. Everyone in our group enjoys drinking, so we had a variety of drinks from beer to wine and sake. I don't remember how much we drank, but we all got happily drunk.

I have visited this restaurant over 10 times and each time, I am impressed. The dishes bring out the deliciousness of the fish as always, and I enjoyed tasty dishes that I couldn't have imagined from the appearance of the restaurant. Thank you very much. I will come again.

Today, we started with cod milt hot pot and a bottle of beer for a toast. As we were at a liquor store, we grabbed some drinks and water from the fridge. The bottle of beer was taken to my mom's place where they opened it for us. We enjoyed dishes like flounder sashimi and duck roast, and then started on the hot pot. The amount of cod milt was amazing, even looking at the photos now, I still think so. We went through bottles of sake as we enjoyed the lineup of sake accompaniments. We ate until we were full, without finishing the hot pot. It was a satisfying meal as always. Thank you.

☆彡Kyoto's popular restaurant where you can enjoy seasonal ingredients at a reasonable price, without the need for reservations. Unlike formal dining spaces, this place offers a more casual atmosphere. In addition to enjoying delicious seasonal ingredients, the sake here is unbelievably affordable, as it is directly managed by a liquor store. Especially, I recommend inviting friends for a hotpot party with matsutake mushrooms and conger eel. We started with a toast of Sapporo Red Star before quickly switching to sake. Not only sake, but you can also enjoy a variety of wines at very cheap prices, thanks to the direct management by a liquor store. The seasonal omakase course included Lake Biwa Moroko, thinly sliced flounder, grilled natural sea bream from Awaji Island, and a hotpot with conger eel and matsutake mushrooms, served with noodles at the end. We enjoyed a variety of sake and wine throughout the meal. The thinly sliced flounder was a perfect start to the sake tasting, with its refreshing citrus flavor complementing the delicate white flesh. The grilled sea bream, known for its fattiness in autumn, was best enjoyed simply with salt. And the highlight of the meal, the hotpot with matsutake mushrooms and conger eel, was bursting with umami flavors that made it hard to stop drinking sake. The meal ended with the noodles cooked in the flavorful broth, which was both satisfying and delicious. Despite indulging in plenty of food and drinks, the bill came out to around 12,000 yen per person. Whether you visit in any season, the quality of the food at Wakamatsu-ya Saketen is always superb, and the affordable prices due to its direct management by a liquor store make it a must-visit spot. I can't wait to go back next time!

"Wakamatsu-ya Saketen" is located a 7-minute walk from Kyoto Station. They offer seasonal sashimi, grilled dishes, and hot pot using fresh ingredients. Despite being a liquor store, they also serve delicious courses in the evening. The table seats inside the old house are very cozy. It's interesting that you can choose your own drinks from the refrigerator. The course I had included appetizers, sashimi of striped jack, grilled striped jack, softshell turtle hot pot, grilled sweetfish, and porridge. The appetizers were seasoned with bamboo shoots and seasonal vegetables with a nice touch of sansho pepper. The sashimi of striped jack was beautifully arranged on a large plate, with a nice fatty texture. The softshell turtle hot pot was rich in collagen with a delicious broth. The freshly caught sweetfish was grilled on the spot and was also excellent. Lastly, the porridge made with the broth from the softshell turtle hot pot was delicious. I thought it was a great restaurant, so don't forget to save it! Follow me on Instagram @nozawayuta and TikTok @yuuta0104gurume if you'd like."

☆彡Enjoy seasonal ingredients at a Japanese-style bar that rivals traditional Japanese restaurants. The highlight this time was the "conger eel (hamo)" dish commonly enjoyed in Kyoto. The conger eel hot pot at Wakamatsuya Saketen was absolutely delicious. This renowned establishment, known for its difficulty in making reservations, offers a unique self-service experience where you can choose your sake from the fridge and the prices are clearly marked, making it a great value. They also offer lesser-known sake from Kyoto and Shiga at the same price as regular liquor stores, allowing you to enjoy affordable and delicious sake. The conger eel course includes dishes such as Biwa Lake shrimp, pregnant smelt, sashimi of striped jack, grilled sweetfish, conger eel hot pot (3 live conger eels), and noodles to finish, accompanied by a selection of sake. Before the main course, we enjoyed a dish of sashimi with sake, and the striped jack was exceptional, pairing perfectly with the special ponzu sauce. As always, the sake kept flowing from the start. The seasonal ingredient "conger eel" undergoes a significant change in taste twice a year, with the current season featuring a light and delicious flavor as the fish prepares to spawn. The conger eel, which was alive just moments ago, has a translucent white flesh and is cooked in a clear broth with the head, liver, swim bladder, and stomach adding depth to the flavor. The thick, meaty flesh of the conger eel, prepared by skilled chefs, is truly exceptional. While many restaurants offer conger eel, it is the art of slicing the fish that sets them apart, as the precise cuts allow the broth to penetrate the meat. With three conger eels provided, the experience is truly outstanding. I would love to try all the seasonal menus throughout the year, as the combination of exquisite dishes and sake for just ¥10,000 per person is truly a blessing. I can't wait to indulge in all the seasonal delights! Follow me on Instagram @ginjirou.star

☆彡The genre of the restaurant is a sake shop that serves food, known as "kakudachi." The unique feature of kakudachi is that tables and chairs are provided, and you can feel the history with valuable old sake bottles lined up everywhere. While the selection of sake in the refrigerator and on the shelves may be better than other stores, they offer dishes that rival those of a high-class restaurant using seasonal ingredients at a very reasonable price. I received a rare reservation invitation for a difficult-to-book slot at this historical and cozy place (*ﾟ∀ﾟ*) Yay! The dishes are predetermined based on seasonal ingredients, so you cannot choose, but on this day, I was looking forward to enjoying blowfish dishes such as tessa and tetchiri. The blowfish course included tsubukonotsuke (blowfish skin simmered in soy sauce), blowfish sashimi, blowfish liver, tessa, and more. The meal was accompanied by local Echigo beer, Hoppu Terowaru Hagi no Tsuyu Junmai Ginjo sake, and Narumi Usuzakura Junmai Ginjo sake. We started with beer and then switched to my favorite sake, but the landlady's recommendation was Hagi no Tsuyu Junmai Ginjo sake, which was bottled in Kyoto five days ago. It was priced at 1,700 yen for a 720 ml bottle. The Narumi Usuzakura Junmai Ginjo sake from Shiga Prefecture, priced at 1,500 yen for a 720 ml bottle, was also delightful. The blowfish dishes were exceptional, with blowfish sashimi and tetchiri showcasing the unique texture of blowfish. The blowfish was at its best before spawning in spring, and we savored it with special ponzu sauce, green onions, and shichimi pepper. The tetchiri was firm and had a delightful chewy texture. The grilled blowfish had a texture similar to chicken meat and a sweet fatty charm. The firefly squid and blowfish liver before spawning were irresistible, and the blowfish hot pot was exquisite, with a delicate and flavorful broth that brought out the subtle taste of the blowfish. The rich and seasonal blowfish meat melted in the mouth, releasing the savory fat. The blowfish hot pot was at its best as spring approached, and we enjoyed it to the fullest. Finally, we finished the meal with a flavorful porridge and fully consumed the soup. We savored the seasonal ingredients, enjoyed the sake, and the total cost was 10,500 yen per person. Considering the quality of the dishes and the price, it's no wonder that it's difficult to get a reservation at this wonderful restaurant, right? (^ω^*) I'm also on Instagram @ginjirou.star.

I visited "Wakamatsu-ya Saketen," a reservation-difficult restaurant located in Kyoto city. The access is about a 10-minute walk from JR Kyoto Station. The restaurant has a quaint exterior facing Shichijo Street. The interior is a retro Showa era style with an antique and down-to-earth atmosphere. Here are the dishes we had today: Wakasagi, Fugu sashimi, Grilled Fugu, Ankimo (monkfish liver), Ayu with roe, and Fugu porridge. The grilled Fugu with a crispy texture goes well with sake. The Ankimo is served with a refreshing ponzu sauce. The Ayu with roe is generously filled with eggs. The Fugu porridge has a light seasoning but rich in flavor. The rice soaked up the broth well and the ingredients may vary depending on the season. They offer a wide variety of sake as well. It was a delicious and enjoyable izakaya. Thank you for the meal.

The restaurant is hosting a blowfish hot pot competition. The blowfish is authentic and delicious, with a richly seasoned porridge. You can choose and drink retail alcohol lined up outside the store, and it's very affordable. I would love to go back to this place if given the chance.

A shop located about a 10-minute walk from Kyoto Station. There are only two large tables! You help yourself to the drinks. They serve seasonal dishes with fish as the main course. There are lots of big koi swimming next to the toilet at the back of the shop, but they won't come out. The food comes out slowly, but it's really cheap! You can eat to your heart's content for about 10,000 yen per person and drink a lot of alcohol too!

☆彡Experience the historical atmosphere and unique interior of a long-established hotel in Kyoto, where reservations are hard to come by. Indulged in a luxurious meal of matsutake mushroom and conger eel hot pot in a precious seat reserved for me. Selecting your favorite drink from the refrigerator or shelf in a standing bar style. The display items, including vintage signs, are all valuable treasures. Enjoyed exquisite dishes, including seasonal fish, in the traditional Kyoto atmosphere. Started with Lake Biwa shrimp and gori, paired with beer and sake, setting the mood for the evening. The gori and shrimp, simmered in ginger, were light and delicious. Sashimi of flounder, the first of the season, with a rich flavor and firm texture, paired elegantly with citrus ponzu sauce. Grilled salted sea bream from Awaji, another seasonal fish dish, was served. The sweet sea bream, in its prime season, was perfectly seasoned with salt. The conger eel and matsutake mushroom hot pot, the main dish of the day, was brought to the table. The conger eel, rich in nutrients after spawning, had a deep umami flavor, while the matsutake mushroom added a strong aroma. The combination of the two ingredients created an unmatched umami flavor. The meal was complemented by a selection of sake that enhanced the flavors. Despite indulging in plenty of drinks, the bill came out to be 10,000 yen per person. Understandable why reservations are hard to come by for such a satisfying course. Follow me on Instagram @ginjirou.star

Marinated sardines, sliced raw fish, grilled blowfish, crab meat and miso, boiled crab - This nostalgic izakaya, with a history of 159 years, feels like time has stopped. It's a hidden gem in Kyoto that many locals may not even know about. The highlight of this visit was the crab meat course, only available from November to March, which was absolutely delicious. The sliced raw fish was surprisingly sweet and firm, and paired perfectly with the homemade ponzu sauce.

I was looking forward to coming here and finally made it! Today I was all ready to drink a lot, but the fugu (blowfish) was so delicious that I couldn't resist eating it. The atmosphere of the restaurant, the taste of the landlady, and the sense of tradition were amazing. It was a wonderful, wonderful place.

After waiting for about a year, we finally had the opportunity to enjoy the cuisine featuring the "kue" fish. The restaurant was booked for our group, and we started with grilled freshwater fish from Lake Biwa and shrimp, along with bottled beer. The kue fish for the day was sourced from Yamaguchi and Miyazaki. A large plate of sashimi was served, which we enjoyed with ponzu sauce. It was delicious! This was only my second time trying kue fish, and I savored it while slowly transitioning to sake. Next, we had kue fish hot pot. The owner of the restaurant explained how to cook it, and then served it to us at the perfect moment. The tender meat that easily separated from the bones, as well as the collagen-rich parts, were all so tasty that we were all too busy eating to talk. It was like the quietness when eating crab. For the finale, we had porridge made with the flavors of the kue fish. It filled both our stomachs and hearts. Thank you for the wonderful meal!

By some stroke of luck, I was able to visit a restaurant I had been wanting to go to. I went with my partner and we started with beer before moving on to sake, as it is a sake shop after all. We chose a tasting flight of three different sakes (and ended up taking one home). We had boiled pufferfish tonight, and also tried turtle soup. It felt like we were visiting grandma's house, full of nostalgia. It's such a joy to be able to choose and enjoy your favorite alcohol, along with seasonal dishes. I felt that getting older isn't so bad after all on this summer night.

1. Pickled Wakasagi from Lake Biwa 2. Tai Matsukawa-style sashimi 3. Natural softshell turtle hot pot from Aichigawa, Shiga Prefecture 4. Bring your own rice porridge 1. Ezo Baifun Uni 2. Murasaki Uni Established 159 years ago, this izakaya is known for being extremely difficult to make reservations at. Their specialty is a dish made with shredded crab meat, available only from November to March.