Pontocho, Kyoto's "Niku Rojii" opened on September 14th. While enjoying the view of the Kamo River, I had a luxurious donburi filled with top-quality brand Japanese beef. The "Superb Butoro Don" is 3,800 yen, while the "Nama Toro Niku Mabushi Don" is 2,800 yen before tax. This dish features carefully selected domestic sirloin combined with luxurious Hokkaido salmon roe, creating a bowl that is truly exquisite. The melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the sirloin paired with the popping texture of the large salmon roe creates a delightful harmony, making it an absolute masterpiece. The salmon roe, sparkling like jewels, is beautiful to the eye and enhances the sense of indulgence with every bite. They also offer a legal Yukke don made with the rare Japanese beef cut known as "Maru." This dish perfectly balances fine red meat and just the right amount of fat. The moment it enters your mouth, it melts away, releasing rich umami. Each bite allows you to savor the refined flavor of the Wagyu, making it a special treat. The way to enjoy the meal is versatile! First, try it as it is, then enhance the flavors with wasabi, ginger, or green onions to your liking. I particularly enjoyed the fried garlic. Finally, pour hot broth over it for a final touch. You can enjoy three different ways of savoring the dish. The restaurant is located along a charming alley in Pontocho, on the fifth floor of the Emerald Hall. Next to it is the retro "Pontocho Kaburenjo" building. From the tranquil interior, you can overlook the Kamo River and fully enjoy the brand Japanese beef handpicked by a meat sommelier. I definitely want to visit again.

Sakanocho Meat Alley is a fantastic restaurant located about a 10-minute walk from Keihan Sanjo Station in Kyoto, on the fifth floor of a building along Sakanocho Street. Here, you can enjoy exquisite meat bowls and meat donburi dishes. The bowls crafted by a meat sommelier are not only visually stunning but feature high-quality Wagyu sirloin topped generously with ikura (salmon roe). The Ultimate Puchi Toro Don is a must-try! The combination of the pop of the ikura and the meltingly tender Wagyu sirloin is simply amazing. What's more, you can enjoy the bowl in three different ways: first as is, then with toppings, and finally as an ochazuke (rice in tea) by pouring broth over it. It’s a delightful experience, so I highly recommend going early since it’s a limited-quantity dish!

The "raw tororo meat rice bowl" is priced at 3,080 yen (including tax). I visited around 1 PM on a weekday, and there were no other customers at the time, just two other groups later on. The dish uses a rare cut of domestic beef called "maru," and the grilled yukke is definitely delicious! You can enjoy it in different ways: first on its own, then with some condiments, and finally with broth, which adds to the enjoyment. The staff provided attentive service, and the food was served at a leisurely pace, taking about 20 minutes. Since there are many places that offer meat rice bowls, I'd like to try other restaurants as well.

Opened in September 2024! I enjoyed "Nikumabushi" at "Pontocho Nikuroji," located right near the Pontocho Kaburenjo theater! The meat is carefully selected "Japanese branded wagyu" by a "meat sommelier," which made me really excited. The restaurant is on the top floor (5th floor) of a retro building called "Emerald Kaikan," and I took the elevator up! For those who want to exercise before eating, you can also take the stairs (laughs). The interior has a traditional machiya atmosphere, and the view from the windows of Higashiyama and the Kamo River was absolutely stunning! It was a clear day, so the scenery was great. There are counter seats and two semi-private tatami rooms available. *……………………………………………………………………… What I ordered: ● Seared Marbled Nikumabushi: ¥2,800 ● Premium Petit Toro: ¥3,800 We shared both dishes and enjoyed every bite. You can choose the rice portion size: large, medium, or small. Even the medium size comes with a generous 280 grams. The most popular item is the "Seared Marbled Nikumabushi Bowl," which features a high-quality cut of beef for the grilled yukke. For the first serving, I broke the egg yolk and enjoyed it as is, then for the second serving, I added broth to make it a rice porridge. Eating it as a porridge was my favorite—highly recommended! The limited quantity "Premium Petit Toro" bowl was adorned with pink meat. This pink comes from "Japanese branded wagyu sirloin," which was unbelievably tender and made me so happy. In the center of the bowl, there was a generous amount of "Hokkaido salmon roe" that shone like jewels. The roe had a strong flavor, so I moved it to my rice bowl to enjoy it together with the meat. It was also great to have as a broth porridge at the end. Thank you for the delicious meal!

Nikudōji, which just opened in September, offers a delicious meat experience crafted by a meat sommelier. I was so captivated by the luxury that I forgot to take an overall photo! They also have soups, seasonings, and dashi available✨ I visited for lunch♡ We shared both the "Raw Toro Meat Mabu-shi" and the "Premium Pachi Toro" because I wanted to try them both✨ The most popular dish, the Raw Toro Meat Mabu-shi, features plenty of rare grilled yukhoe from the Maru cut. The meat is sweet and incredibly delicious. Using the seasonings and dashi to make it into ochazuke was also outstanding. I highly recommend trying this dish first at Nikudōji! ♡ The Premium Pachi Toro has rich, fatty Japanese wagyu sirloin topped generously with Ikura from Hokkaido — it’s truly luxurious. While there’s sauce available, the Ikura is so abundant that enjoying it as-is was wonderful too. Thank you for the meal! ♡ The interior of the restaurant was lovely, with a great view of the Kamo River from the window. Nikudōji @pontocho_nikuroji 133-1 Hashimoto-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 5th floor Emerald Kaikan

I went to a restaurant with a meat sommelier that serves incredibly delicious Japanese beef for lunch. It is located in Pontocho, near Sanjo! You enter the building and take the elevator up to the 5th floor. Once inside, you can see the Kamo River, which is such a beautiful view! Even as a Kyoto local, having a view like this really gets me excited. I ordered a lunch set that I had been curious about: ◾️ Premium Puti Toro Don - ¥4,180 (including tax) – This dish uses brand-name Japanese Wagyu sirloin. It comes topped with a generous amount of large Hokkaido salmon roe. It’s incredibly luxurious! The eggs are so beautiful and burst in your mouth. The soft and flavorful sirloin, combined with the salmon roe and rice, creates the best harmony in your mouth! It’s truly an indulgent experience! ◾️ Seared Beef with Raw Egg Don - ¥3,080 (including tax) – This dish features the rare cut of Japanese Wagyu called "Maru." The seared yukhoe (raw beef dish) is exceptionally extravagant! It has a firm texture that releases flavor with every bite. Oh, why is meat so delicious? Eating it makes me smile with happiness. Autumn is just around the corner in Kyoto, so be sure to visit Pontocho, a lovely area that captures the essence of Kyoto.

The exquisite "Puchi Toro" and the fresh "Toro Meat Mabushi" were incredibly delicious. The popular No.1 "Fresh Toro Meat Mabushi" (3,080 yen) uses the rare "Maru" cut of the highest-ranked domestic brand wagyu, and the luxurious seared yukhoe recommended by the meat sommelier melted in my mouth the moment I took a bite. The collaboration with shiny rice from Niigata Prefecture was perfect, and it became even more delicious when I added the sauce! The limited edition "Exquisite Puchi Toro" (4,180 yen) featured plenty of salmon roe from Hokkaido, and I absolutely love salmon roe! The large, beautifully colored roe was bursting with flavor, making it truly a top-notch bowl. The meat was tender and incredibly tasty as well. I enjoyed varying the flavors by adding sauce, toppings, and broth, so I never got bored until the end. There's an elevator, and the view is beautiful too!

On September 14, 2024, a restaurant dedicated to authentic flavors and run by a meat sommelier will open in Pontocho, right across from Keihan Electric Railway's Sanjo Station! This restaurant offers a luxurious dining experience with breathtaking views of the Kamo River from the top floor. Here’s what we ordered: ⭐️ Signature Dish, Popular No. 1 ⭐️ ✅ Raw Melt-in-Your-Mouth Meat Donburi - 3,080 yen (tax included) Using the highest quality Japanese brand wagyu's rare cut, "maru." The recommended luxury grilled yukhoe by the meat sommelier is a must-try! As soon as you take a bite, the meat melts in your mouth, and when paired with shiny rice from Niigata Prefecture, it’s pure bliss! ✅ [Limited Quantity] Exquisite Mini Melt-in-Your-Mouth - 4,180 yen (tax included) Surrounded by Japanese brand wagyu "sirloin" on the dish, topped with luxurious large salmon roe from Hokkaido, it’s the epitome of indulgence! The combination of the melting meat and the bursting salmon roe is outstanding! (Note: Extra rice is +100 yen) 【Three Ways to Enjoy】 1️⃣ First, savor it as is to appreciate the perfect balance of the selected red meat and our homemade sauce! 2️⃣ Next, add your preferred condiments like wasabi or fried garlic. 3️⃣ Finally, use a rice bowl and pour our special "dashi" broth for a delicious ochazuke-style dish! Adding fresh shiso leaves, green onions, nori, or wasabi enhances the flavor even more! The moment you step into the restaurant, the stunning views captivate you! It's great for lunch with friends, but highly recommended for dates as well. It would be wonderful if your boyfriend knew about such a place! How about treating yourself to a luxurious lunch sometimes? I was torn on what to order, so we decided to share two dishes. The moment we tasted them, happiness spread through our mouths! They were delicious on their own, but each adjustment with sauce, toppings, or dashi just made the flavors even better, and we finished them in no time. The experience truly felt like adding to the dish. I enjoyed it without losing interest from start to finish! If you’re in the Kawaramachi or Gion Shijo areas, consider having lunch in Pontocho! You can bring a stroller inside, and there are sunken kotatsu tables available, making it family-friendly too! Everyone should check it out! ◾︎ Instagram: @pontocho_nikuroji ◾︎ Address: 133-1 Hashimoto-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan, Emerald Hall 5F ○ 4-minute walk from Keihan Line Sanjo Station ○ 7-minute walk from Hankyu Kyoto Line Kyoto Kawaramachi Station ○ 8-minute walk from Keihan Line Gion Shijo Station ◾︎ Opening hours: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Last order at 2:30 PM) ◾︎ Closed: Irregular holidays 【Parking】 Please use nearby coin parking.

I have been eagerly looking forward to visiting this restaurant since I fell in love with their menu at first sight✨. It's located right next to the elegant Pontocho Kaburenjo Theater. When you take the elevator up, you are greeted by a charming Japanese atmosphere reminiscent of a small diner. From the window, you can see the Kamo River, and there’s an L-shaped counter along with two tatami seating tables. The star of the show, the "Ultimate Mini Toro Don" for 3,800 yen, has just arrived! Whoa—look at all this ikura (salmon roe)! It's filled to the brim with shimmering ikura surrounded by beautifully marbled beef. As I try to lift the meat to serve the rice into another bowl, ikura spills everywhere—it's the best! ❤️ The large, plump ikura from Hokkaido has such a freshness, it’s as if it has the skin of a teenager! It bursts in your mouth, and the rich flavor of the roe overflows—a true symphony for the taste buds! Hokkaido!! ← I'm shouting this, because even when I visited Hokkaido, I couldn't find ikura like this for this price! The amount is so generous, it's practically equal to the amount of rice! I’m thrilled!✨ The beef is premium Japanese brand wagyu sirloin✨—it melts in your mouth! It’s generously marbled, so I recommend enjoying it with the provided herbs for a refreshing contrast✨. Finally, pour some broth over it for a hitumabushi-style dish. This is basically ikura soup—it’s seriously delicious! The fat from the meat blends into the broth, making it refreshing, and this method really made it taste the best. There was also an egg yolk provided, but I didn’t end up using it. I shared the "Raw Toro Meat Over Rice" at 2,800 yen with my friend. This dish uses a rare part of premium Japanese wagyu called "Maru”! The meat’s surface is seared, giving you two textures in one bowl! The egg yolk and sauce blend beautifully! I even used the egg yolk from the ikura bowl for this one. To have this quality at this price is a steal! ✨ This place is destined to become super popular! Since it’s a new shop and still somewhat unknown, it was quite empty! I highly recommend going before a line starts forming‼️‍♀️✨

The intended restaurant was closed, so this time I visited a new place called "Niku Roji," which opened in September and had a promotional staff member outside. Since it's on the 5th floor of a building, it might be a bit hard to find for first-time visitors. The menu is pretty ambitious, featuring three options: beef over rice, beef and salmon roe bowl, and roast beef bowl. The prices are slightly on the higher side for lunch, and even though there weren't any other customers, it took a little while for the food to be served. Additionally, the music didn't quite match the atmosphere of the restaurant, which was a bit distracting (the staff is young, so the music is also young). I ordered the recommended beef over rice. I started by pouring the sauce over it and eating it as is, then added some condiments and ate it with the broth, which left me satisfied. The meat is definitely delicious when eaten straight, and personally, I prefer enjoying the leftover rice with the broth. They mentioned that the menu will expand in the future, so I’m looking forward to what’s to come.