After visiting the Shosoin Exhibition in Nara, I enjoyed a pot rice meal at a nearby restaurant. As soon as I arrived, the restaurant opened, and I waited in line for nearly an hour and a half to get in. It's been a long time since I've waited this much. There were also foreign tourists in line. I chose a pot rice dish that contained seven different ingredients. Since I placed my order while waiting in line, my meal was served as soon as I sat down. It's a system where you pay in exchange for the meal. The pot rice was hearty, filled with fluffy anago (conger eel) and plump shrimp.

This is my second visit this year. It seems to be popular with foreigners as well, and even on a weekday, I waited for an hour to get in during lunchtime. The chestnut rice dish caught my attention with its seasonal limited-time promotion, and it had a good amount of chestnuts in it, allowing me to enjoy the flavors of autumn as I had hoped. Since it's a limited-time offering, I recommend it if you visit Nara Park.

On the second day of the three-day weekend, I took a day trip to Nara on the 3rd. Due to heavy rain the day before, Nara Park was bustling with tourists. We decided to have lunch earlier, so we lined up at 10:30, but just missed the first round and had to wait for the second round. Finally, we got a table just before 12. We ordered a set that included a rice dish with seven different Yamatokinds and tempura. The rice was made fresh after we placed our order, so it was hot and delicious. The tempura also had a generous portion. However, it felt like a typical tourist trap, as it took way too long to get our food.

On October 28, Reiwa 6, I arrived at Nara National Museum at 10:50 AM to visit the Shosoin Exhibition, planning to queue up at "Shizuka Park Branch" at 10:30 for the first round of entry. However, my visit took longer than expected, and I arrived at the restaurant at 10:50 to find a long line. After waiting an hour and a half, I finally got in and ordered the "Nara Seven Kamehachi" (1600 yen each for two). While waiting in line, they took my order, so I didn't have to wait long after being seated for the food to arrive. When the food did arrive, I made payment right away. The "Nara Seven Kamehachi" was freshly cooked and included eel, shrimp, crab, chicken, bamboo shoots, burdock, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. It had a mild flavor but was aromatic and delicious, with a nice crispy bottom. I really enjoyed it! ♥♥♥♥♥ The restaurant had a strong image of an early Showa period dining establishment, yet there were a lot of international visitors. In fact, the area around Nara Park was overflowing with foreign tourists.

I visited during a weekday lunch. I waited for about 30 minutes, but I was able to get in. While waiting in line, they took my order early. Once I sat down, the kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot) was served immediately. I didn't wait more than five minutes after sitting down. The rice had a crispy bottom and was fluffy. The portion size was just right, and I was very satisfied.

When it comes to kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot) in Nara, Shizuka is the place to go! This was my first visit to the park location, and I was able to go without much waiting on a weekday! ★ Rating scale: 3.0 - Delicious, but I think I can visit just once. 3.5 - Likely to return for a second visit. 4.0 - A place that impressed me; I want to keep coming back for life. I've been food tasting mainly in Nara, with over 2,000 restaurants visited in total. Just in Nara Prefecture, I’ve been to around 1,000 places. I run a gourmet account, so I generally don't revisit a place unless it's really special. When I do decide to revisit, I go all in. I usually do not return to places that only accept cash. I focus more on photography than on reviews, so I emphasize photos. Please check out my other posts as well!

I went to this place on a friend's recommendation. I arrived right when it opened, but there was already a line of customers, and I had to wait about an hour. It seems better to arrive before the opening time. I ordered the popular dish, Nara Seven-Item Kamameshi, and paid an extra 300 yen for the dashi chazuke set. The waiting time was hot, but the kamameshi completely revitalized me. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Nara!

I first tried it about 20 years ago, and it completely changed my perception of clay pot rice! It has a delicate flavor, primarily based on dashi, yet it delivers an incredible umami! The more you chew, the more that umami spreads throughout your mouth! It was shocking! Also, the crispy "okoge" at the end is irresistible! I love history and have visited Nara over a hundred times, and I make sure to stop by every time! However, recently, there have been long lines due to a large number of Chinese tourists. Still, I highly recommend it to all travelers!

I visited Shizuka near Nara Park for the first time. I lined up from 11:40 and was seated around 13:20! While chatting, our kamameshi dishes arrived quite quickly and they were delicious! It was definitely worth the wait! Since it’s kamameshi, it takes some time, but I’m glad I waited in line. The crab dish was tasty, and the seven-item kamameshi included shrimp and eel, both of which were delicious! I highly recommend it!

I had been wanting to visit this restaurant for a long time. This time, I went with friends from Fukuoka and Tokyo, as well as a friend from Nara, and since waiting in line seemed like it would take a while, we decided to get takeout. We picked up a kamameshi (rice cooked in an iron pot) in a wooden box and a donabe (Clay pot) kamameshi a little before our reservation time, then moved to Nara Park. We bought bottled tea and enjoyed our meal while watching the deer. There was a great spot where the smell of the deer didn't bother us, and we had a delicious meal!

There was no wait time since we went right when the restaurant opened. It's a popular place near Nara Park. Whenever I go with my partner, we usually order three types of takikomi gohan (seasoned rice). The seasonal takikomi gohan was chestnut and grilled chicken rice, and it was delicious. However, the shrimp rice was a bit bland… not sure if I would order that again. The seven types of takikomi gohan were the best! I love takikomi gohan, so I'll post more about it again.

I was finally able to go. It was Friday lunchtime, but I only had a short wait. The atmosphere felt like a local diner, and the prices were reasonable. The flavor was a bit on the milder side, but the ingredients blended well together, making it quite delicious.

I visited on Sunday and arrived more than 30 minutes before opening, but there were already over 50 people in line. Most of them appeared to be Asian foreigners. I managed to get into the first round and my kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot) arrived around 12 o'clock, which was an hour and a half after I started waiting in line. But I know it's delicious, so I enjoyed chatting while I waited.

I enjoyed the Nara seven types of dishes. The blend of seafood, chicken, and dashi flavors was incredibly delicious! It was April, and although it was a hot day, the dashi for the ochazuke was served cold, which was delightful. Of course, pouring the dashi over the ochazuke was also extremely tasty, but since I love ochazuke, I preferred eating it plain because the kamameshi was just too delicious. There were also rice balls made from kamameshi for kids, which I appreciated. I ended up eating what my child left behind, and that was absolutely exquisite as well!

I visited the restaurant on a Saturday before Golden Week in April. I arrived around 10:20 AM for the 11 AM opening, and there were already about four groups ahead of me. By the time the restaurant opened at 11, there was probably a line of about 50 people. While waiting in line, I received a menu and a waiting number. Even though we were in line before opening, some people were seated for the second round. About half of the customers were from overseas. I wonder if they understood the depth of this place? I enjoyed my meal very much.

This was my first time visiting Nara, and I had a meal at Todai-ji. It was very cold that day, and I waited in the heavy rain for two hours. I felt sorry for the girls waiting in the rain and hope the restaurant can improve its efficiency. In the end, everyone wants to enjoy delicious food, but the current wait is just too long. People who want to dine there should be prepared to wait over two hours.

In Nara, there's a popular kama-meshi (rice cooked in a pot). Even on weekdays, there’s about a one-hour wait during lunch hours. Since I placed my order while waiting in line, my meal arrived quickly once I entered the restaurant. The pot rice was substantial and very delicious!

I lined up 30 minutes before opening and was able to enter in the first round. Since it's located in Nara Park, it's convenient to combine it with sightseeing, which is a plus. However, unlike the Omiya branch, the space between the seats was narrow. Personally, I recommend the Omiya branch for its spacious and comfortable dining experience. The taste was the same as the Omiya branch and delicious. The flavors are mild. The oysters were plump and juicy. I also ordered the park's limited dashi chazuke set, which was enjoyable.

Near Nara Park, there is "Shizuka," which usually has a long line, but on this day, there was no line, and I entered at 5:00 PM. It took about 30 minutes for the kamameshi (rice cooked in an iron pot) to be ready. I ordered the "Nara Seven-Variety Kamameshi," which includes shrimp, crab, young chicken, eel, burdock, carrot, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushrooms. The crispy rice at the bottom was delicious. I also ordered the egg and tea-zukushi (rice with tea) set as an addition.

After visiting Todai-ji, we headed to this restaurant at my wife's request. We arrived around 11:05 AM, just after it opened at 11:00. There were only two groups in line ahead of us, so we decided to wait. Since it’s a rice pot dish, I expected it would take time—one group would eat, and then the next group’s dish would be prepared. But my wife insisted, so we lined up anyway. Orders are taken inside the restaurant, allowing for a quicker decision. Our rice pot arrived at 12:05 PM, just as anticipated. Our child was getting restless, so parents with kids should keep that in mind. Observing the scene, it seemed that some foreign tourists lingered at tables after their meal, which might contribute to slow turnover. Regardless, considering the nature of the rice pot dish, I recommend going when you have time and can wait. I tried the oyster rice pot. The dish didn't have a strong oyster flavor in the broth, which might be the same for all. However, the oysters were steamed perfectly and delicious. The gentle taste of the rice pot was comforting, and there were plenty of ingredients to enjoy. I also ordered a separate set for broth over the rice. It came with condiments and broth, but it felt a bit pricey—around 200 yen might be more reasonable. Sipping the broth as a finale was delightful.