I was taken to this restaurant by a friend during the day. The eel dish was delicious with a strong taste of sansho pepper, making it spicy and tasty. It had just rained heavily, so the Uji River was flowing strongly, but we enjoyed a luxurious lunch right by the river, listening to the sound of the flowing water.

Suspicious Gourmet Expedition in Kyoto. Today, we tried tea soba in Uji. We visited a restaurant called "Ayuso". Initially, we tried calling several other restaurants, but being a holiday in Kyoto and close to lunchtime, we couldn't find any available. We found this restaurant on Tabelog with a decent rating (3.47) and categorized as a traditional inn, so we called and they had space. We headed to the restaurant near Byodoin Temple, along the narrow cobblestone path by the Uji River. The building looked old and quaint, which we probably wouldn't have chosen if we didn't have a reservation. Inside, it was a spacious tatami room. We ordered the Tempura Tea Soba set (2,750 yen including tax) and waited while enjoying the view of the Uji River. There was only one other group in the room, creating a relaxed atmosphere. The hand-made tea soba was delicious, and the restaurant's specialty, "Unagi Iimushi," was tasty. The tempura was freshly fried and the shrimp was juicy. Overall, it was a pleasant experience, and we felt it was better than eating at a crowded touristy spot. Thank you for the meal.

During my sightseeing in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, I found a popular restaurant serving tea soba noodles near the Byodoin Temple. It is a convenient place to visit after sightseeing, with a space where you can enjoy your meal while overlooking the river. I think it is a nice restaurant for tourists. Thank you for the delicious meal.

After visiting the shrine, I stopped by this restaurant. Due to the impact of the coronavirus, the atmosphere in the area was rather tense. I visited alone, but was guided to a separate tatami room. Although the next table was separated by a sliding door, it almost felt like a private dining experience. I was able to enjoy a peaceful meal. I ordered the famous "eel eel" and the warm "tempura green tea soba", which were comforting. The eel dish had a satisfying texture with glutinous rice. From the window, I could see the Uji River flowing, and occasionally a river bird flying by, adding to the quaint atmosphere. The place is simple and unassuming, with little impact, but it makes you want to visit again.

Today, I took a stroll in Uji. I decided to have some soba at a place with a separate seating area overlooking the Uji River. Luckily, there was a seat available when I arrived. I wanted to try the assorted soba, but unfortunately, it was only available by reservation that day. I ended up ordering the tempura soba (cold) and grated yam soba (cold). I waited for over 30 minutes for my order to arrive. The soba had a faint aroma of green tea. The tempura consisted of shrimp, seaweed, and something wrapped in a leaf that I couldn't identify, but it was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, very delicious. The grated yam soba had a quail egg yolk in the middle and was smooth and easy to eat. The location is great as it's a tourist spot, and being able to enjoy the meal while looking at the river adds to the atmosphere. If I have the chance, I would like to try the assorted soba next time. Thank you for the meal.

This is a story from 2020, before the increase in COVID cases, when a friend came to visit and we went to Kyoto, then to Uji. We thought about watching cormorant fishing here at night, but when we arrived at Byodoin Temple, we found out it was suspended. However, we were surprised to see the cormorants roaming freely. They didn't try to escape. We decided to enjoy some tea soba noodles in a riverbed-like setting. There was a tea house run by a nearby traditional inn right across the street. The soba noodles were beautifully dyed in a deep green color, with a hint of tea flavor. It was July, and the river was flowing rapidly due to dam discharge, creating a refreshing atmosphere. The sight of the tour boats sitting idle below the window somehow seemed lonely.

At Ayamune, I enjoyed the view of Uji while eating Uji tea rice porridge. First, I had a tea-flavored snack with hojicha. Then, a high-quality sencha. And the beautiful tea soba served with a rich broth was delicious. The main dish, tea rice porridge, featured freshly fried tempura mainly made of green peas in a flavorful broth. It was quite satisfying and warmed my belly. For dessert, I had Kyoto Tanizuan's three-color tea dumplings, Uji Sanmai, to finish off the meal. Thank you for the feast.

After visiting the Phoenix Hall at Byodoin Temple in Uji, I stopped by Ayumune, a traditional ryokan located by the Uji River, which has been in business for over 100 years. I tried their famous dish called "Eel Iimushi" for 450 yen each. This dish consists of grilled eel on top of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo skin with a hint of sansho pepper flavor. It is said to be inspired by the Uji Maru, a famous boat on the Uji River. In ancient times, eels caught in the Uji River were thick and round, which made them highly valued. Although the exact method of preparation is unknown, eel sushi was a popular dish and was also known as "Uji Maru."

On this day, I visited Kyoto Uji. For lunch, I stopped by Ayuso, located along the river a little away from the crowded approach during the 10-day holiday. Ayuso is pronounced as "aiso". It is a long-established ryokan with over 100 years of history, located 3 minutes on foot from Byodoin Temple along the Uji River. I entered a small hut that protrudes into the Uji River, somewhat reminiscent of a riverside terrace. It has a quaint charm if you look at it differently. I quite like this feeling. We enjoyed the specialty dishes of the restaurant, "Unagi Iimushi" and "Unagi Zosui", in a tatami room with a great view. The Zosui also comes with Uji's specialty "Cha Soba". While waiting for the dishes to be served, we chatted and enjoyed the view outside. We noticed a hut on the other side of the Uji River. When we asked the staff, they told us it was a cormorant fishing hut, and in summer, you can watch cormorant fishing on the Uji River. Shortly after, our food arrived. The Unagi Zosui had a rich broth and was delicious. The Cha Soba had a nice tea aroma and was refreshing, making you want to eat more. The portion was generous, and for 1,400 yen, it was quite a good deal! The specialty Unagi Iimushi consisted of eel on top of fragrant mountain pepper rice. The lightly seasoned dish had a gentle flavor that was somewhat addictive. We relaxed in the tatami room, and time flew by quickly. We hurried back to Byodoin Temple for a visit. Be careful not to get too comfortable and lose track of time (laughs).

[Kyoto Prefecture, Uji City] On April 30th (holiday) in 2019, near the Byodo-in Temple in Uji City, there is a soba and udon restaurant called "Aiso." You can enjoy the famous eel iimushi and tea soba while overlooking the Uji River. The location is along the Uji River, southeast of the Byodo-in Temple. From Uji Station towards the main entrance of the Byodo-in Temple, turn left and head towards the temple gate, then onto the embankment of the Uji River. Turn left at the Y-shaped intersection on the embankment path, and continue along the river to find the restaurant. It is a 2-minute walk from the Byodo-in Temple parking lot. A 15-minute walk from JR Uji Station, and a 13-minute walk from Keihan Uji Station. No regular holidays. On the last day of the Heisei era, I visited the Byodo-in Temple, which I had not been to before. This restaurant is located just behind the Byodo-in Temple. It is quite a distance on foot from the station, but if you drive, it is very close to the Byodo-in Temple parking lot. There is a separate building that faces the Uji River, like a riverside terrace, and the main building is across the street. The main building is an old ryokan where you can still stay. When it comes to dining, the riverside tatami seating is highly recommended. The tatami seating consists of about 6 tables for 4 people each, all non-smoking. Instead of chairs, you sit on cushions, so if you are concerned about your legs, the main building's chair seating might be better. It is built at a slightly higher position, offering a picturesque view of the Uji River! In the evening, cormorant fishing is performed, and during the day, you can watch the cormorants being fed. Occasionally, sightseeing boats pass below, adding to the charm of Uji. The staff's service is polite. It's nice for travelers to occasionally hear Kyoto dialect. The main dishes are soba, udon, and other noodle dishes. Here are some items from the menu: [Specialty] Eel iimushi (steamed eel on rice) [Noodle dishes] Tempura tea soba, herring tea soba, grated yam tea soba, chicken nanba tea soba, haikara nabe yaki udon [Hot pot dishes, etc.] Eel porridge, chicken porridge, duck hot pot, udon suki, duck loin kawa yaki, pork loin kawa yaki. Adding tempura to the soba can significantly increase the price, so it might be best to stick with the regular tea soba here. You are served tea and matcha-flavored senbei (rice crackers) at the beginning. Take some time to relax while overlooking the Uji River. ------------------------------------------------■ Eel iimushi (¥450) A steamed rice ball with eel on top, rolled in bamboo skin. The chewy texture of the rice is impressive. The taste is typically Kyoto-style, light and refreshing! It's rare to find a dish with eel that is not rich and heavy. (I later realized that there was a sauce provided separately that I missed...) The flavor of real Japanese pepper is also a characteristic Kyoto touch. ------------------------------------------------■ Chicken porridge (¥1512) Comes with appetizers, mini tea soba, and pickles. The appetizers include rolled omelette, duck loin, red konjac, simmered kelp, and pickled ginger. The red konjac, colored red by adding iron, is a specialty of Shiga Prefecture, but I saw it in Kyoto and Nara on this day. It seems to be a food culture that has spread widely in western Japan. The porridge is cooked on a small table burner, and you wait for it to simmer. It takes some time, but chatting while waiting adds to the travel experience. Once it boils, you beat and pour in a raw egg to make egg drop soup. This extra step is enjoyable. It has a comforting and gentle taste with a dashi broth typical of Kansai cuisine. My companion, who has been feeling tired from work, said, "This taste is so healing," and was delighted. It was a bit far from the station, but I was glad I brought them to this restaurant (^-^) The tea soba, on the other hand, has a strong flavor, a nice contrast to the main porridge dish. It has a beautiful green color. The tea aroma lingers in the aftertaste. The accompanying pickles are of high quality. The pickled daikon radish is crispy and has a rich flavor. The shibazuke (pickled eggplant and cucumber) is also delicious. ------------------------------------------------In a charming location, enjoying Uji-style tea soba and a comforting porridge, I was very satisfied. The atmosphere was unexpectedly pleasant, and it made me lose track of time while visiting the Byodo-in Temple (laughs).

I visited the restaurant "Ayuso" in Uji. It is a place where you can relax while overlooking the Uji River. - Atmosphere: Comfortable tatami room with a great view - Food: Uji tea soba, dim sum, etc. - Price: Reasonable prices Hello, I am Miyang, a Russian living in Kansai. This restaurant is located by the Uji River. [Specialty "Good Steamed Eel": 450 yen] Good steamed eel, written in kanji as "rice steamed," is essentially steamed eel with a flavorful sauce on fragrant rice, wrapped in bamboo skin. It is quite delicious. Even though I only ordered two, they gave me some snacks and chatted with me, making it a very pleasant experience. Summary: Today, I spent 700 yen on the following: - Good steamed eel: 450 yen/2 pieces - Bottle of beer This over 100-year-old restaurant not only offers accommodation but also serves dishes made with Uji tea and offers kaiseki meals in a room with a great view. Thank you for the meal. Goodbye!

I went to Byodoin Temple. While exploring the delicious food nearby, I decided to enter a shop called "Unagi Iimushi" and ordered both their eel dish and green tea soba. The "Unagi Iimushi" consisted of steamed eel with a little sauce on top of rice, similar to sushi, and it was very delicious! The green tea soba was also tasty, with the matcha flavor complementing the soba noodles well. I found out that you can also get the "Unagi Iimushi" to go, so I took some home!

On this day, I went on a day trip by bus with a local festival group to visit Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, Byodoin Temple, and Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine. After visiting Byodoin Temple, we had lunch at "Kyoto Uji Matcha Cuisine Tatsumiya" and then strolled along the riverbank. One of my companions was sitting on a bench next to a food stall, eating something that looked like eel rice rolls. It turned out to be a specialty dish from "Ryokan Ayuso." The eel rice rolls are a famous local dish here. Located along the Uji River, Ryokan Ayuso is a culinary inn that has been in business for over 100 years. It is situated on the opposite bank of the island tower along Ajirogi Road in Uji City, Kyoto Prefecture, which is home to the World Heritage Site "Byodoin Temple." It is a 15-minute walk from JR Uji Station and a 12-minute walk from Keihan Uji Station. During the season, cormorant fishing takes place in the Uji River in front of the inn. The inn has a charming, aged appearance that is commonly seen in tourist spots. There is a dining area overlooking the river below on the opposite side of the store, and next to it, there are food stalls selling items that can be enjoyed while sightseeing. The inn was founded over 100 years ago, originally starting as a wholesaler of river fish such as sweetfish and eel caught in the Uji River. One of the specialty dishes at Ryokan Ayuso is the eel rice rolls, inspired by the "Uji-maru" sushi made with eel caught in the Uji River. It is a dish where eel grilled with sweet soy sauce is placed on top of sticky rice, wrapped in bamboo skin, and flavored with sansho pepper. Unfortunately, they serve frozen eel rice rolls at the food stall, and due to high demand, they may not always be able to keep up with orders. We ordered more than 20 pieces just for our group, so we had to give up eating at the restaurant as our meeting time was approaching. I brought the eel rice rolls back home as a souvenir, along with the inari sushi I bought at Fushimi Inari. I steamed the eel rice rolls again before eating as they were a bit cold, and although I am not a big fan of sticky rice, I found them to be just average in taste. Considering the price, it was understandable that the eel was thinly sliced. Overall, it was an acceptable souvenir in terms of price and content for a tourist spot.

I visited the Byodoin Temple and sat at a table by the river. The staff kindly adjusted the table so we could see the river and the cormorants. I ordered a set of hot pot udon and steamed eel. The steamed eel took about 15 minutes to prepare, so we took our time. The grilled udon tasted like home cooking, with plenty of ingredients. The steamed eel was light and delicious, with fluffy rice. Unfortunately, the weather looked like it was about to rain, but I imagine the seating would be pleasant on a sunny day.

A friend I am indebted to is coming to visit Kyoto, and as a local in Uji, I wanted to show off my area. We visited the hotel, then went to see the beautiful carvings at Byodoin Temple, a national treasure. After enjoying matcha at a public tea room, we decided to satisfy our hunger at a nearby food stall. The kind lady at the stall offered us a place to eat, and even served us tea. We enjoyed the steamed rice cake, which had a gentle and welcoming taste, different from the bold flavors often found in tourist areas. It was a simple yet high-quality treat, reflecting the hospitality of Uji. After filling our stomachs, we crossed the Uji River.

There were few seats, but since it was past lunchtime, there was no one there and I was able to relax in a private setting.

You can enjoy a popular specialty in Uji, which is available in most shops. At Ayumuso, located above the Uji River, you can savor the dish. The atmosphere as a tourist spot is excellent. The taste itself was delicious, with a slightly bitter matcha flavor complemented by a sweet and savory sauce.

While exploring Uji on a solo trip, I started to get hungry and happened to come across a restaurant. I remember getting a set of green tea soba and hot pot, which filled me up nicely.